set me free, my honeybee || private

[QueenJenn]

Hutch immediately regretted asking Carmen if she had attended the ball before. He did not realize that the only way she could attend was on the arm of another man. She told him that, yes, she had been a total of three times. It took him every ounce of willpower not to press on the identity of the two knights she attended with. He didn’t need to know who they were, he told himself. He certainly did not need to know how their date ended. Hutch owed it to Carmen to tone down on the jealousy. He remembered all too well what happened the last time he grew jealous – and he was determined not to be that man again. Never again.

Carmen, thankfully, changed the subject. Realizing he had been clenching his jaw, he cleared his throat. The smile she gave him brought out a smile of his own. He didn’t need to think about the men that has taken her in the past; he had her right now, and that was all that mattered.

“So, my darling knight, with you already cleared for duty, would you prefer to mingle first or would you care for a dance?” Carmen asked. “The last time you danced with me was… well, not counting the Shooting Star festival, about two and a half months ago. Care to make up for lost time, noble bear fighter?”

Hutch grinned at the title. She was never going to let him live that down, was she? Grabbing her hand, he stepped back and dipped into a low bow. “I would be honored to have this dance,” he said, looking up to her with a small smile. Still holding her hand, he led her to the dance floor. Many couples currently occupied the large area, gliding around the stone floor in their brightly colored dresses. As they moved, Hutch looked back to his date. “Surely it has not been over two months since our last dance. I think you are forgetting the dance we shared in your bedroom, on the night of my celebration at the tavern.” He glanced back in front of them, making sure they were not going to run into anyone before looking back to Carmen with a fond smile. “I may have been fairly inebriated that night, but I could never forget a dance with you.”

In one swift movement, they stepped into the waltz. Hutch was thankful for the recovery of his leg, for it allowed him to dance across the floor with a gorgeous woman with whom he was madly in love with. His eyes never strayed from her, looking down to her with that same, affectionate smile.

“I know you didn’t get much of a chance to look around while you were there,” Carmen began mid-dance, “but is the new house not fine?”

“It is lovely,” Hutch answered with a smiled. He was pleased to see her so happy over the restoration of her home.

“I think it’s actually a bit bigger downstairs and upstairs is much different than before. The bedroom as a door now, which is useful. It will make fittings easier for those wishing to be proper. Of course, I measure all my attractive bear-fighting patrons downstairs in the open. Confining such people would be a foolish notion.” Carmen winked. Hutch raised an eyebrow. He could only imagine the ideas she had in store for them in their new home. “And Maker knows, Espen will be happy to have somewhere new to fly about. I’m sure he misses his perch in the kitchen. I’ll have to go looking for a branch to set out for him. Once I have more furniture, of course.”

“I am glad you mentioned that,” Hutch said. He took a moment to make sure they maneuvered around a couple that was hardly watching where they danced. “I managed to acquire some new furniture for you. It isn’t much – only a set of chairs and a cabinet – yet I am working on getting more. My sister has even offered to give you her old chest. She no longer needs it, and like myself, she wishes to help in any way possible.” He smiled down to her. “And I found a new desk for you to conduct your business on, but I’m afraid I will not be able to get it to you for another week still.” Little did she know, the reason it would take some time was because he had yet to finish building it. He had never told Carmen he learned a bit of carpentry from his father, and so he wanted to surprise her when it was finally finished.

They continued through the second song, having barely stepped into the previous one halfway through the song. The way the stared at each other as they glided across the floor was reminiscent of their first dance together, back at the Princess’ Masquerade. Hutch will never forget the moment when she slipped her mask off her face mid-dance. Back then, he was intrigued by the woman before her. Now, as he stared down to her, he was entranced, body, mind, and soul. In those two and a half months, she had captured him completely. He was, in all sense of the word, hers.

“If I may be so bold, you are, by far, the most exquisite woman in the entire castle tonight,” Hutch eventually said, his voice just hushed enough for her to hear. “Even the princess would pale in comparison to your beauty.” He gave her a warm, affectionate smile. It was moments like these that he felt the urge to dip down and kiss her, but given their location, he had to keep to himself. If there was ever a time to ignore the rules of society, it was not in the middle of a ballroom filled with nobles. Breaking their gaze, he took a moment to glance around the room. “I do not know if you are aware, but the castle gardens are usually kept lit during the ball. I stumbled upon them one year when I came alone.” His eyes shifted to her. “They are lovely, and hardly occupied. Perhaps if we find ourselves in need of some… alone time this evening, we can take a stroll through the gardens.” He offered her a smile, his eyebrows rising ever so slightly.

[Vermidian]

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxWhen somebody loved me, everything was beautiful.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxEvery hour we spent together lives within my heart,
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxAnd when she was sad, I was there to dry her tears,
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxAnd when she was happy, so was I, when she loved me.

Alexander walked nervously to Carmen’s new shop building, knowing what he awaited there. Kate. And then a party with lots of people. Not his element, but he was happy Kate was going with him. At least he would have something to talk about with her, a common topic. In the past he’d taken his wife, but that was so long ago now. It was a distant memory now, happy but faded, like an old portrait. In the years between, he had taken a lady or two if he’d bothered, but he had only taken them as friends. This… what he was doing with Kate tonight… he was fairly certain he was not doing this as just friends.

He liked Kate. She was smart, funny, energetic, and outgoing. It did complicate things that it was Hutch’s sister. Hutch… seemed a bit uncomfortable with it, but he kept his mouth shut. Alexander wished Hutch would just say why it made him so uncomfortable, honestly, but he knew his apprentice would probably never say. Alexander hated making him uncomfortable but, at the same time, he wanted to see if there really was something there with Kate. He’d been alone for years now. Jola would have been angry with him if she had been watching. He knew she had never wanted him to feel lonely. But… it seemed like every time he had tried, he felt like he was cheating on his late wife.

He didn’t feel that way with Kate. Kate was… different. She was similar in some ways, but the differences were vast as well. He didn’t feel guilty when he asked her to a ball, something that given their relationship could not be taken as anything as a date. That did nothing to alleviate his stress about the whole big public event thing, but he could manage that. He always had. Considering he had had a hand in planning it – Hutch a bit too, though mostly Alexander kept him on duty with working with the knights – it was expected he attend social functions like this. It didn’t mean he had to like them much.

When he reached Carmen’s house, Kate opened the door as he approached, looking him over. He wore a white leather doublet with a purple undershirt made by Carmen of the same violet material in Kate’s dress. His pants were also white, though not leather. His shoes were leather as well, but black and nearly to his knee.

“Hello,” Kate greeted from the doorway, grinning. He smiled a bit shyly.

“Hello,” Alexander said, stopping a foot or two from the door. He looked down at her dress, hoping he looked presentable. He looked odd in purple, he thought. Fortunately, Carmen had made his outfit more predominantly white. Carmen and he both agreed he looked best in earth tones. But Kate had looked good in the color, and he could afford it. “You – you look lovely.” He cleared his throat, obviously a little nervous. Kate stared at him for a moment, still smiling.

"I'm sorry, are you sure you are in the right place? You certainly can't be here for a simple gardener," Kate said, unable to hold back that smile as she leaned on the door. Alexander smiled a little at that and looked at her.

“Nothing about gardeners is simple, Kate,” he said, moving a little closer. “But I do hope I’m in the right place, otherwise my date for the evening might be very cross with me if I’m late.” Smiling a little wider, he kissed her hand, bending slightly for the sake of ease.

Kate stepped aside and let him enter. His hand slipped from hers as Hutch reached them, addressing him informally. Alexander nodded. “Hutch,” he greeted in kind, shaking the young man’s hand.

“There he is!” came a shout. A moment later a large hand clapped onto his back and Rowan appeared at his side. ”Ready for the evening, Sir Wymore?” He glanced to Kate for help and she just sort of stood back and laughed internally.

