The Hathway Kingdom (Book 2)

Twenty-Three.

~Twenty-Three. ~

Larissa laughed as Iovianus twirled her around the dancefloor. She was having more fun than she'd had at her own birthday parties back home. Dancing and spending time with Iovianus reminded her of when she was a child, scurrying about the balls and gatherings her mother and then her uncle held when she was growing up. At those, she was constantly getting under people's feet until her uncle had thought to have the Professor teach her how to dance and then everything else that came along with being a princess and the heir.

Giving a small yelp in surprise as Iovianus suddenly dipped her back, Larissa tightened her grip on his shoulders as she looked up towards his face. There, she saw a look that she recognised. It spelt trouble for anyone that the person with the look knew, and she knew it. It was the same look she used to have, or so the Professor and her uncle told her she'd had. Especially when she didn't want to do something. Seeing the smile twinkling in his grey eyes, Larissa smirked before she adjusted her hold on him as he kept her dipped.

Raising a brow at the sudden curious look that now shone in his eyes, Larissa grinned at him before she gave a sharp tug on his shoulders as her leg swept under him. Before he could blink, Iovianus was swept into a spin, and he let out a bark of laughter as she gave him a look that was clearly a challenge. He raised a brow as he righted himself before he gave a sweep of his hands in a gesture to her that he was accepting her challenge as the tempo of the music changed. Hearing this, Iovianus and Larissa took up different stances on the dance floor.

To anyone who was watching the pair and didn't know them any better, they looked as though they were readying for the next dance. But to anyone who were aware of their stances and who knew the pair of them, knew that this was not the case. Professor Strickland, who had been engaged in a rather riveting conversation with King Methodios and lounging in his chair comfortably, sat up suddenly, all conversation on his end stopping. Seeing this, Methodios raised a brow at the Professor, who was now watching the pair intently.

"Is something wrong, Professor?" the King asked him before his eyes turned in the direction that the Professor's were. Seeing what he was looking at, Methodios chuckled and gestured for a servant to pour him another glass as he spoke.

"Have faith, Professor. Though my son doesn't back down from a challenge, no harm will come to Her Majesty. And from what I understand and have seen of her myself, she can hold her own...Even when injured," he said before chuckling as the Professor raised a brow at his statement before returning his eyes to the pair circling one another on the dancefloor.

The two circled one another and as if sensing what was happening, the rest of the dancers on the floor vacated it quickly but formed a circle around the pair. They all watched on in interest as Iovianus and Larissa continued to circle, with Larissa kicking off her shoes as she reached down and bundled up the flared section of her dress' skirt. As Iovianus watched her as she tucked it into the belt of her dress, giving her legs the freedom, she needed to move about as the material stretched with her for the fitted part of her skirt. This, of course, caused many of the ladies present to make sounds of shock as Wade was one of the kingdoms that didn't want their woman trained to defend themselves and all wore nothing but dresses that covered nearly every inch of their bodies. Iovianus' lips twitched some before he raised a brow at her, almost as if he were inviting her to make the first move.

And that, she did. Giving a rather delicate twirl for someone who was trained to not be the least delicate whatsoever, she struck out at Iovianus though she had no intention of hitting him. Her fist missed his face by inches, causing him to spin as well and strike out at her himself. She leant back to avoid his strike before their dance began.