Welcome to Gaia! ::

”So it is singing that is the problem. I am glad that my musical preference will not present a problem. I would not want to cause you any difficulty. But should I take it that you do enjoy singing? When there is no risk involved, of course. It is a shame that I cannot hear it for myself.” Stephanie smiled as a thought occurred to him. ”Though I suppose I could take a page from the old stories and have myself securely tied down first.” That would not really work in his case, but Alosa did not need to know that. The idea still amused him and he hoped Alosa might get a smile from it as well.

”An hour?” Stephanie repeated in mild surprise. He was not opposed, he just had not expected it. From the way Alosa spoke of it, she might have suggested they go right away had there not been something she intended to set up. She even had a spot in mind which made Stephanie wipe a hand over his mouth to stifle a chuckle. Perhaps it was a favorite spot of hers? Well, it sounded enjoyable.

”That will be plenty of time; I will be there with bells on. Shall I bring my phonograph as well or do you have one of your own?” The temptation to peek at what Alosa might be planning was strong, but Stephanie resisted. He had learned long ago that sometimes spoiling the surprise for himself was not nearly as satisfying as he would have imagined it to be. Besides, Alosa seemed so eager to surprise him; how could he take that from her?

Stephanie had not meant to dampen the mood, but he supposed it could not be helped, given the subject matter. He had touched on something that had once brought her joy but had since been taken from her. He probably understood that better than most, having lost his ability to enjoy his beloved books, though the reasons were entirely different. At least he had offered a pleasantly distracting thought and Alosa seemed honestly surprised that he would have wanted to hear her sing. Why would that surprise her, he wondered? He had already admitted that he very much enjoyed music; how could he not be interested in the earnest crooning of a lovely songstress? Perhaps he would find a way to hear her sing someday.

But for today, he would be content enough to spend time in good company enjoying good music. Alosa entreated him to bring himself and his favorite record and Stephanie nodded with a smile. ”Very well. I very much look forward to it.” Humphrey also smiled when he was addressed, though it was clear that he still did not quite expect it.

Soon Alosa had left them to make her preparations and Stephanie enjoyed the rest of his meal in comfortable silence. He actually was looking forward to their little outing; it was not at all often that he spent time with friends. He did not honestly have very many friends. Alosa was pleasant, he enjoyed her company, and she seemed to enjoy his as well. Besides her, there was Milo, of course, though he had not spent very much time speaking to the quiet man since their first meeting. He would rectify that. Well, he would if he could think of an activity that would not bore the poor fellow to tears; he was truly abashed to realize just how uninteresting he was.

Once Stephanie had eaten and Humphrey had returned his used dishes, the two of them returned to his room to prepare. He had an hour, so the prince used that time to freshen up and change into new clothing. And of course he picked out a record he enjoyed; a selection of chamber music performed by a string quartet, clarinet, flute, and harp. The songs were of such haunting beauty and he had spent many evenings marveling in silence with no distraction but a glass of wine. Perhaps it would not be suitable, but… Well, Alosa had encouraged him to bring his favorite record and this was certainly a favorite of his.

On a whim, he asked if Humphrey might like to also make a selection. His manservant was quite surprised and quickly declined; that was not terribly surprising. Honestly, Stephanie did not actually know what kind of music Humphrey enjoyed listening to. Perhaps he should try to find out? Humphrey was always by his side and yet he simply was far too unaccustomed to speaking with him normally and naturally as Alosa did. He was not certain he even could do so… But then, he also knew that Humphrey was the same way; their relationship as prince and servant was one they were both perfectly comfortable with and preferred.

Eventually Stephanie made his way to the solarium, Humphrey in tow. He carried with him only the record he had selected, though a part of him still felt as though he should have contributed something more. Perhaps some tea and cookies would not have been seen amiss? Though they had just eaten, he was certain something light could have been prepared. But he had no idea what Alosa had in mind, so he would not make any plans that might have to be immediately dashed. Satisfied with that for the moment, Stephanie stepped into the solarium and began to shuck the long coat he had thrown on for the walk. ”Miss Alosa? I have arrived.”