Alexander sighed. “I think I shall manage, Rowan. And hello, Carmen. Where is… ah.” He had glanced around for Silme and found her, looking so much different than usual. She was beautiful and he told her so. She was humble but truly, she looked lovely. Rowan didn’t know that Silme was interested in him, but how could he ignore such a wonderful person? It was unfathomable to him that Rowan could ignore her.

After they were done chatting, he returned to Kate and wordlessly offered her his arm to hold. She took it, almost eagerly and he smiled. Making her so happy made this whole evening worth it. Hutch announced that they should all head out so he and Kate followed them out the door and all the way to the castle.

The castle was decorated decadently and the colors of the dresses alone made the whole castle almost dreamlike. As Hutch and Carmen headed in the direction of the main entrance, Alexander led Kate away to the side, where they headed up a small flight of stairs. A crier greeted them at the door and Alexander gave them their names. “Sir Alexander Wymore and Miss Katelyn Duval!” Alexander led her in and to the side, sending her an apologetic glance for having to use her full name. He stopped and was about to say something when an arm slipped around his neck and whipped him backward, startling him. Alexander nearly flipped the other man to defend himself but stopped short of doing so when he realized it was Cass. Who was now laughing hysterically at spooking Alexander. Alexander took a deep breath…

And dropped the man, sending him tumbling to the floor. It just made Cass laugh harder. “Ahahahaoww… hahaha~” Cass picked himself up and brushed himself off. He glanced to Kate and winked, grinning and for all the world resembling Rowan for a moment. “Heya Kate~” Alexander sighed and offered his arm to Kate again.

“In case you have forgotten, Kate, the rogue better known as the kingdom’s General.” Cass grinned as if proud of himself. Alexander looked a bit sour but a bit unsurprised. He straightened out his hair quickly and smiled a little at Kate.

“Haha~ You think you’re so funny~ Anyways, side note, when you’ve had your fun dancing, you and your date…” At this, Cass wiggled his eyebrows. “Can come join us at the table when your feet get tired. Until then, have fun.” He winked at both of them and bowed, walking away. A girl was a few feet from them and Cass immediate struck up with her, making Alexander sigh as he watched him. He shook his head and then turned back to Kate.

“So I um… Sorry about that." Alexander sighed quietly and then decided it was best to start up where he had been before Cass cut him off so abruptly. "Would you care to dance or should we go for concessions first? They’re often quite good, though light. It’s not a meal but it’s food if you’re peckish.” Alexander looked down at her again, pausing and smiling a little. “Have I told you that you look lovely yet?”

[Vermidian]

Her telling the knight that he was cute had really spun him for a loop. She was flirting and he was too shocked to play. Maybe he wasn’t the playful type but she was. His response to her telling him that he was probably cuter when he smiled was him taking a swig of alcohol. Clearly, he had not expected to get hit on. Recognizing that, she tried to make him smile again and had a little luck when she guessed his name wrong. It was always better to guess it wrong anyway. If you got it right, people tended to get suspicious. But she was right. He did have a nice little smile.

”Well, Not-Daniel, tell me a little about yourself.”

“Well, uh, there isn’t really much to tell. You seem to know most of it already. I’m a knight, I have work tonight... and my real name is Oliver.” He took a swig of the ale again.

“Oliver. Well that’s a nice name. Doesn’t leave much room for a nickname though. I mean, I could call you Olive but that’s hardly any different.” She sighed and took a sip of the ale, staring at Oliver. She squinted, making a hand gesture like she had something to add, and set the ale aside again. “Not so good at names. Most of my friends don’t go by their actual names anyway. Had a friend who was missing an eye once, worked down at the docks. His name was Creighton Barker – mom was real religious I guess. Anyway he went by Mickey the Biter.” She shrugged. “No idea how he got the name, but helluva lot easier to remember than Creighton.”

“There isn’t much to me. Everything you need to know is... well, sitting right here.”

“Well I like what I see, but I know people are more than just what fits in a chair,” Lisa replied, listening to him. Clearly the fresh wound had had an impact on his self esteem.

He looked at her and sighed. “Look, um... You don’t… You don’t need to stick around. It’s okay. I don’t know if Silme put you up to this or anything, but... I’m fine. Really. All I wanted was a drink before work. I appreciate the visit but I’m sure you have more important things to do.” He paused. Clearly, if he thought she had more important things to be doing, she’d best keep her profession a secret. ”Thank you for the, um, the drink. And the story. I know someone who would probably like to hear it.” He smiled a little and then finished off his mug.

Lisa was confused. ”Silme? Put me up to what, chatting you up? Pff. Please. We’ve spoken a grand total of twice since I left home. She doesn’t even know I’m back in town yet. And trust me, I can handle flirting without my sister telling me who to hit on.” Lisa sighed and stared at the knight a little. “Fine. I know a brush off when I see one. But if you change your mind, let me know. I hear the tavern roof is the local make-out spot. I’d love to give it a try.” She grinned and lifted an eyebrow. “Like I said, let me know.” Snagging her mug as she spoke, she immediately walked back to the corner table that she had been at before. It was still unoccupied.

'Well so much for that,' she thought. Slightly annoyed, she finished her mug off and observed the crowd.

[Vermidian]

“Surely it has not been over two months since our last dance. I think you are forgetting the dance we shared in your bedroom, on the night of my celebration at the tavern. I may have been fairly inebriated that night, but I could never forget a dance with you.”

Carmen laughed slightly and spoke softly in reply. “I meant dancing in public.” She enunciated hard on the final word, smiling a little with amusement in her eyes. “Besides, we both know how that dance ended.” She grinned a little more at that, resisting the urge to do something to his behind.

They stepped in the waltz gracefully, Hutch’s eyes only ever on her. She liked it. Holding his gaze, they twirled around for a time before she spoke, asking him about her new house and what he’d thought. She mentioned she’d need new furniture. That, of course, was still a work in progress. But she didn’t need every piece all at once. She could rebuild gradually.

“I am glad you mentioned that,” Hutch spoke.

Carmen arched a brow. “Oh?”

“I managed to acquire some new furniture for you. It isn’t much – only a set of chairs and a cabinet – yet I am working on getting more. My sister has even offered to give you her old chest. She no longer needs it, and like myself, she wishes to help in any way possible. And I found a new desk for you to conduct your business on, but I’m afraid I will not be able to get it to you for another week still.”

Carmen stared at her beloved, dancing around with him gently. She was shocked at his kindness, struck speechless for once. If he weren’t holding onto her, she probably wouldn’t have remembered to keep dancing.

“I – I don’t know what to say,” Carmen confessed, laughing a little breathlessly. “Hutch, sweetie, you don’t need to buy me things. What about your own personal money? I – I can’t let you exhaust your finances because of me.” She moved the hand on his shoulder to his cheek, sighing. She knew he wouldn’t say no. “Fine, but after the desk, please… make sure you don’t go spending every penny on me. I have a business. I can manage replacing things without starving, I promise.” She wanted very badly to kiss him but instead settled for brushing back his hair and looking at him with slightly watery eyes. “Have I ever told you how sweet I think you are?” She smiled up at him, feeling very humbled by his sincerity and his kindess.

They stared at each other through the next song, staring into each other’s eyes much the same way as they had at their first meeting. Carmen’s hand eventually moved back to Hutch’s shoulder.

“If I may be so bold, you are, by far, the most exquisite woman in the entire castle tonight,” Hutch eventually said, his voice just hushed enough for her to hear. “Even the princess would pale in comparison to your beauty.” He smiled at her so gently it made her heart flutter. Carmen smiled back, completely entranced, but she couldn’t help but come up with a witty remark.

“Careful, you never know who might be listening. Alexander’s a very well-connected man, but I’m not sure he could get you off a charge of treason. The princess is a very lovely woman, after all. And one day she may very well become a queen.” Carmen grinned.

