Erin (book 1 of Erin Series)

forty-two

Inside the ball room is a small group of men with large instruments that I have never seen before. Father talks to someone in the room and I approach him, giving him a curtsy. He waves the other man off and motions for me to stand up straight. I wait for him to tell me what to do.
"I'm sure your mother informed you already of dancing lessons. I will not be the one teaching with you, or dancing with you. Godrik will be the one dancing with you, and this gentleman here is you're teacher. If you need anything, I will be in my office, working out war details with Keir." With that he leaves.
War details? I want to ask him about it, but he doesn't even give me the chance.
"Good afternoon, miss Erin. It is wonderful to meet you for the first time since you were a baby." The man approaches me.
I turn my gaze away from my father, and look at him.
"Thank you." I say, unsure what else I should say.
"You can call me Biff." He holds his hand out to shake mine.
I take it, liking the familiar feeling. I already feel like I am going to like this guy.
"It is good to meet you Biff."
"Yes. Now, shall we get started?"
He explains how there are many different kinds of music, and different ways to dance to them. I apparently will learning mostly ball room music, and that's what I will start off with. He instructs the instrumentalists to play, and music echos through the room.
Godrik stands in front of me, looking down at my face. He holds his hands out, and I take it slowly. He takes a step, and I step with him, after realizing he was moving. Biff corrects me after that, and after I step on Godrik's feel a few times. At first we laugh about it, but I can tell he is getting annoyed by it. I keep apologizing, and he continues to tell me it's fine, even though I can tell it's not.
"Erin, you have to feel the beat of the music." Biff stops me, pulling me aside. "Close your eyes, and tap your foot to the beat."
I watch him close his eyes, tap his foot and move his hands in a similar motion the director of the instrumentalists. I sigh, and close my own eyes, feeling for a beat, as he calls it.
I hear him count to 6 softly, over and over again in a specific rhythm each time. It goes with the songs.
"Now, Erin, what do you see?" Biff asks me suddenly.
I open my eyes and look around. Before I could answer, Biff corrects me. "No, no, no. Keep your eyes closed. What do you see in your head, with the music playing?"
I close my eyes once more and try to picture something.
"Well, I see the instrumentalists." I say, unsure of what else I'm supposed to see.
"What else do you see? What do you feel?" He asks.
I pay close attention to my feelings. After a while, as I listen to the music I finally answer. "I feel... bored."
I can tell this is not the answer he wanted, so I open one eye to see him scowling at me. I open the other, giving him a confused expression. I look back at Godrik, who is sitting down in a chair looking even more bored than I am.
"Stop paying attention to the things around you, girl!" Biff turns my head to look back at him. "You have to feel the music. Understand it."
"How am I supposed to just do this, when I've never experienced music in my life? This is stupid. I don't even want to do this dancing thing. I just want to fight!"
Biff gets frustrated and walks away throwing his hands in the air.
"You will have to learn! Erin, you are a princess now! Your only job is not fighting anymore." He turns back to face me, with a guilty expression.
"Biff, if I may intervene, but even I was taught that everyone learns their own ways." Godrik stands up from his seat and walks over to us. "She is a fighter, fights with swords. That in itself is a dance. What if she learns the beat that way?" He looks at me, with a slight smile on his face, trying to help as much as he can.
I turn my face to Biff. It's obvious that he has something on his mind.
"Go get changed into pants. Meet me in the training room as soon as you're dressed." With that he leaves the room. Godrik and I stare at each other for a moment, and then hurry out of the room as well, back to my chamber. He waits outside the door as I hurry the maids out of the dress, and slip into a white blouse and black pants. I grab my boots, putting them on and strap my belt around. My sword rests against my night stand, and I grab it, connecting it to my belt and head out of the room, thanking my maids for helping me so fast.
Godrik and I rush to the practice room, and when we get there, Biff has already set up the instrumentalists in a safe spot, and a few men helped rearrange the room so we could practice. My eyes catch another pair, familiar and friendly. Damek smiles brightly at me. I give him a soft smile back and focus on Biff once more.
"You will fight while the music is playing. But this time I will have Godrik observe." He turns to the men in the room. "Is there anyone in the room who would like to challenge the lady?"
All of the Kings Knights just look at each other unsure, while Damek smirks at me. He opens his mouth to speak, but someone interrupts him.
"I will challenge her."
All of our heads turn to him. Keir. He had just entered the room.
"Alright then. Grab the practice swords and we will get ready." Biff says as he walks toward one of the walls to observe himself.
Godrik walks up to me handing me a wooden sword. I look at it, and then look at him with a dumbfounded expression. "What do you thinking am? A child?" I hit him upside the back of his head with it and toss the sword aside.
A few of the Knights gasp, while Damek and Keir chuckle. Godrik rubs the back of his head, with a scowl on his face. He won't be making that mistake again, I can tell.
He mumbles a few curse words, and other inaudible words as he walks away. "If you bleed, or get injured, your blood is not on my hands." He says, turning around.
Keir walks up to me, his sword in his hands, ready to go. He decided to use a real sword as well. I unsheath mine, hearing the metal ring through out the silent room.
"Let's dance." Keir winks, the music starts and he steps toward me.