NOVEMBERLAND: the little shieldmaiden

17

By the dancefloor, I could spot Alva and Gryffin. They were laughing, and I could see Alva turning on her charm and Gryffin got to see her the way that the nation saw her, a living jewel. Her pretty little body, and his tall and lean self. It was a huge height difference, but they looked great together. Both good looking, and it was like seeing the portrait of his parents, just that Alva had no red hair.

I heard the music change, and music began to play. I saw guests beginning to pair up, and I understood that is was a dance for pairs. Alva and Gryffin paired up, and it felt like someone punched my stomach. As I was about to go up to Grandfather to watch the dance with him I felt someone grabbing my hand and twisting me around towards the dancefloor.

"You look beautiful," I heard Tyr say by my ear as he had leaned down and held a hand around my waist. I was looking over at Gryffin, he was staring at Tyr. I looked up at Tyr, and he looked down at me, he was making him jealous.

"Thank you," I said and clapped his arm. What I knew was that he meant it if he said so, but everything else was just an act. I did not expect him showing up after what he did, but he could be representing the earldom of Fjella.

When everyone was paired up the music started to play fully. I had seen this dance before, and I could feel Tyr knowing the dance as he lead me through the dance. It had a lot of turns and hand potions. Where one hand was behind resting on the back, and the other held up opened, lining up with your partners. And with the rhythm of the music, you kneeled down a little with the rhythm and stood up when it was the time.

"Why is he with your sister?" he whispered as he asked.

"My mother," I answered and managed to see them as we turned around on the floor.

"I understand," he said and spun me around, and I understood I was sent to my next partner. You never knew who you would get because it was as everything went into a blur. And as I met my new partner I could feel who it was, Storm.

His frost like hair was messy, but his clothes were as if they were made today. A blue suit with golden details and it made him look broad. He looked out at the crowd with his icelike eyes, and I could feel something spreading in my body as if it was poison, disgust.

"Little sister," he said in a slick voice.

"Brother."

"Why weren't you dancing with the darling young King?"

"Alva was," I said and I could spot her now dancing with a Cal.

"But why did you not start this dance with him?"

"Why don't you ask our beloved mother, she knows best doesn't she?" I said and I could feel his eyes piercing at me. But I continued to look out at the dancing people. Gryffin was dancing with a noble of the earldom of Hugin, supposedly one of Earl Hugin's granddaughters.

I switched partners multiple times under the dance, I danced with nobles, lords and wealthy men. But at the last spun I landed in the embrace of the person that had made me feel so bad before.

"Your sister is a much better dancer than you," Gryffin said after a while of silence.

"Why don't you dance with her then?" I asked and I could sense him smirking. I would guess that his age green eyes were glancing over the dance floor.

"Because I enjoy dancing with you much more," he said as we turned ways.

"But still you switch as soon as you think I've done something wrong. You switch off your loving self if you have the slightest doubt, and you're just like when we met," I said quietly, not looking at him now either.