“I do not know if you are aware, but the castle gardens are usually kept lit during the ball. I stumbled upon them one year when I came alone. They are lovely, and hardly occupied. Perhaps if we find ourselves in need of some… alone time this evening, we can take a stroll through the gardens.” His smile this time was nowhere near as innocent. Carmen grinned a little, eyes heating up with amusement.

“My goodness, I have truly corrupted you, haven’t I?” She chuckled a little. “I would, of course, love to wander the gardens with you. You know, I’m told there’s this wonderful hedge maze. I’ve always wanted to wander it but… I was always a bit worried I might get lost if I went alone. Who knows what two people could get up to, unobserved.” She winked at him, grinning, and let him twirl her.

“But for now, we should discuss our friends,” Carmen said, lifting an eyebrow and glancing about for them. But it was hard to focus on any one couple to spot them. “The princess might be beautiful but my work on Silme should be worthy of fairy tale transformations. You have no idea how hard it was to get the eye liner on her.” Carmen sighed. “I do have a question for you though: do you think Rowan will ever stop insisting they do romantic things as friends? Truly, that girl is beautiful and sharp as a tack and generous for all the right reasons and he buys her food and suffers her cats periodically to simply check in on her. He even took her on a play date with his niece! And yet he asked her here as a friend.” Carmen sighed in irritation and shook her head. “That man is a menace to all romantically inclined women, I swear.” She rolled her eyes, recalling wasted days fawning over the man’s ego.

“Silme seems to think that he’ll never be interested in her. She intends to let herself get over her feelings for him and let that be that,” Carmen informed Hutch. “I think she would be good for him, personally, if he ever manages to drown his commitment issues to properly court her.” The she paused. “You know Rowan better than anyone. What do you think? I think they’d balance each other out, personally. And their children would be beautiful – can you imagine?”

[QueenJenn]

Merek’s face when he realized Silme was Silme, Rowan grinned with amusement. The man was honestly shocked. Rowan knew precisely how he felt, yet he hoped he had at least been able to keep his mouth closed. When Silme, wearing a beautiful dress and a golden tiara that would make any woman jealous, loudly swore, Rowan could not hold in his laughter. She really did not feel comfortable there, didn’t she?

“Yes. I know. I actually look like a girl for once. Go ahead. Get your laughs in now while I can’t punch you. I’m sure you can out run me right now,” Silme challenged Merek, although the pink color on her face made her look less menacing than usual.

Rowan chuckled next to her. Merek, glancing between the golden-clad girl and the amused knight, finally shrugged. “Well, you are right – you do look like a girl. And a beautiful one at that.” He gave Silme a rather warm, if not charming, smile. Rowan’s laughter died down. “Knew I had good instincts when I first hit you.”

“Don’t be an idiot, Merek,” Rowan warned him in very much the same way he did the first time Merek tried to hit on Silme. This time, however, there was a little more hostility in his voice. “Do you not have your own date to get to?”

Merek waved a hand. “I’m going stag tonight. Most interesting women were already taken, and Rose...” His voice trailed off. Looking down, the knight cleared his throat. Rowan softly frowned, having heard of what became of the woman that Merek was just beginning to court. She didn’t make it through the raid. Recovering quickly, Merek looked back to Silme, smiling mischievously. “But if I had known you were willing to come, Creators, maybe I would have asked you myself. How in Andraste’s name did you wind up coming with this guy?” Merek pointed a thumb to Rowan.

Scowling, Rowan batted the thumb away from him. “Oy, watch it. Any woman would be lucky to come with me.”

“Yes, because what woman wouldn’t like to stand around while you tell the same four stories over and over again? He hasn’t done that to you yet, has he? Just wait, he has some good ones.”

A low, annoyed grumble came from Rowan’s throat. “Maker, do you hear that? They are playing a new song. Come, Silme, join me for a dance.” Grabbing the woman’s hand, he started to pull her with him. “Have fun harassing the noble women, Merek,” he called back to the knight.

Merek grinned widely and waved. “I will!” With a laugh, he winked to Silme as Rowan dragged her off.

He led the woman to the dance floor. Clearly, she was not excited by the idea of dancing. “Come now, you will have fun. Luckily for you, I happen to be an excellent dancer.” He looked back to Silme and grinned, raising his eyebrows. Rowan picked a corner of the dance floor that was least occupied, giving them a little more space to maneuver. As they headed there, he spotted Carmen and Hutch on the other side of the floor. They looked at each other as though there was no one else in the room. If they didn’t leave this ball engaged, Rowan would be surprised.

Once they reached their spot, Rowan stopped, turned to Silme, and bowed to her. He pulled her into the proper dance position, grinned, and waited for the music to hit its cue. Then, they fell into it. First step went smoothly – the steps afterwards, however, did not go so well. Rowan smiled at Silme’s attempt to dance. “It’s alright, you are doing fine,” he assured her. They couldn’t quite get the rhythm down, though. All the couples besides them were gliding about easily, having danced many times before. Rowan and Silme were much slower and certainly not as smooth.

“I have an idea,” Rowan suddenly said, stopping for a moment. “Step on my feet,” he told her. It didn’t seem like she knew what he meant. “Go on, step on them. Stand right on top of them.” Pulling her closer, Rowan made her rest her weight on his feet. “There. Now, just follow me.” Very slowly, he stepped forward, Silme’s foot moving along with him. He moved at a slow pace, letting her get used to the movement of the waltz. “See? Easy. This is how I taught Ella to dance, and now she’s the most regal princess in all of Thedas,” Rowan said, smiling to Silme.

[Vermidian]

I DON'T TELL ANYONE ABOUT THE WAY YOU HOLD MY HAND • I DON'T TELL ANYONE ABOUT THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE PLANNEDDY YOUR VOICE IS MY FAVORITE SOUND
DY YOUR VOICE IS MY FAVORITE SOUNDI WON'T TELL ANYBODY THAT YOU TURN THE WORLD AROUND • I WON'T TELL ANYBODY YOUR VOICE IS MY FAVORITE SOUND
I WON'T TELL ANYBODY • WON'T TELL ANYBODY
THEY WANNA PUSH ME DOWN • THEY WANNA SEE YOU FALL D
XXXTHEY WANNA PUSH ME DOWN • THEY WANNA SEE YOU FALL DOWN
THEY WANNA PUSH ME DOWN • THEY WANNA SEE YOU FALL DOWN
THEY WANNA PUSH ME DOWN • THEY WANNA SEE YOU FALL DON

Silme didn’t know why she invited the criticism. She had been told all evening by so many people that she looked nice, and she invited being told how ridiculous she looked. Part of it was that she didn’t feel like she was capable of being pretty, no matter what other people said. The other part she recognized as the source of her anxity. She had grown up in dirt and dust and sweat and clothes that reeked of rot. Now that she was in traditional female clothing… she felt all out of sorts. She was a misfit. She didn’t belong in a place like the palace. And yet here she was. Silme didn’t know how to process that. Rowan just stood next to her and laughed at her swearing. She guessed it had caught him off guard. Just because she dressed up fancy for this didn’t mean her manners had gotten any better.

“Well, you are right – you do look like a girl. And a beautiful one at that.” Silme, who had been bracing herself for some kind of poking fun at her, stared at him in complete startled confusion. She had given him an opportunity to make fun of her, free of repercussions, and he had squandered it to compliment her. The confusion on her face turned to a flustered blush. Merek just grinned at her. Nicely. “Knew I had good instincts when I first hit on you.”

Silme opened her mouth to reply, but her mind came up with nothing and she just sort of stood there, wishing she could disappear from this place and be replaced by someone who knew what to do in situations like these. This ball was seriously messing with her head.

“Don’t be an idiot, Merek,” Rowan warned. Silme noticed the slightly jealous undertones but was still too flustered to say anything. She was more just grateful Rowan was fending for her while she tried to regain her bearings. “Do you not have your own date to get to?”

