Dancing on Strings

Ladies and Gentlemen

It was close to midnight when the royal family finally decided to retire for the night. After the king and Honourable Thirteen had finished their discussions, the princes and princesses went through and reiterated what that had learnt throughout the day to make sure everything matched and outline what everyone would focus on the following day.

After that, they relaxed.

Usually, after such meetings, everyone would scatter to spend the evenings as they chose, often with members of the court, but once a week they spent the evening together.

It was where the musicians could practice their music before they showed off to court. They would all practice dances before the balls. They could play games – and usually an argument would break out when someone would accuse another of cheating because almost no one was a graceful loser.

It was where they could safely complain about people without word spreading and where they could air grievances.

Their father insisted on it.

With such a large family, it was the quickest way to keep them close and end disagreements before anything permanent set in.

When the clock announced that they had fifteen minutes before midnight, everyone finally gathered up their things – Avalon and Fleur still at each others throats about some a card game that had gone very badly three weeks before – thankfully they were arguing more for the sake of it rather than anything actually troubling. Being the only two at sixteen, they were always either fighting with each other or teaming up against someone else.

As their ladies-in-waiting ushered them out, Mai glanced back to the table where their father still sat, looking over some letters.

Zet nudged her in the arm and nodded towards him when she looked his way.

"Go on," he hissed.

"Zet, it's not going to happen, stop," Etienne muttered.

"She can ask," Zet said, "Go on, Mai; ask. He won't get mad."

Etienne looked like he wanted to speak but at that moment, Adalicia – the second daughter – gripped his arm and shook her head.

"Just let them get it over with," she said, brushing her blonde hair back from her shoulder.

Etienne grimaced but walked out with the others, leaving Mai.

Through the partially open door behind her, she heard Joliette and Henrietta, there to meet her but being told by her siblings she would just be a moment, she was still speaking to her father.

Well, it couldn't hurt to ask.

As Zet said, he wouldn't get mad.

"Papa," she finally said when the last of the family walked out.

He looked up, startled to see someone was still there.

"Yes, sweetheart?" he asked, straightening up.

"Can I talk to you about something?"

"Of course, love," he said, surprised she had asked permission first. He pulled out the chair to the right of him and Mai walked over, taking a seat.

She, very deliberately, set her beat up pointe shoes on the table between them and Antoine gave them a sad smile before settling back and looking at her.

"Did we tell you what the lead ballet is this year? The one hosted on the main stage that is?" she asked.

"You haven't mentioned any of them actually," Antoine said. "Tell me."