From Iron and Ruin

Beautiful things.

Chapter 35: Beautiful things. 

The celebrations didn't begin to wind down until well into the night. I had well and truly become sick of circling the room, but the Port-Lords had babbled about what 'great fun' the evening had been. That meant there would be invitations to their estates.

How exciting.

Fyr had taken it all with a gracious smile. I had tried not to scream, my teeth gritted so hard that I thought they would all pop from my jaw. When I was not talking about colourful fish as pets and silk and strange things that the people of Naredan needed, I was dancing.

Dancing with Ainthoch. With Greydon. With Kohen – and even Gwen at one point, who danced with such wild abandon that I had forgotten all my concerns as she spun me. We could have been dancing under the light of the full moon, with our feet bare and the grass slick beneath us for all I had known. Despite her towering size, she danced like magic.

The Hall began to clear slowly past midnight. Guests were herded to their beds and the Ewyn's Hall became cavernous, with firelight and the low lull of tired voices who were conversing in the corner.

I sipped on another glass as the musicians began to rally people for the last dance of the night. My feet were aching. I heard him approaching, but I did not turn. Not when the warm breath of his words tickled my ear. "Will you dance with me?"

"The last dance of the night?" I hummed. "I thought you were avoiding me, but I did not see you dancing at all tonight."

Fingers skimmed down the length of my arm. When he reached my hand, I turned. His smile was slight and secret, eyes dark and watchful. The flickering torchlight of the scone to my side, cast across the strong planes of his face.

He held my hand against his chest, where I could feel his heartbeat thudding wildly. "Dance with me."

"An order, Captain?" I mused, but I let him tug me out onto the emptying dance-floor.

"More of a suggestion," He said lowly. "You are not a woman to be ordered about."

"You know me so well." The song was slow. Asha'da, too slow. A strong arm banded around my waist and then, that hand splayed across my lower back. The other held mine upright, strong fingers closed tightly.

He led me onto the dance-floor, missing a few beats but I decided to say nothing. I had been waiting for this dance all night and if he stepped on my toes, it would be worth it.

I could tell that he was toying with something, words bundled on his tongue. I could see them in the set of his jaw. I knew this man well – when had that happened?

"You have something to say?" I asked.

He took a rough breath. "I have been meaning to ask you to dance all night, but I couldn't muster the courage until I knew the last song was playing."

"You, lacking courage?" I tipped my chin up, thankful that his senses were not as sharp as mine. He could not hear my heart thundering furiously. "That isn't like you?"

"If you had been a Nirani that I had to confront, I would have done it within minutes," He tilted his head down. "But you're not Nirani. You're Aviana and every-time I looked at you tonight, I could not breathe. Or think. Or...well – I thought I would become a babbling fool if I spoke to you unprepared."

My cheeks burned red. "Did you prepare that speech?"

"No," Mahon said sheepishly. He spun me right and my skirts lifted. "I asked Greydon for some advice, but you would have known that wasn't me talking."