Keeping Secrets

Is That A Threat, Or A Promise?

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KEEPING SECRETS CHAPTER 15- IS THAT A THREAT, OR A PROMISE?

"Why do I have to be here again?"

"Because this is an important skill for His Highness to know and he needs a partner."

"Okay, but why me?"

"Because I am your superior and I requested you to come. If you'd prefer, I can send you to central fields to help find the dark guild terrorizing our agricultural infrastructure... or you can stay in the capital, and help Prince Natsu learn how to dance. Your choice."

Brandish wanted nothing more than to smack that stupid smirk Invel was making off his face. He knew he had her hook, line, and sinker. She may not be very social, and dancing with a... conventionally attractive man close to her age was awkward for sure, but not as much of a pain as traveling to the center of the continent and searching for God knows who in God knows where.

"Ugh. What a hassle. Fine, I'll help."

Invel nodded, seemingly satisfied. "Excellent."

Natsu, meanwhile, scratched his head. "I don't get why I need to know about ballroom dancing anyway."

Invel sighed. "In high society, balls are quite common, and it isn't unusual for a king- or in our case, an emperor- to throw a ball during important events. And making a fool of oneself in front of the upper echelon of society, again, reflects poorly on the emperor and the empire... especially if the ball is an event to entertain foreign guests."

"Ugh. All of that sounds awful. But I guess that makes sense." Natsu said.

"Think of it this way," Invel said, "knowing how to dance in a setting like that will help you better blend into the crowd and take attention off you... in comparison to dancing poorly and embarrassing oneself in front of God and everyone, as they say. And that's something both of you would prefer, correct?"

Natsu smiled and nodded, and Brandish sighed, but begrudgingly admitted, "Yeah, fine. You make a good point." She turned to Natsu. "You ever danced before?"

Natsu placed a hand on his chin. "Well, I think I tried once, but I wasn't very good."

"Fantastic." He's probably gonna fall on me more than once... what a hassle. She felt her face heat up a bit, and she looked away.

Unfortunately, Natsu seemed to notice. "You feelin, okay, Brandish?"

"I feel fine." Brandish took a deep breath before turning to face Natsu again. "If you step on my feet, I'm shrinking yours'."

Natsu gulped and laughed nervously.

Natsu was as clumsy and awkward as Brandish predicted, and true to her word, three times she shrunk Natsu's feet, which caused him to completely lose his balance and fall each time. And each time, Invel would angrily yell how Brandish was disrespecting the prince and to stop using her magic for such frivolous reasons. To which Brandish would roll her eyes and turn Natsu's feet back to normal, and then they'd start again.

That said, Brandish could admit after Invel's constant instruction (and her threat of shrinking his feet again) Natsu improved the longer they went on. They practiced off and on for about three hours before Invel dismissed them.

"Gotta say that was a pretty rough start you had there, but you picked up fast, Your Highness." Brandish told Natsu as they walked through the corridors of the palace.