The Love That Bonds Us

Chapter 9 : The Waltz

AGNARR

"Agnarr, she's right here!"

His words took a few seconds to sink in and for a brief moment I simply stared at him incredulously, but then it slipped out anyway: "What?"

"Wait, you really didn't know? Iduna's been here all day, or so Arianna's told me." Frederic said, before nodding his thanks to a servant I hadn't even noticed standing beside us as he took two mild wine glasses from the offered silver tray.

I slumped against the pillar, pressed a hand against my forehead and mumbled weakly, "All day?"

I couldn't believe I'd had a chance to talk to her all day, and hadn't even known it! What kind of an idiot was I?

"Yes. Where have you been all day?" Frederic passed me a glass.

I took it and tipped it to my lips. When I lowered the glass, I wiped my mouth with my sleeve and answered, "In my office. I was staying out of the way because it was absolute chaos. I could hardly breathe."

He gave a nonchalant shrug, "That is fair. How about we go talk to her now?"

"Are you crazy?" I straightened again.

"You're talking to me about being crazy?" Frederic's eyes widened for a moment and he drank some of the wine.

"Frederic. You don't understand, I can't talk to her. This ball is making me anxious enough as it is; if I have to go into that crowd, I'll have a mental breakdown."

"Stop worrying Agnarr. You'll need to talk to her again sooner or later."

"What makes you say that?" I planted a hand on my hip.

"No reason in particular," he said casually, concentrating on his wine glass and causing the deep red liquid to slosh around inside, "It's just Arianna is leading her this way."

My mind panicked; thoughts of what to say and how to act swirled in my mind and it was probably obvious because it was Frederic's hand heavily slapping my shoulder that made me focus on taking one breath at a time.

Iduna looked radiant with her indigo dress and a ribbon winding through her dark hair. My breath caught in my throat as she smiled shyly at me and waved from the short distance away.

"Well wave back you idiot." Frederic shoved me playfully.

I laughed, half in habit to our perky antics and half because that had been exactly what I needed to relax and wave back at Iduna and Arianna.

"Not that he doesn't deserve a good shove once in a while," my sister said, seemingly amused as she stopped a few feet away from us, "but what's been going on here?"

Frederic turned to me with folded arms and raised an eyebrow, "Agnarr?"

"Nothing but typical brotherly antics." I gave a grin.

Arianna twisted her head to look at Iduna, "Honestly. I leave them alone together for five minutes and they begin acting like six-year-old's."

Iduna laughed - it was a pretty laugh that dimpled her cheeks, but behind that I caught something oddly familiar ...

"Anyway. Iduna, I'd like you to meet Prince Frederic of Corona. Kingdom of the Sun. And you've already met my completely hopeless excuse of a brother." Arianna pointed to each of us in turn.

"Nice to meet you Frederic." Iduna gave her exaggerated curtsey, before adding as she straightened, "Do you mind if I just call you Frederic?"

"Not at all Miss." he answered in his best charming voice, making an equally exaggerated show of taking her hand to kiss it, "It would only be my pleasure to grant such a lovely Lady the use of my actual name while others must also include that royal title when addressing me."