“I’m going stag tonight. Most interesting women were already taken, and Rose...” He cleared his throat. Silme didn’t know a Rose, at least not by name. She might have known her face from the shop. But from the way he cleared his throat, Silme suspected the raid was to blame for the grief in his eyes. But the cleverness returned to his gaze soon enough, smiling at Silme again. “But if I had known you were willing to come, Creators, maybe I would have asked you myself. How in Andraste’s name did you wind up coming with this guy?” Merek pointed a thumb to Rowan.

Silme managed a smile at that. “He asked. And a little bribery, sort of.”

“Oy, watch it. Any woman would be lucky to come with me.”

“Yes, because what woman wouldn’t like to stand around while you tell the same four stories over and over again? He hasn’t done that to you yet, has he?” Silme shook her head no. ”Just wait, he has some good ones.”

Rowan made a displeased sound and then said something about music. “Come, Silme, join me for a dance.” Before she could beg off, he’d taken her by the hand and he started to gently tug her along after him. The very idea of dancing made her want to scream. The last time hadn’t gone very well. “Have fun harassing the noble women, Merek!”

Merek just grinned and waved after them. “I will!” She glanced back to wave and Merek had the audacity to wink at her. Her blush from before had faded, thankfully, so the eye roll she sent him was hopefully a little more effective.

They reached the dance floor and Silme, as nervous as she already was, felt her heart fall into her stomach. She had tried to learn a little from Carmen, but work had been so busy. And she had meant to ask Hutch or Alexander, but with such short notice and so much in need of repair because of the raid, they’d been too busy for her to even ask them. Saying she was not excited about the idea of dancing was a vast understatement. Rowan must have seen the look of absolute distress on her face because he grinned at her.

“Come now, you will have fun.” Silme shot him an incredulous look. ”Luckily for you, I happen to be an excellent dancer.” With his charisma, she didn’t doubt it one bit.

Fortunately, Rowan tugged her over to a less occupied area of the dance floor where she would be less likely to cause them to smack into another couple. Obviously, she didn’t know if that was Rowan’s rationale behind the choice, but she kind of hoped it was. It made her feel a little better, not being in the middle of the crowd. They stopped and Rowan turned and bowed to her before taking up the proper posture. Silme had at least been taught that. She swallowed hard just before the music began, Rowan grinning down at her.

She managed one whole step before she went the wrong way. Cursing and apologizing repeatedly, Silme stared at their feet, trying to figure out which way to make hers go (besides dashing out a door and running home to safety). She began to sort of manage it after a few moments, Rowan trying to reassure her, but she was doing badly at this and they both knew it. They weren’t keeping up with the other couples, certainly, and Silme knew they had lost the beat in those first few seconds.

Rowan stopped them all of a sudden and Silme sighed hard, defeated by this ridiculous human custom. “Sorry, I’m… Sorry.”

“I have an idea,” Rowan told her. “Step on my feet.”

Silme’s eyebrows wrinkled up in confusion. “Aren’t you supposed to avoid stepping on your dance partner’s feet?” She’d already been doing a pretty poor job of that and she really didn’t think it was necessary to point that out.

“Go on, step on them. Stand right on top of them.” Rowan insisted. Silme let him pull her closer, absolutely perplexed. And now she was a whole lot closer to him than she felt fully comfortable with. She had to stand on the front half of her feet to stay on, but she did as he had said. “There. Now, just follow me.” He moved slowly at first, Silme mostly just worried about balancing. But it wasn’t so bad. Rowan had a handle on her. “See? Easy. This is how I taught Ella to dance, and now she’s the most regal princess in all of Thedas.”

“Yeah, and I was the dragon, remember? Dragons are supposed to eat knights and breathe fire. I’m pretty sure dancing isn’t mentioned in their skillset.” Silme was just trying to make a joke, and her tone showed. It helped her cope a little bit She was way too close to Rowan for her own good though. And he smelled nice. Actually, he smelled really nice. Silme looked up at him, wrinkling her eyebrows.

“Did you put on cologne for me?” Silme said, pleasantly startled. Despite that she was still a bundle of nerves, it made her smile. “Really?”

Rowan sped up the dancing pace a little and Silme tried to memorize the rhythm without looking. All the other dancers seemed to manage it all right. She could do it too. Given a little practice, maybe she could keep up. It was easier said than done, obviously, but it wouldn’t help anyone if she didn’t at least try.

“I’m sorry I’m so bad at this. I’m… I’m not used to fancy dress parties and dancing and… everything. Not like you guys are.” Silme sighed. “I know you probably like them a lot, but this is the first one I’ve ever been to. I just feel... uncomfortable. Not as uncomfortable as when I have to ride on a horse though.” She sighed and smiled up at Rowan. ”And I really miss wearing pants.”

I DON'T NEED A PARACHUTE BABY IF I'VE GOT YOU • BABY IF I'VE GOT YOU I DON'T NEED A PARACHUTE
YOU'RE GONNA CATCH ME • YOU'RE GONNA CATCH IF I FALL

[QueenJenn]

Maker, she certainly had a handsome escort.

There stood Sir Wymore, looking as sheepish as ever in his white and purple doublet. Kate realized too late that a man might not particularly desire to wear the color purple, but as she eyed him up and down, she found herself not caring. It was her favorite color, and Sir Wymore did not have to look at himself. She, however, had ample opportunity to gaze at the finely bearded and well-dressed fellow before her. And she had every intention of taking every last opportunity to do so that evening.

With the appropriate kiss-on-the-hand-greeting, the two returned inside so Alexander could greet the group. After being harassed by Rowan – to which Kate had trouble keeping a grin from her face – her date stepped away for a moment to talk to the dolled-up Silme. Kate watched them with a tilted head, musing over their relationship. From the way he looked at her, one would assume she was his biological daughter. As it was, he was just a man who had taken a young girl into his family. It was really sweet.

Eventually, the group departed for the castle. Kate, to her surprise, was pulled away from the group. Soon enough, she discovered that she was to walk with Alexander as they announced their names. Well, all right then. She put on her best smile as they walked further in, unable to ignore the stares she was getting. It was clear that the noble women were wondering who on earth this commoner was, and why she was walking with the Royal Advisor. Wouldn’t they like to know.

In an instant, Kate’s escort was literally ripped away from her. She jumped out of her skin and whirled around, throwing a hand over her mouth to muffle a small gasp. The flurry of arms confused her for a moment until she heard laughing. Setting her hand on her chest to slow down her heart, Kate furrowed her eyes at none other than General Cass. Of course.

Less than a moment later, the man was on the floor. Kate’s eyebrows rose in surprise just before her lips puckered with amusement. He deserved it. The General, however, just picked himself up off the floor and kept on smiling. “Evening,” Kate replied to the man who sent her a wink.

“In case you have forgotten, Kate, the rogue better known as the kingdom’s General.”

“Oh, I certainly have not forgotten,” Kate replied with some amusement, taking up Alexander’s hand. She was still wary of the man, yet even she couldn’t deny that he was entertaining. If there was anyone who could get shy, sweet Alexander to nearly flip them and send them to the floor, it was his friend Cass.

With a wiggle of his eyebrows and invitation to his table, Cass disappeared as quickly as he appeared. Kate nearly rolled her eyes when the all-respected General stopped to flirt with a girl not ten feet away from them. If Rowan behaves anything like that when he is that age, Kate just might have a talk with that boy.

“So I um… Sorry about that,” Alexander began. Kate turned to him and offered him a smile.

“It’s quite all right. Truly.”

“Would you care to dance or should we go for concessions first? They’re often quite good, though light. It’s not a meal but it’s food if you’re peckish.”