When Stephanie arrived there was the soft sound of song and at first he thought only that Alosa must have started a record to playing in anticipation of his arrival. But then one of the singing voices abruptly dropped and he realized that must have been Alosa’s own. It was so brief that he had barely registered it before it was gone. Ah, if only he had arrived a little earlier… but then, he should not wish for such things. Alosa was cautious for a good reason. He still did not really know the extent of her powers or if he could defend against them; he should have been worried. But no harm had come to them, so he was not.

Alosa stepped around a corner and joined them then. She smiled at him, a sight he was pleased to experience through Humphrey’s eyes. ”Of course.” he responded with faint amusement. She had given him a time and a place; there was truly no excuse for him to be late. ”And I have brought along a record, as requested.” He lifted his offering with a small smile of his own.

Stephanie turned his head to where Alosa had indicated another woman that she wished to stay. The prince nodded politely toward the servant before facing Alosa once more. ”As you wish. After all, I intended for Humphrey to remain as well. A pleasure to officially meet you, Ciara. I am Stephanie, as you have surely heard.”

Was Ciara meant to be a chaperone? Perhaps. That was a good precaution; he would never overstep with Alosa, of course, but this way there would be a witness to attest as much. He was certain that Humphrey would have pleaded his case, of course, but as the man was in his employ that would render his testimony less believable to anyone inclined to disparage the prince.

Music from where he was from… Had anyone else worded it that way, Stephanie would suspect that her only aim in inviting him was to determine his kingdom of origin. And perhaps that was at least part of the young lady’s motive, though the desire seemingly had pure motivations. She wanted to know him, much as he wanted to know her. Was that not the basis upon which friendships were built? So all he said in response was, ”I feel the same way.” It was always interesting to try different kinds of music now and then, even if he did always return to his favorites.

It seemed that his guess about Ciara acting as a chaperone was incorrect, at least in the sense that he had thought of it. She would remain in order to rein in Alosa if there was trouble; that was also good forethought. Her presence also fulfilled the role he had envisioned, even if that was not the intent; all in all, he was glad that Alosa had asked her to remain.

Alosa suggested that she play her record first and Stephanie nodded his assent with a smile. A song that Alosa’s mother used to play for her? Stephanie tried to remember if his mother had ever shared such a memory with him. Of course she listened to music for her own enjoyment and sometimes in his presence, but that was hardly the same thing. But the more he tried to remember a pleasant moment shared with his mother, the more he found himself thinking of Evelyn instead. She would tell him the funniest stories and he would laugh until his sides hurt. Stephanie’s expression softened and he smiled warmly at the memories that more than filled the space where others might remember the kindness of a mother.

As music began to fill the air once more, Stephanie closed his eyes to quietly absorb it. The song was quite unusual, at least to his ears, but no less pleasant for it. After a moment he opened his eyes and handed over his record to Humphrey before approaching the bench where Alosa sat. ”Perhaps I am wrong, but it would seem to me that this song ought to be danced to. Only I fear I would not know the proper steps.” he began before offering out his hand, despite knowing that she had closed her eyes. ”I would be much obliged if you would teach me.”

Stephanie was surprised to hear that it was uncommon to dance to such a song in pairs unless the pair were intimate. He well knew that dancing was a common courtship activity in Phronese, but many people still danced with others whom they were not courting. He had never courted anyone very seriously, but his mother would never have accepted that as an excuse to be a bore and a wallflower. And it was hardly scandalous with one hand holding his partner’s, the other just above her hip, and at least a hand’s breadth of space between them. Was it truly so different in Stillicidium?

Whatever the case, Alosa did put her hand in his and rise from the bench, agreeing to teach him the appropriate dance. Stephanie smiled but was inwardly surprised again when Alosa stepped away from him, releasing his hand. Ah, but perhaps that made sense… If it was not commonly performed as a paired dance, then it might be more comfortable for her to dance alone as a demonstration.

Stephanie was quite determined to learn the steps so that he could join in… until Alosa actually began to dance. Stephanie’s blind eyes widened and he was slightly disoriented as Humphrey quickly turned his head. Not that he could blame the man; the way Alosa’s hips swayed with the music would have been nothing less than scandalous at any Phronesian ball. And yet Stephanie did not shut out the image, now seen from Ciara’s perspective. Heaven knew that his normally pale features were red from his neck up to the roots of his hair, but he continued to watch.

