The seven Duchies of Central Rynmere and their respective baronies, cities, towns, villages, and landmarks each overseen by a Duke of one of the seven noble families and ultimately controlled by the King of Rynmere.
“You mean end as in getting yelled at by your mother?” Velaine asked innocently, fannig her eyelashes at him. “Or what happened after that?”
The she-wolf let her betrothed lead her to the dance floor, her velvet dress trailing behind her. She could still feel the eyes watching, but again, she pretended to be oblivious to them. It was a relief to slip out of that mess of a conversation before it got worse. Velaine watched him from behind, considering all the things she had seen through the night.
While the Endor was well-mannered enough, the young woman noticed that his words tend to get sharp when his annoyance flared. His decisions were more instinctive at times. On the other hand, Velaine was a studious overthinker. Her every words, every movement, she tried her best to filter them. She wasn’t perfect, but it did help her navigate the noble business. It was a stressful way to live, if she had to be honest. Now, she was starting to analyze what Nathaniel did too.
Besides their engagement, are the people talking about something else too? Some misstep of hers or his? There was no limit to the possibilities of making a mistake in front of these people.
For a brief moment, Velaine regretted her decision to immerse herself back in Rynmere.
The thought was broken off when she felt Nathaniel squeezing her arm lightly, signaling that they have reached the edges of the dance floor. Nowhere near the center where actual dancers were twisting and spinning with their graceful steps. She would definitely preferred to stumble somewhere that people wouldn’t notice.
Looking up at the bear of Endor, at his green eyes and roguish smile, a voice whispered softly in her head: Perhaps it is not all bad.
Nathaniel did not think his snarky comments would be appreciate as a retort to her statement. Even as they had left Lady Burhan behind, the rumor mill was working tirelessly. He caught the gazes of the aristocrats and other nobles. The way that they looked at him and whispered behind their hands and fans put him off. He could not hear their musings, but based on their faces, he did not thing they were good. One glance he caught had been towards his betrothed. The way this set of eyes stared at her as they passed suggested pity. What was going through the crowd like wildfire? It certainly made him anxious. Nathaniel made himself focus on leading her through the ground as deftly as he could.
Once there, he squeezed her hand and offered her a reassuring smile decorated with glittering eyes. Through their few mishaps already, he couldn't help but find her beautiful in that very moment. All the other woman were heavily made up with deeply cut dresses to show off the treasures. It left little to the imagination but drew in all of those more interested in landing a date, good time, or a wife. It crossed his mind that he had more resolve when with Velaine. He appreciated her in her militaristic gown and natural make-up that very moment. As much as he hated being here, with the prying eyes and slicing voices, he would do it again as long as she were there to make him calm. Slowly, now that they were here, he led her out onto the edge of the dance floor before turning to face her.
With one hand on the small of her back and the other one lifting her hand into the position of the waltz, Nathaniel went as slow as a snail into the first motions. "Shall we ignore them for a while? I would certainly like to..."
Front, right, left. Back, left, right. Once the pattern was established, he did his best not to look at his feet. It was if he had been practicing a little on his own after their first dance lesson. Just a little. He was not a pro by any definition. "I am sorry if I blunder Velaine. You could certainly have your pick of the noblemen here, given your position within your house. I only hope to justify your family's choice in my house..."
What was he saying? It all sounded good in his head, but as they escaped his mouth, it sounded political and trained. He altered his eyes just a little bit, somewhat embarrassed by the words. Couldn't he have just said that he enjoyed being there with her. Even saying something half along those lines would have been better. Sard, he hoped that she would change the subject.
“I think the better plan is to ignore them for the rest of the night,” Velaine offered with a grin. She hoped her light attitude would ease Nathaniel’s worries a bit. She could tell from the slight frown on the edges of his lips and the way he was scanning the crowd. Not that she wasn’t concerned about it. The young woman had every intention to find out what exactly they had been talking about, but for now, there was nothing she could do. Being awkward would only fuel the rumors. “Don’t mind them
“I am sorry if I blunder Velaine. You could certainly have your pick of the noblemen here, given your position within your house. I only hope to justify your family's choice in my house...” With his eyes wandering and the slight flushed of his face, the Krome could tell that Nathaniel was slightly flustered at his own words.
The young woman laughed lightly as she let the Endor put his hands on her. Admittedly, it was far more formal than what she would have expected of him. “You’re too kind, my lord. My house hasn’t been popular lately, as you are probably aware of. And I think some noblemen are actually worried that the women of Krome are as savage as the rumors say.” Velaine let herself eye him up and down. There was no doubt that the Endor was a pleasant sight with his strong jaws and intense eyes. “Besides, a lot of women would have happily taken my place for the chance to marry a handsome lord such as you.”
“I must say though… I’m glad I’m here with you, Nate.” It was something she sensed that he would appreciate hearing from her, but it also wasn’t false. She couldn’t imagine being in someone else’s arms. Unable to help herself, Velaine let her hand rested on his neck for a moment before sliding down to hold his shoulder.
They swayed gently to the rhythm, not fanciful or hurried. Considering how they danced last time, it was a miracle that they hadn’t stepped on each other’s foot yet. The curious eyes slowly drifted away, steadily losing interest. Watching an engaged couple dancing was certainly not as entertaining as the whole mess with Lady Burhan just now. If Velaine had to guess, they would probably have forgotten about the Lady Krome and Lord Endor in a half-a-break. Unless they made another mistake, of course.
Now that they were alone, the young woman figured that this was a good time for her to ask him the question she had been itching too. Her heart picked up, knowing that a lot was riding on him. She had been mulling on how she would word it to him. Should she hint at her interest to go? Or perhaps slowly introduce him to the idea? However, in the end, Velaine decided to just go forward with him. He seemed to respond well when she was being direct. “I have been thinking… Will it be alright if I go with you after this?” Realizing how awful that sounded, the Krome let out a nervous chuckle. “To Endor, I mean. I know this is abrupt and troublesome, but I am hoping that you can introduce me to your home.”
Velaine couldn’t quite predict what his answer would be. Sure, Nathaniel had been the one to invite her, but that was half a season ago. She kept a close eye on his face, trying to gauge his reaction. If he refused, Velaine would try to convince him… somehow. She had no better choice, not if she wanted to escape the attention.
