Chapter 15 | The Tale of Two Kingdoms

The Baron's Ball

"Why isn't Sedra coming?" said Temmin as he and Ellika rode in the royal carriage to Baron Leutefloss's city house.

"Oh, she never comes," sniffed Ellika. "The only reason she came to the last one was that it was at the Keep. She couldn't escape. And it was in your honor." Ellika slid her arm through his. "I'm so glad you're here now, Temmy, now I'll have someone to come with me! Of course, it's the end of the season," she said sadly. "Mama should have let you come last fall. We could have had so much fun, and the summer is so very dull in the capital." She sighed. "Oh well! We'll have to make our own fun until Farr's Day. Mama usually holds dinners and concerts on the lawn after Nerr's Day once the weather is reliably warm and the nights are long, and that helps. Sometimes there's even dancing! It'll be all right, you'll see, we'll have fun!"

Temmin let Ellika's words flow over him as he watched the street flow by the window. It's just a dance, he kept telling himself. "It's just a dance. We're going to go, we're going to dance a few sets, have dinner, flirt and enjoy ourselves, and I'll just be making a huge decision about my sex life. In public. With everyone watching and knowing exactly what's going on."

"Are you even listening to me?" said Ellika. "Do stop brooding, if I wanted brooding I'd have stayed home with Sedra and discussed philosophy. Neya bless me, am I to be the only one in this family who's any fun whatsoever?"

"You're entertaining enough for the three of us, Elly," said Temmin affectionately.

Ellika squeezed his arm. "I know you're nervous. You don't even know Allis that well yet--"

"You just reminded me," said Temmin, desperate to change the subject. "Don't lead that footman on, the redheaded boy. He has a sweetheart, you know."

"Temmy, I'm the one who told you about Arta and Fen!"

"Well, you need to start acting like you know about them. Fen's starting to take you seriously."

Ellika goggled. "He couldn't possibly!"

"He broke up with Arta to move your furniture yesterday on his day off. They were supposed to go into town to buy promise rings. I found her crying in the Woods, she told me all about it."

"Oh dear," murmured Ellika. "Oh dear, oh dear. Well! We can't let that state of affairs stand! Leave it to me, Temmy, this is the kind of project I love! I'll have them back together in no time!" She squeezed his arm again. "Thank you for telling me, this'll be fun! Oh, we're here!" She bounced on the dark red velvet seat.

Temmin looked out. The town house practically glittered, bright light from every window. He handed Ellika out to the footman and stepped down himself, then squared his shoulders and climbed the steps to face his doom. By the time he got inside, Ellika was out of the cloakroom already and waiting for him. "Come on! Hurry up!"

Once again, his sister was perfectly turned out, and had obviously coordinated with Jenks. Temmin wore amethyst studs and cufflinks of a deep purple, and in his buttonhole was a tiny cluster of fragrant violets. Ellika's dress was almost subdued, for her--a purple and white shot silk with a wide sash and not a scrap of lace. Her blond hair was coiffed in braids and long loose curls, scattered with the same violets Temmin wore, and her jewels were the same amethysts. She looked, her brother thought fondly as they walked into the ballroom to great applause and fanfare, like a fairy princess, and she was far and away the prettiest girl in the room--

--Until, scanning the crowd, he looked into the green, green eyes of Allis Obby. Her thick black hair hung loose to her waist, held back from her face by a band of tiny ivy leaves and white ribbons, and her dress was white, trimmed with the same ivy. She was breathtaking. And she was smiling at him.

Ellika nudged him. "Go on! Find out when your dance is!"

"Now?" he whispered back, not taking his eyes off Allis. "Isn't it a little sudden?"

"Are you chasing her or aren't you?"

Temmin looked just behind Allis into a pair of identical eyes: Issak. Issak was not smiling, but there was no mistaking the look in those eyes. Temmin was suddenly very, very awake, and yet he had to remember to breathe. "Yes," he replied faintly. "I believe I am." He walked through the parting crowd, scarcely noticing the pleased smiles on all the faces as he approached the twins and held out his hand. Allis took it and curtsied low; Issak bowed. "Mister Obby," Temmin acknowledged Issak, his voice much stronger than he himself felt. "Miss Obby," said Temmin, "I do hope you've saved a dance for me."

"As it happens, your highness," she answered, "several lines on my dance card have opened unexpectedly."

Temmin looked down on her. She was so finely made and yet strength seemed to radiate with every small movement she made; she would not break when he took her in his arms. When he took her in his arms. That thought was all there was; all he wanted was to take Allis in his arms and never let her go. "I should be honored if you'd save them all for me," was all he said.

"The honor would be mine, your highness." Allis was still holding his hand, and when the orchestra struck up a dobla to begin the ball, he walked her to the floor without thinking. They took their places and began to dance, the turns and partings and comings-together flowing effortlessly. How had he ever thought dancing was dull? It wasn't until they'd been all the way down the hall and back that he realized no one else was dancing; the company was watching him dance with Allis.

Temmin gave Allis a quizzical look, and she smiled up at him before giving an almost invisible signal to her brother. Issak bowed low over Ellika's hand and took the floor with her at the beginning of the next form. Everyone watched the two beautiful couples for a moment before pairing up themselves and flooding the dance floor. Temmin caught Ellika's eye briefly; she winked and grinned and pranced off with Issak into the throng.