Kate’s face lit up at the mention of ‘food.’ “Oh, peckish is an understatement. I had all but forgotten to eat until I was in my dress, and by then it was too late. If you wouldn’t mind..” Without waiting for him, she began to lead them towards the tables of food. Her stomach welcomed the sight of all the tiny, fancy finger foods sprawled across the tables. Most noblewomen did not appear to be eating that evening; probably didn’t want to get their expensive dresses ruined. Kate didn’t care. If she was going to survive the night, she needed to settle her peckishness. Plus whatever those red things were on a stick looked delicious.

As they walked (or, rather, she pulled), her date gave her a small smile. “Have I told you that you look lovely yet?”

Kate gave him a sideways glance, a smile spreading across her lips. “I think you mumbled it once, but I never mind hearing it again.” They finally arrived at the food and Kate took a moment to face Alexander. “And you look, as usual, very handsome. I would apologize for making you wear purple, yet since you look absolutely dashing in it, I feel no remorse.” She gave him a grin before turning to the table. Oh, thank the Maker for food.

Still remembering the lecture her brother forced upon her on manners while in the castle, she reluctantly resigned to only one piece of food at a time. Kate went for the red stuff first. As she ate, she eyed the women in clumps not too far off. They were obviously watching her. “So,” Kate began, turning to Alexander once she had finished the red stuff (which she deemed was a stuffed tomato), “tell me about the people of whom I should be aware. Surely a lot of people are going to wish to talk to you tonight, so I should probably know at least a few of them. My brother did warn me about Lord Sadeas, at least.”

[Vermidian]

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxWhen somebody loved me, everything was beautiful.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxEvery hour we spent together lives within my heart,
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxAnd when she was sad, I was there to dry her tears,
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxAnd when she was happy, so was I, when she loved me.

Alexander, pride a little bruised by his best friend, escorted Kate quickly away. He apologized for the upset, naturally, but Kate told him it was fine. His nerves were just… rattled. Public events had never been his particular forte, and here he was on his first date in years. Was this a date? He certainly hoped this counted as a date.

He asked about dancing or concessions and Kate’s eyes lit up as he mentioned the hors d’oeuvres were generally good. It brought a slight smile to his face.

“Oh, peckish is an understatement. I had all but forgotten to eat until I was in my dress, and by then it was too late. If you wouldn’t mind...”

“Not at all,” Alexander insisted, already being led to the table. He put up no resistance, happy to escort Kate to wherever she liked.

He offered her a compliment, stating again that she looked lovely and Kate smiled. It was a pretty smile and made Alexander’s small one widen.

“I think you mumbled it once, but I never mind hearing it again.” They slowed to halt near the food and she faced him a little more properly. “And you look, as usual, very handsome. I would apologize for making you wear purple, yet since you look absolutely dashing in it, I feel no remorse.”

“What? Oh, the – the purple? I don’t mind it. Purple is a nice color. I have quite a few purple flowers in my garden,” Alexander pointed out. “Certainly, though, the color does not annoy me. And it looks wonderful on you.” He smiled, showing teeth. “Carmen has, however, made me promise not to wear anything that is close to magenta, so be forewarned. She has sworn never to make me anything in that color.”

Kate had turned to the table and began looking over the finger foods, eloquently prepared for the guests. Kate began to eat, though her posture was a bit funny. She looked like a lion that someone had put a great deal of fresh meat in front of, but she might be punished if she ate it all at once. Alexander had no idea why, of course, so he assumed she was just trying to be polite. Quietly, he reached over and took a plate from the table, small and thin. It was meant for the guests, ordered specially for the occasion. If they broke, no one was the wiser. Actually, it had become customary for commoners who were invited to keep a plate as a keepsake. The upper class looked down their noses at such behavior, of course. Which was why Cass had a hundred plates from the last one. (Likely an exaggeration. But he certainly had kept a lot.)

He handed her the plate. “Might I suggest the sausage there?” He pointed to the plate. “It’s sweet sausage, quite tasty.”

“So,” Kate began, facing him once more. He gently reached over and selected a few cubes of cheese on toothpicks. He set them on her plate and smiled, encouraging her to enjoy her food. “tell me about the people of whom I should be aware. Surely a lot of people are going to wish to talk to you tonight, so I should probably know at least a few of them. My brother did warn me about Lord Sadeas, at least.”

Alexander laughed slightly at that. “Yes, well… one cannot always like everyone, I’m afraid.” He cleared his throat. “But as for others, I… am not sure. Most, I think, will find you perfectly suitable company. Others might have preconceived notions about you that may be unkind. But that is the world, I find. There are always people like that.” Alexander smiled. “Perhaps, if he isn’t busy, we could stop by and say hello to the royal family. They enjoy such events, though they are guarded, naturally. But being the royal adviser has some privileges.”

Alexander grabbed a plate of his own and started picking up various things to try. Some of the hors d’oeuvres he enjoyed while others he had no knowledge of.

“And, of course, there’s no harm in chatting with people we already know. You know as well as I that I am… particularly bad at being social with new people.” He shrugged a little, as if joking. He smiled a little. “I generally think the stuttering gives it away. Does it?” He took a bite of sausage and set the toothpick down on the plate.

[QueenJenn]

The woman left as quick as she had arrived.

After denying his claim that Silme had put her up to chatting with him, Lisa, seemingly a little annoyed, gave him one last flirtatious suggestion before grabbing her drink and stalking off. Oliver sat at his table, mouth half-open with an unspoken protest on his tongue and a small measure of guilt in his stomach for driving her off. Here someone finally came up and talked to him about something other than his scars, and he had to be awkward and scare her off. He wasn’t really surprised. He would have driven her away eventually, one way or another.

Oliver sat in the tavern for another fifteen minutes, finishing his drink and occasionally glancing around to see if Silme’s sister was still there. Leaving a few coins on the table, he headed back to the barracks to prepare for his shift.

Every year, the crime rate seemed to spike on the night of the June Ball. It was probably because all the thieves knew that the knights were drunk up at the castle.

Oliver had his hands full that evening. He was basically a guard, paroling the quiet streets of Cottonwine and watching out for any suspicious activity – which he found plenty of. In his first hour alone he caught two thieves and hauled them off to jail. They thought they could get away with breaking into some of the shops since half the city was partying up at the castle. They were wrong.

The last guy Oliver brought in had him running halfway around the city. The young knight finally pinned the man down in an alleyway. He landed a solid punch in Oliver’s gut before Oliver threw him against the wall, punned his hands behind his back, and quickly tied a rope around his wrists. The man still tried to fight his way to freedom, so Oliver threw a solid punch to his head to knock him out. Rowan taught him that one, and he has to admit, it comes in handy.

“Damn. Third one in a single night,” greeted Ermo inside the jailhouse. He peered at Oliver’s newest catch with mild impressiveness. “You sure you don’t want to be a guard full-time?”

Oliver cracked a small smile. He liked Ermo. He was one of the guards that the knights liked – even now, with his facial scars, the man was kind to him. And he even tried not to stare too much. The guard pointed to the cell on the farthest left, which contained several other passed out drunkards. Oliver set his thief among the sleeping men.

“Always a busy night, this June Ball. While them aristocrats are up there, drinking and eating off of gold plates, we’re stuck here, cleaning up the mess. Year after year after year after sodding year.”

“It is our duty,” Oliver muttered. When Ermo starts on one of his rants, he never heard a word anyone else would say.

“And these low-lifes just get weirder and weirder every year. Why I even had a man bring in a woman, if you could believe it.”

“No, I ca.. what?” Oliver looked up at Ermo, having a feeling that he knew whom the guard was talking about.

“Yeah, the chatty woman in the jail right over there,” Ermo pointed his thumb, not looking up from his paper. “Damn girl can’t seem to keep her mouth closed.”

Oliver’s eyes followed the direction of the thumb. He met the familiar eyes of the woman who bought him a drink earlier that evening. He raised his hairless eyebrows and found himself walking over to her.

“Lisa,” he greeted the woman. A row of bars stood between them. “I didn’t think I would see you again. Especially here,” he commented in earnest.

