.Elementals.

-42-

By next morning my fellow mages had cleared the part where the third trial would take place from grass, only leaving smoothed out dirt as a smooth surface was the best for dancing.

"The third trial!" Seems like each time it will be another speaking as Amalia stepped forth this time. "It is something important in our queendom's culture and tradition, the tradition dance! You have been given an orb which will show a number, your randomly assigned partner will have the same number, some of you might wonder about the importance of this trial but in Solor a ruler that can't dance will bring shame to the family and the traditions with it so it is important, it also helps us see how your coordination and teamwork is, a dance can reveal much more about a person than they think. Here we have our judges, the pairs will go one after the other demonstrating the traditional dance of the lakes, the first variation, those that cannot perform the dance or do it at an acceptable level will be out. As not all competitors are from Solor us mages with some nobles and the royal siblings will participate in the trial as partners for those not from Solor blood." So unfortunately I won't be dancing with Audrey.

My orb showed the number thirteen which is an unlucky number but became even more unlucky when I faced my partner, the orb of magic going up in a puff of white smoke as we gazed at each other.

"Mage Mastery." He said with venom.

"Sire Ethan.... It is Mystery." I answered but with chill in my voice.

"Shall I assume you know the steps?"

"Of course, I wouldn't fail such a simple trial."

"Good."

"Good."

That's all we exchanged as we watched some pass and some fail badly.

When it was finally my turn to dance with this man I didn't like and who didn't like me we both had a cold look on our face, our grip of each other a bit too tight for the other, his hand digging into my side and my fingers pressing on his back, right under his shoulder-blade , neither of us said something instead just glared as we didn't show the pain in favor of winning this trial.

(I can't find a good video but I like this one so use it as example of something similar or think they were made to do this)

Each movement was made a little too briskly, not enough for the judges to see but enough for the other to feel and need to fight against it to not mess up.

This wasn't like dancing with others or even fighting which I once compared to dancing for me, this was a true fight, neither enjoying this and trying to get the other too lose.

A step a bit too close.

A movement a bit too wide.

A hand a bit too tight.

A switch a bit too fast.

A carry a bit too lose.

Everything a bit too much or not enough.

A battle of wills, not wanting to fall for the trap the other set out while setting out another ourselves, my will against his, eyes never barking visual contact more then necessary as even the head movements were important in this like in everything in Solor from greetings to goodbyes.

In one dance I just confirmed what I knew of him of being a misogynistic war forged man with no tact and forced elegance, born to be a soldier not a king nor a consort.

With the last step it was like thunder struck through us as our eyes fought one last time, he and I did the traditional 'thank you for the dance and goodbye's without ever cutting eye contact before spinning away from each other and walking the opposite way at the same time.

"That was the most tense yet graceful dance I've seen." Em said when I joined him, him having been sixth.

"Tense is what you saw, a war is what I lived." I answered.

"Yes I worried about you maybe having to drop out after a bad loss because of prince Ethan being whom you were paired with but it was an amazing show of power you gave, somehow, just through a dance."

"Sometimes will power is all that is needed to have power." I said watching the next pair. "Sometime a war is fought through will and mental, each step either of us could take was trapped by the other, forcing them to step around it will setting up your own."

"Yeah it was intense, far more then any of your fights I've been witness too."

"Fights are dances with your enemy, move with them and strike their weaknesses, this dance was a fight, something different, even tho we passed we were equal in the fight."

"I will not lie and say I understand you because I don't."

"Just get that this goes deeper than what you could have seen on the surface."

"Of course."

We were given lunch to go and prepare for next trial so I went to get an apple and go to the elm to relax, this simple dance with Ethan had sent my blood boiling like it does in fights but in a bad way, he angered me.

Through one dance you can understand someone, I felt his anger and disdain for me in his movements while my disrespect and frustration for him was what was most palpable.

This was another reason why dancing was important to the royal family, they were taught how to size up someone with one dance and could accurately judge some aspect of their dance partner after they were done.

"Wake me in two slices of sun please." I told the elm while laying on its roots and falling asleep.