Though it was very clear that everyone in the hall knew the subtext of their dancing, he found in the end that he didn't care. There was none of the sniggering or pointed looks he'd feared--quite the opposite, in fact. He spotted Baron Leutefloss's ruddy countenance, ruddier with emotion, and the Baroness openly weeping, dabbing her eyes with a lace handkerchief. It confused and touched him.

Temmin and Allis danced the entire set together, and when the time came to go in to dinner, she was still his partner. He walked her into the dining hall, and when he found her seat, he discovered it was next to him on the dais, on his right with the Baroness to his left. The Baroness was beaming at him, and when he turned to her to make small talk, she waved him off: "Please, your highness, you are otherwise engaged."

He finally turned to Allis. "Miss Obby," he said, hesitant now that he had to speak with her, "how are you enjoying the evening so far?"

"Very, very much, your highness," she smiled. "It has proven most satisfying. I look forward to much satisfaction, actually. My future looks to be quite busy, and quite...lucky." Allis took a sip of wine and looked up at him through her long black lashes.

"Yes," he said. "Busy. I, ah, will you be too busy, d'you think, to go riding with me some time this coming week? Through the King's Woods?"

"Were I busy with anything else, I would drop it instantly to go riding with you, your highness."

"Because Ellika said you like riding almost as much as dancing, and I like dancing almost as much as riding, d'you see."

Allis rose a perfect eyebrow and the corner of her mouth rose. "I said yes, your highness."

"Oh! Yes! Well!" A thrill began along his spine and rushed out to his fingertips and toes, making the hair on the back of his head stand on end. "Ah, thank you! Perhaps Ammaday? Is that too soon?"

"Not at all, your highness. Ammaday...?"

"Ah--let's say, at 11? Perhaps, if it's nice out, we shall picnic?"

"That would be lovely, your highness. Ammaday at 11 it is."

Ammaday. This was Vennaday night. That gave him Paggday to square things away, or for Jenks to square things away in any event. He smiled down on Allis and thought, "Lucky. They must be right. This is a lucky thing."

He noticed Allis looking past him and saw that the Baroness was crying again. "My lady, are you all right?" said Temmin, somewhat alarmed.

"I'm fine, your highness!" she wheezed. "To think I'd live to see the day--! You are blessing us, dear prince, blessing us!" She dabbed at her eyes with her handkerchief again while Temmin patted her hand anxiously. "I am just a sentimental old lady, your highness, but truly, you are blessing us." She beamed at him again, her round face pink and happy, patted his hand in return, released it, and turned to the diner on her left.

Temmin found Allis watching him with a faint smile on her face. "Miss Obby," he said quietly, "I understand why everyone is so...interested in us. What I don't understand is why everyone's so emotional."

Allis's smile widened. "I have a great deal to teach you besides the obvious, apparently." Temmin blushed. "Your highness, no Heir has approached the Lovers' Temple since before your grandfather's time. Some people believe that it's why the kingdom is in decline. They see this as a sign that the kingdom's luck will be restored."

Temmin was confused. In decline? According to whom? "And what do you believe, Miss Obby?"

"I believe that we're going to have a splendid ride in the King's Woods on Ammaday," she said demurely, turning her attention to the soup which had just arrived in front of her.

Temmin did not get to dance with Allis the rest of the evening except in passing, though they did trade many meaningful glances across the floor, and he took every chance he could to fetch her drinks, imbibing quite a few flutes of sparkling wine himself. During the King's March he found himself dancing part of the form with Issak.

"Mister Obby," said Temmin.

"Your highness," said Issak smoothly, and his voice sent a shiver down Temmin's back just as Allis's voice had. Issak must have felt it through his hand, for he narrowed his green eyes slightly and smiled before they danced apart again. Temmin felt light, exhilarated, almost reckless. He wasn't dancing with them--he wasn't even near them--but he could sense Allis and Issak very close by. He felt as if he could have made love with both of them right there on the dance floor and he wouldn't have cared if everyone saw them, not a bit, not even if everyone saw he didn't know what to do. He realized he was probably drunk.

When he got home late that night, he found Jenks still awake but yawning, waiting for him. "And how was it, young sir?"

"Jenks, we have tomorrow to prepare a picnic luncheon and ride for Miss Obby on Ammaday."

"Ah!" said Jenks, taking Temmin's hand in both of his and shaking vigorously. "Oh, your highness! You've made me very happy!"

"I didn't do it for you, you know," said Temmin, sleepy, drunk and irritated. All of the congratulations and thanks for his civic-mindedness were beginning to get to him, especially since he didn't feel very civic-minded about the Obbys at all.

"To be sure, young sir, to be sure!" said Jenks, still shaking his hand. "Now, let's get you into bed. You'll need to be well-rested." Temmin listened with one ear as Jenks nattered on and helped him undress. He'd drunk far too much sparkling wine, it was much later than he usually stayed up, and his head was swimming with thoughts of Allis, Issak and what he'd decided.

Was it too late to back out? He was sure he probably could, but now the entire kingdom believed he'd committed to chasing the Lovers. No one was making fun of him, which was what he had feared the most. But this universal adulation was just as bad--perhaps worse. He had only feared disappointing Allis before. Now he feared disappointing the entire realm. He thought of Arta, kissing him in the Woods. "I could have had her, and then I wouldn't be worrying about any of this," he thought. "Why didn't I just take her?" Why had it been so easy to take those fumbled kisses from Mattie, who hadn't wanted to give them, and so hard to take them from Arta, who could have been persuaded to give him much more, and happily, if he'd pressed his suit? Was it too late? He fell asleep rolling these questions around in his mind, too tired even to satisfy the erection that pressed urgently against his belly.