[Vermidian]

Once her mug was gone, Lisa left. The only interesting man in the building was obviously not interested in talking. Pity he was a knight, of course, but having a friend in the knights could be handy. And the night sky was too pretty to look at from a roof. Nighttime was her favorite time of day. Everyone loved daylight and sunny spring days and crisp fall days, but there was nothing like a clear sky and a warm night. And tonight was beautiful. The clouds were wispy and when they blew near the moon, it was like silk. Weather like this was perfect for people in her field of expertise.

Unfortunately, she picked the wrong pocket and got caught. And, really, this whole situation was a total misunderstanding. Sure, pickpocketing was stealing, but the crime they were trying to pin on her was a complete falsification. And, of course, she had no alibi – at least not one they were willing to listen to. One way or another, it had wound up in her possession and no one was willing to listen to her. They threw her into a cell and did their best to ignore her.

Which was rude.

She decided to make it very hard to ignore her. She sang sea shanties for half an hour, as out of key as she could bear. It drove the guards crazy. But even she had trouble doing the for long. When her mouth got too dry to keep singing, she found a branch that had been left in there at some point and started dragging it down the bars. She kept trying to talk to the guard left behind, but he didn’t seem to want to talk to her. Her guess was that he didn’t like her singing. Imagine that! Maybe he just didn’t like sea shanties. Such a pity.

Eventually she heard another voice join the din and a door open and close. Ah, another of her fellow lowlifes, jailed. Or maybe a drunk, if he got too rowdy. The guard was complaining about his work, so Lisa started dragging the twig harder. Unfortunately that made the thing snap, reducing her noise making ability again. She groaned, bored out of her mind. Lisa wasn’t good at doing nothing. Put her in a cage and she pinged off the walls like a hyperactive squirrel.

The word ‘woman’ was stressed by the guard. Since she had stopped making such a racket, she could actually hear a bit of the conversation. She figured the ‘woman’ was her. Was it so foreign to men that a woman could be capable of just as much as men? Sure, they were built a little different, but she was good at what she did and she was proud of it.

“Yeah, the chatty woman in the jail right over there. Damn girl can’t seem to keep her mouth closed.” Lisa grinned, snickering a little and feeling terribly accomplished. Lisa glanced out of the bars, still sitting on the floor, and spotted a face she hadn’t expected to see again this evening. She grinned wider.

She stood as he approached the bars in front of her.

“Lisa. I didn’t think I would see you again. Especially here,” Oliver commented. Lisa shrugged.

“Yeah, wasn’t really my plan for the evening either. But those nice guards decided to invite me in for the night. And that one there has just been loving my sea shanties,” Lisa glanced over to the guard. Ooh, was that a glare? Lisa grinned a little wider. “So I guess you already know what I do for a living then. Pity that.” She shrugged. “Well, it was bound to happen eventually.”

Lisa sighed and stuck her arms through the bars, crossing them over her chest. ”This time I’m actually innocent though.” Then she paused, squinting and tilting her head. “Well… mostly. But these guard fellows won’t even listen to what I have to say. And I serenaded them so sweetly too.” She could hear the guard grumbling but didn’t catch what he’d said. Hardly mattered anyway.

“You could vouch for me, right? You saw me in the tavern, obviously. They think I was off breaking and entering in a house up by the castle – and to be fair I had considered it but you were cute and I knew they’d be watching for something like that. All I did was pick the wrong guy’s pocket. He had a pouch in his pocket and he wasn’t really being observant so I swiped it. Easy pickings, honestly. Which, sure, that’s stealing I guess. But if you steal from a thief, is that really so bad? And anyway, how was I supposed to know he had stolen diamonds from some noble? And good grief, I’m a petty thief, not a jewel thief. I don’t have a fence for that kind of thing. I’m sure it’s worth a pretty penny, but only if you know someone who’s going to be willing to take that sort of things off your hands. I mean, jewelry like that is not exactly easy to hide.” She sighed, then waved a hand. “So, getting back to the story. I go to look at what exactly I’d gotten when I was far enough away from the guy – balding, kind of built like a muscular toothpick – when I realize this wasn’t just someone’s wallet. And of course, that’s when guards waltz around the corner and arrest me, no questions asked. Oh, and they broke one of my fingernails. Now I’ll have to cut the rest of them.” She lifted a hand and pouted a little.

“So now you see my conundrum. They think they’ve caught me red-handed but really, I just picked the wrong pocket,” Lisa explained. She put on the big puppy dog eyes, which she had down to an art. She had pretty brown eyes and she knew how to use them. “You can vouch for me, right? I was in the tavern when the house was broken into. And I can’t be in two places at once, now can I?”

She looked him in the eyes. He really was cute. Sure, the scar took some of the innocence from his face. It probably hurt and from the short chat at the tavern, clearly he didn’t like it much at all. But it was proof he was a survivor. He was still fighting, trying to live his life despite the crap life had thrown at him. She liked that idea. She’d always liked scars because of that idea. It helped her come to terms with her own scars, in fact. But this Oliver fellow? He was cute. He had sweet eyes – kind eyes. Hopefully eyes that were willing enough to see she was telling the truth. Because otherwise, there was no telling when she’d get out of prison.

[QueenJenn]

The shocked expression on Carmen’s face brought a smile to Hutch’s face. Clearly, Carmen was not expecting Hutch to spend his money and time on helping her rebuild her home. If she truly did not think he would sacrifice his own needs for her, then she did not know him as well as he thought.

He kept them dancing, smiling down at her shocked face. “I – I don’t know what to say,” she began.

“You need not say anything.”

“Hutch, sweetie, you don’t need to buy me things. What about your own personal money? I – I can’t let you exhaust your finances because of me.”

“My finances are mine to spend as I please. And nothing pleases me more than to see you happy,” he refuted. He kept his voice low, only loud enough for her to hear.

He would not relent on this. And she knew as much. “Fine, but after the desk, please… make sure you don’t go spending every penny on me. I have a business. I can manage replacing things without starving, I promise.”

A grin pulled on his lips. He quickly reined it in, glancing to the side to watch for other dancers. “I will try, but I cannot give you my word.” He looked to her again, his eyes betraying his motives. Her fingers brushed his hair in the same manner they always did.

It was moments like these that Hutch wished they were alone. He could give her a proper kiss, then. “Have I ever told you how sweet I think you are?” Carmen asked. Hutch smiled.
They continued to dance, hardly breaking eye contact. Hutch mentioned her beauty surpassed even the princess, and Carmen chided him for speaking against the princess in a room full of noblemen and royals. Perhaps she was right, but he could not stop himself from complimenting her – especially when his compliments were more than true. After a few more beats, Hutch brought up the gardens, suggesting that they could visit them later this evening.

“My goodness, I have truly corrupted you, haven’t I?” Carmen chuckled. Hutch gave her a look. He didn’t mean it like that. While he very much enjoyed Carmen’s company, and she has, indeed, changed his views on certain things, under no circumstances could he allow himself to get caught in an inappropriate position that evening. When he said stroll, he meant stroll. Although, Carmen’s suggestion of visiting the maze did pique his interest.

As Hutch brought Carmen back in from a twirl, she brought up the topic of their friends. Hutch raised his eyebrow, wondering just what Carmen was up to next. “The princess might be beautiful but my work on Silme should be worthy of fairy tale transformations. You have no idea how hard it was to get eye liner on her. I do have a question for you though: do you think Rowan will ever stop insisting they do romantic things as friends?” she inquired. “Truly, that girl is beautiful and sharp as a tack and generous for all the right reasons and he buys her food and suffers her cats periodically to simply check in on her. He even took her on a play date with his niece! And yet he asked her here as a friend. That man is a menace to all romantically inclined women, I swear.” Hutch grinned with amusement at her comment. She was not wrong.