Alosa reached for Stephanie’s hand, offering one last bit of advice about expression. The prince was stunned; would anyone even notice a lady’s hands of all things when she was performing such a dance? ”I am not entirely certain I even can move like that.” Stephanie admitted, standing stock still and far too embarrassed to try. He would surely only make a fool of himself.

”And men perform this dance as well? Truly?” Stephanie had performed many dances that were frankly more demanding on women than their male counterparts. The steps were more or less the same, but certain extra flourishes were performed by court ladies to draw the eye and appeal to potential suitors. A turn of the skirt, a flicker of the fan; nothing quite as… energetic as Alosa’s gyrating, of course, but perhaps it held a similar purpose?

Or perhaps the men of Stillicidium were also far less reserved than their Phronesian counterparts.

Stephanie was determined to learn this dance, even if the embarrassment killed him. He tried to tell himself that it was no different from practicing similar dances with his sister Aleithia. She had to chastise him more than once for being far too stiff and timid when trying styles from different kingdoms. He could almost hear her voice in his ear, asking him just what the nobility would think in Stillicidium if they could not perform the proper steps?

However Alosa was not his sister. The small similarities that made her company more pleasant notwithstanding, she was a young lady that he was not at all related to. At least they were properly chaperoned, but it still felt strange to practice such a scandalous dance. No, he must not think of it that way; clearly it was not considered scandalous in Stilicidium. Aleithia was right; he was embarrassing himself more by playing the wallflower.

Alosa gently tugged his hand to unstick him from his spot and Stephanie decided that it was now or never. It was a little funny that he was less reluctant to walk blindly into danger with Alosa than he was to dance with her. But dance he did, dredging up fond memories of his sister pushing him to be more open and willing to experiment. ”Less expressive is not the phrase I would use, exactly.” The prince commented as he relaxed into the steps. It was certainly not that he was not capable; his body was strong and flexible as he could not have accepted less from himself. ”However, expression where I am from is decidedly more subtle. A lady is more likely to entice the eye with a flash of her fan or her ankle than the swing of her hips.”

There was no denying that the sway of hips was an effective way to draw the eye, so to speak. But that was not why he was here and it was no fun for Alosa if she was the only one getting into it. Stephanie decided to take it a step further, laughing a bit abashedly as he experimentally shook his hips to the music. There were only the four of them there. He trusted Humphrey not to speak of this and Alosa, well… it was worth a little embarrassment to foster their friendship. As for Ciara, he would take his chances. But the moment was brief; he just felt far too silly.

All for the better that the song had come to an end. Stephanie was enjoying himself, but it was still a bit embarrassing. ”Ah, yes! I am afraid the record I have brought may not be to your taste, but in the spirit of sharing…” Stephanie turned to Humphrey with a nod and the man bowed slightly in response before moving to the record player.

The prince kept Alosa’s hand in his and guided the other to his shoulder. Then his free hand settled just above her hip and he smiled at her. ”I will admit, I usually listen to this alone and I do not dance outside of social events. But it only seems fitting that I share my style of dance with you in return. Please, follow my lead.”

The song started off slowly which Stephanie was glad for just in case Alosa would need the time to adjust. The very least that he could do was to show her the same patience that she had shown him. There were livelier bits as well, so hopefully she would not become bored. But he did have one concern. ”It is admittedly a rather long song. Often something like this would be played at a grand party where couples might step up to dance for a time before switching partners or retiring from the floor. We may stop whenever you wish, of course.”

”A carefree spirit that she clearly passed on to her daughter.” Stephanie replied with a small smile. Apparently it was not common among the aristocracy of her home either, which was perhaps for the best. Stephanie did not know that he could handle an entire ballroom full of Alosas. However, just the one Alosa was quite pleasant and a refreshing departure from what he was accustomed to. It was something that he could very much enjoy in these small doses and he idly wondered if that was what had drawn Alosa’s father to her mother to begin with. But that was truly conjecture; it was just as likely to have been a political arrangement if not more likely.

So Alosa’s older sister was the more reserved one. The thought amused Stephanie a little as he thought of his own older sister and how very different they were. Evelyn could be said to be reserved in some ways, but it was far different from his own demeanor. And in truth, he thought it a poor reflection of the woman that his sister truly was. Even now, in his mind, she was still larger than life and a true dragon slayer. Perhaps she would like Alosa as well; they were both such free spirits when they were allowed to be. But what was he thinking? He did not even know Alosa well and he wanted to introduce her to both of his sisters? Yes. Yes, he did.