“Silme seems to think that he’ll never be interested in her. She intends to let herself get over feelings for him and let that be that. I think she would be good for him, personally, if he ever manages to drown his commitment issues to properly court her.” Carmen paused. “You know Rowan better than anyone. What do you think? I think they’d balance each other out, personally. And their children would be beautiful – can you imagine?”

Hutch shook his head lightly, amused by Carmen’s meddling. Rowan didn’t even know Silme had feelings for him and Carmen was already picturing their children. Hutch paused a moment, trying to find the right answer. “In my years as Rowan’s friend, I have watched him move from woman to woman. And each woman was the same – they were either infatuated with his charm, or wanted nothing to do with him. No matter how hard or how long he chased a woman, the result was always the same: he grew bored and moved on. He has never been with a woman for more than a month at best.”

Hutch had to pause to keep an older man from bumping into Carmen. He resumed, “I have always thought that, if Rowan truly does wish to settle, it needs to be with a woman who will do more than stroke his ego. Someone who will challenge him. And, I will admit, Silme would be that woman. I have never seen him grow so close with anyone in such a short amount of time – especially not someone who insulted him the first day. Then again, I am one to talk about quick and unexpected relationships.” Hutch gave her a small grin. He continued, “However, I do believe if Rowan is going to court anyone, he must come to that decision on his own. There is little I, or anyone else, can do beyond the occasional nudge.”

The song ended, prompting the couples to bow to one another. Several new couples moved to the center to dance while others dispersed. Having danced enough for the moment, Carmen and Hutch moved to the side. As he led her off the dance floor, he noted a particular sight on the other side of the floor. Without much explanation, Hutch led Carmen along the outer circle of the floor. “You asked me if I thought Rowan could stop asking to do things just as friends. To answer your question, I think it is possible.”

As he finished speaking, Hutch stopped moving and looked towards the dancing couples. There, in the lesser-occupied corner of the room, stood the man in question. Rowan had somehow gotten Silme to agree to dance with him, and he was now teaching her the steps, by the look of it. Silme fumbled, obviously uncomfortable with the steps, while Rowan simply smiled at her. If someone had told Hutch two months ago that he would be watching Rowan and Silme dance at a royal ball, he would have hardly believed it. Then again, if they had told him that he would be at the same ball with the love of his life, he would have scarcely believed them, either.

[QueenJenn]

Every time Silme cursed, apologized, or both, Rowan chuckled. Her frustration with dancing was entertaining. Obviously, dancing was not her strong suite. She did fairly well for a beginner, if that counted.

Eventually, Rowan told her to stand on his feet. After a bit of prompting, she settled on top of his feet, looking like a child learning to dance for the first time. Rowan was reminded of the first time he taught his niece how to dance. She had giggled the entire time. They danced for a few beats, off pace but not stumbling quite so much. “See? Easy. This is how I taught Ella to dance, and now she’s the most regal princess in all of Thedas.”

“Yeah, and I was the dragon, remember? Dragons are supposed to eat knights and breathe fire. I’m pretty sure dancing isn’t mentioned in that skillset.”

Rowan chuckled. He continued to lead them around their little open-spaced corner, trying to go slow enough for Silme to get a handle on the steps.

“Did you put cologne on for me?” He grinned. “Really?”

“Couldn’t have you smelling better than me, now could I?”

Silme seemed to get the hang of it. She was looking less at their feet, now. Rowan met her eyes and gave her a grin, encouraging her to keep trying. Maybe by the end of the night he would have her dancing on the floor and not his feet.

“I’m sorry I’m so bad at this,” Silme began. “I’m… I’m not used to fancy dress parties and dancing and… everything. Not like you guys are. I know you probably like them a lot, but this is the first one I’ve ever been to. I just feel… uncomfortable. Not as uncomfortable as when I have to ride on a horse, though. And I really miss wearing pants.”

“I will admit, I am still not used to seeing you in a dress,” Rowan commented. “While I love a good royal ball, between you and me, I am not one for this kind of life. Too many rules and noblemen. Hutch is more suited for this life than I will ever be.” He glanced down at her. “You know where I feel most comfortable? Back on the streets, in the dirt, pinning a guy to the ground.”

Rowan noticed two familiar faces off to the side. Hutch and Carmen stood together and watched them dance. Rowan looked down at Silme and raised his eyebrows. “You have some admirers,” he mentioned, tilting his head towards the couple. Silme probably wouldn’t like knowing her dancing was being observed, which is exactly why Rowan pointed them out.

The song finally ended. Being the incredibly kind man he was, Rowan did not force Silme to dance through the next song. He stepped back and bowed as the rest of the crowd did. Gently resting a hand on Silme’s back, he led her towards Carmen and Hutch. His best friend was obviously holding back a grin.

“What are you laughing at?” Rowan asked.

Hutch merely smiled. “Nothing, brother.” His eyes shifted to Silme. “If I may, you looked lovely out there,” he complimented.

“Of course she did. She was dancing with me,” Rowan said. Hutch refrained from rolling his eyes. Turning to face Carmen, Rowan grabbed her hand. “Good evening, My Lady,” he spoke loudly and with a flourish. He bent down and kissed the top of her knuckles, one hand held behind his back. He knew she enjoyed the attention. And, if Hutch ever married her, she would become an actual Lady. “And how has your evening been?”

[QueenJenn]

‘And for the love of the Maker, do not stuff your face with food, Katelyn. You are among nobles tonight – including Sir Wymore.’

Her brother’s voice buzzed in her ears like an annoying gnat as she stared among the sea of hors d‘oeurves before her. Hutch had taken it upon himself to teach Katelyn the proper manners of ladies in the castle. She had hardly paid him any mind, instead focusing her thoughts on what part of the garden she intended to work on that evening. Some things must have stuck, though, for she found herself restrained by his words. It was if she felt him watching her from a distance, waiting for her to mess up. Just because she lived on a farm her entire life did not mean she forgot how to eat like a lady.

A thin plate entered her view. Her eyes followed the arm up to Alexander’s kind face. She gave him a smile and happily relieved him of the plate. Immediately, she went after the sausage he recommended, placing it on her plate. She popped a stuffed tomato in her mouth before placing a few more hors d’oeurves on her plate. Now happy with her current selection, she asked Alexander if there was anyone she should know about.

“Yes, well… one cannot always like everyone, I’m afraid. But as for others, I… am not sure. Most, I think, will find you perfectly suitable company.” Kate smiled a toothless smile, her mouth full of the sweet sausage. “Others might have preconceived notions about you that may be unkind.” The smile faded and she gave him an ‘I am aware,’ expression. She glanced to the group of women not fifteen feet away from them, who had been murmuring and looking at Kate the moment they arrived at the food table. “But that is the world, I find. There are always people like that. Perhaps, if he isn’t busy, we could stop and say hello to the royal family. They enjoy such events, though they are guarded, natural. But being a royal advisor has some privileges.”

Kate’s eyebrows shot up. She swallowed her meat, “Surely you jest. I hardly think a gardener is fit to meet a king, no matter whose arm she’s on.” Hutch would have a fit if he knew she was going to meet the king. She always thought he worried too much, but even she was a little nervous about meeting the king. Any commoner would be.

“And, of course, there’s no harm in chatting with people we already know. You know as well as I that I am… particularly bad at being social with new people,” Alexander shrugged. “I generally think the stuttering gives it away. Does it?”

Kate gave him a small smile, pondering his question. “I think that depends on whom you ask. I first thought you stuttered because you had no clue what to say to a stranger who had suddenly dragged you across the gardens,” she grinned. Was she not glad he had been the only one in the garden that day. Otherwise, she never would have decided to grab the man who would later be her date to a royal ball. “Despite what anyone tells you, I think the stutter is adorable.” she said in a lower tone, a grin tugging at her lips. Realizing a man was standing not far away from her, she cleared her throat. Perhaps she shouldn’t be flirting with Alexander in public. “Sorry. My brother warned me about forgetting where I was tonight,” Kate sighed. She stuck another sweet sausage in her mouth. They were delicious.