”My younger sister Aleithia is more reserved, like myself. We share much in common, though sometimes I think she is more intelligent even than I am. My older sister Evelyn is something of a wildcard and I mean that in the best way. She has an indomitable spirit. It does not always show as much as it used to.” Stephanie left it at that, unwilling to give away any of his sisters’ secrets. Some things were not his to tell.

Fortunately it would seem that the sort of stiff, formal dancing that Stephanie was accustomed to was not entirely unfamiliar to Alosa. She did seem a little nervous, but there was surely no need to be. They were simply sharing a moment between friends; despite the style of dance the setting was far from formal. He was having a good time and he very much hoped that Alosa would as well.

”Hmn. I would mostly agree, though sometimes I do enjoy a few moments of silence. They are quite rare and precious.” To experience true silence took a surprising amount of effort for the telepath. It was not just a matter of shuttering the windows and playing no music; he had to limit the reach of his own mind and shut out the unintentionally intrusive thoughts of others for some distance around him. Sometimes it was impossible and he played music just to help drown out the rest.

”Please do not look down. You need not worry if you misstep; I promise my toes are quite resilient enough if you do.” Stephanie smiled warmly as his blind eyes faced Alosa directly. ”I would much rather you relax and simply enjoy the moment. There is no one here to impress; let us enjoy ourselves to the fullest without concern.”

Sometimes Stephanie lamented that he could not see for himself; everything he experienced second hand was somewhat distorted and had to be pieced together from perspectives different from his own. But sometimes he thought he was more fortunate than most in that he could experience the warmth of a lady’s smile much more deeply than he could have with functioning eyes. He didn’t just feel her heartbeat, he could practically hear it sing with happiness. He would not have expected such a reaction to something as simple as his accepting her free spirit, but he was glad for it.

”I do love them, more than anything.” Stephanie agreed readily. It was no secret to anyone who knew him well at all and Alosa was sure to see for herself as their friendship grew. There was little in life that he truly cherished besides them. He held a duty to his people, he cared for their welfare, but at the end of the day they were still a faceless mass of expectation. His sisters were different; they were individual people, faces that stood apart from the crowd, with feelings, hopes, and dreams that mattered to him more than even his own. That was more than he intended to say aloud, of course, but that did not make it any less true.

Stephanie did not even like to imagine losing either of them. When he had thought Evelyn might be lost to them, it crushed him. It changed him. Even after she had begun to recover, the realization that she could have passed and it would have been his fault had wrecked him entirely. Knowing that, his heart went out to Alosa who had lost her elder sister. How much harder it must have been for her when her sister was one of the only people with whom she had been willing to sing freely.

At least she was not alone, though Stephanie knew the loss was still very painful. He hoped that Alosa was wiser than he had been and leaned on her brothers in the way he had not allowed himself to lean on Aleithia.

”Luka was the one who found you during our history class war reenactment, was he not?” Stephanie was unable to see the man, of course, but he could remember the relief and happiness in Alosa’s tone when she laid eyes on her brother. He strongly remembered insisting that she go to him; how could he do otherwise as a brother who was also worried about his sisters? Even Evelyn, who would probably bring her fists to a swordfight and still win. ”Perhaps I will meet them properly someday.”

On the flip side of experiencing a lady’s smile as few others could, Stephanie also experienced the depths of Alosa’s sadness with her. There was a reason that Alosa could not bear the silence, one that Stephanie more than understood. He could not even apologize for his faux pas as he was not meant to know about it. He could only say, ”Just take things at your own pace, Alosa. There is nothing wrong with taking the time you need.”

Stephanie couldn’t take away that pain of Alosa’s loss, he dared not even think that he could distract from it, but he could give her something else to focus on in the moment. Not her feet, but this moment, this music and dance that they shared. He was surprised when her forehead rested on his shoulder, but he said nothing of it. And as neither of their chaperones deigned to object, he saw no harm in it. ”Much better.”[/a] he murmured softly as they continued to dance.

show spoilerhide spoiler

The song