[QueenJenn]

From what Rowan told him of Silme’s sister, Oliver shouldn’t have been too surprised to see her locked up. But he was still surprised to see the very woman who approached him in the bar now behind bars. He mentioned as much. She shrugged as though being locked up wasn’t a terribly big deal.

“Yeah, wasn’t really my plan for the evening, either. But those nice guards decided to invite me in for the night. And that one there has just been loving my sea chanties.” Oliver followed Lisa’s gaze to the glaring Ermo. He went back to writing in his scroll. “So I guess you already know what I do for a living then. Pity that.”

“I had some idea before,” he said.

“Well, it was bound to happen eventually. This I’m im actually innocent though.” If Oliver still had eyebrows, he would have raised one. As it were, he crossed his arms. “Well… Mostly. But these guard fellows won’t even listen to what I have to say. And I serenaded them so sweetly too.” Behind him, Ermo grumbled. Oliver distinctly heard a few curse words mumbled under his breath.

“You could vouch for me, right? You saw me in the tavern, obviously. They think I was off breaking and entering in a house up by the castle – and to be fair I had considered it but you were cute and I knew they’d be watching for something like that.” Thankfully, Oliver’s scars kept him from turning red. She didn’t mean he was cute. She was just playing him. She continued on with her story, explaining how she happened to pick the wrong pocket at the wrong time. She certainly didn’t run out of breath. Finally, she ended with a complaint about her chipped nail, showing up her hand to show him. He remained quiet. “So now you see my conundrum. They think they’ve caught me red-handed but really, I just picked the wrong pocket.”

And then she gave him the pouty eyes. Oliver made no indication that it worked on him, but even he had to admit she was cute. No. She is a thief. Do not think like that. “You can vouch for me, right? I was in the tavern when the house was broken into. And I can’t be in two places at once, now can I?”

Oliver took in a breath. He met her big brown sparkling eyes, just begging him to release her. He glanced back at Ermo, who was still writing in his scroll. Releasing a long, drawn-out sigh through his nose, Oliver silently walked away from the bar.

He stopped in front of Ermo’s desk. “I want you to release her,” he said.

The guard’s eyes flicked to Oliver. “Don’t tell me you believed that damned story of hers.”

“She’s telling the truth – she didn’t steal the rubies.”

“My sodding arse she didn’t. They were on her person when we picked her up.”

“I mean she didn’t steal them initially.”

“Maker, you really do believe that insane woman’s story, don’t you? Listen, kid, just because she has a nice body does not mean she ain’t a thief. They were right about you knights; you will go after anything with long hair.”

“I believe her because I was with her in the tavern today. She couldn’t have stolen the diamonds.”

Erno furrowed his eyebrows. “You say you were with her when the diamonds were stolen?”

“Yes.”

“So she couldn’t have stolen the diamonds from the house.”

“Yes.”

Ermo glanced back at Lisa. He looked at Oliver. “Well, she still stole the diamonds one way or another. Let the thief rot in there for all I care.”

Oliver hung his head and sighed. He looked back at Ermo. “How long as she been in there?”

Ermo sent a glare her way. “Too long if you ask me.”

“A couple of hours, then?”

“Give or take, yeah.”

“Then has she not done her time?”

The guard squinted his eyebrows. “Maybe.”

“Please, Ermo. I caught three men for you already. Let me have this one.”

The guard hesitated. He scowled, clearly unhappy with what he was going to do next. He grabbed the keys and slammed them in Oliver’s hand. “Fine. Do whatever you want with her. Get her out of my hair, I don’t care.”

“Thank you, Ermo.”

“Back in my day we used to cut off their hands. One quick swipe, bam. Done with the lot of ‘em,” the guard grumbled.

Oliver moved back to Lisa’s cage. He unlocked the door and opened it, stepping aside to let her out. Another thief sharing her cell immediately stood up, but Oliver closed the door in his face. “Come on. I’ll walk you home,” he said, handing the keys back to Lisa. He guided her out the door.

“Anyone catches you stealing again, you harpy, and I ain’t letting you out until the next June Ball!” called Ermo’s voice.

Outside, Oliver sighed. “I would suggest you listen to him. I will not be able to get you out next time,” he warned. He glanced down the road. “Where do you live?”

[Vermidian]

Hutch gave Carmen a look for suggesting his motives were anything other than pure. Honestly, Carmen would settle for making out in the gardens with him any night. That was perfectly fine. And it was a nice night out. Carmen chuckled a little and patted his back with her hand.

“You’re so noble, my goodness. I was only teasing. But I think a walk would be lovely.” Carmen smiled gently. “Perhaps in a bit.”

After that she went on to talk about Silme and about Rowan and about the two of them together. Before she’d found out about their affections – well, Silme’s affections, Carmen hadn’t really seen it. But looking back, it should have been absolutely obvious to anyone. Perhaps it was how they’d interacted early on that had thrown her from the scent, but once they had started getting along they were absolutely adorable together, even if it was only friendly. Silme insisted it was going to stay that way. Carmen wasn’t sure. She’d have to have a word with Rowan later. If nothing else, he should at least stop teasing her poor assistant if he had no interest in her.

She asked about what Hutch thought in regards to what was stirring between Rowan and Silme and Hutch paused for a moment, thinking.

“In my years as Rowan’s friend, I have watched him move from woman to woman. And each woman was the same – they were either infatuated with his charm, or wanted nothing to do with him. No matter how hard or how long he chased a woman, the result was always the same: he grew bored and moved on. He has never been with a woman for more than a month at best.” Carmen nodded.

“I know. I’ve been one of those women, remember? His interest was off and on for years, until I met you.” She grinned, showing her teeth. “Don’t tell Rowan, his ego might be hurt, but I very much prefer you.” They stopped to avoid smacking into someone and then resumed once he had passed.

“I have always thought that, if Rowan truly does wish to settle, it needs to be with a woman who will do more than stroke his ego. Someone who will challenge him.” Carmen nodded at that. It was fair. That was all she had ever done and it had never worked. “And, I will admit, Silme would be that woman. I have never seen him grow so close with anyone in such a short amount of time – especially not someone who insulted him the first day.”

“Insulted or assaulted?” Carmen quipped, smiling. She let Hutch continue.

“Then again, I am one to talk about quick and unexpected relationships.” Hutch grinned at her and Carmen winked, grinning back. “However, I do believe if Rowan is going to court anyone, he must come to that decision on his own. There is little I, or anyone else, can do beyond the occasional nudge.”

“Well, perhaps I’ll have to do a little nudging of my own,” Carmen said, more to herself than to Hutch.

The song ended and they bowed before dispersing, making way for other couples to have their dance. Hutch led her from the crowd, making her think of the first night he had walked her home. She smiled to herself, recalling with perfect clarity. They had talked about Silme then too – and Rowan. They had come so far since that night – it seemed like a lifetime ago.

“You asked me if I thought Rowan could stop asking to do things just as friends. To answer your question, I think it is possible.”

Carmen nodded, smiling. She hoped so. They would be good for each other. Hutch stopped and Carmen stood at his side, smiling up at him, unsure as to why he had stopped. It took her a moment to follow his eyes to where he was looking. When she saw, she smiled a little wider. Silme and Rowan dancing – a bit muddled and unsure on Silme’s part, but it was sweet. Both of them were smiling, not a care in the world. They looked like they were having fun. Carmen rested her head on Hutch’s shoulder gently and looked on for a moment.

The next song was short and once it was finished, Rowan and Silme bowed and left the dance floor. Silme looked absolutely relieved. Rowan spotted them and led Silme toward them with a hand on Silme’s back. Silme, when she saw Carmen watching, turned redder than she already was. Carmen just smiled.