The Charm of Deception- Chapter Five, Part One

I pressed my hand against my side, breathing shallowly, willing the pain to stop. I'd sat and watched Char and Wyl spar Aldik, and watched as each of them paired off-- Wyl fighting Aldik, then Aldik fighting Char, then Char fighting Wyl. Then we all followed Aldik back to his office in the barracks, and he shared his whiskey with us. Now I was lying on my bed, stripped to my small clothes-- yet the pain still wouldn't go away.

"You've got to move your hand, if you expect me to do anything about your side." Itani murmured softly, as she pulled my hand away.

I opened my eyes and watched her, as she bit her lip and looked at the wound. I glanced down at my side again. There was a bruise, so large that my hand couldn't cover it, staining the pale flesh that stretched across my ribcage. It hurt each time I drew a breath. Hurt each time she touched it, trying to smear a foul-smelling salve across it.

"Just stop." I complained, trying to swat her hands away. "You're hurting it more than you're helping."

"No." She argued. "Stop, Young Miss. I need to put this salve on you."

I sighed angrily, but stopped fighting her. "I don't see what it'll help. Not like it'll fix a broken bone."

"No, it certainly won't." She agreed, her mouth pressed into a flat line. "But there's not much I can do for that. A young Lady ought not have a broken rib."

I inhaled sharply as she pressed a gauze against my side. "I didn't know he was going to--"

My door swung open, and Father marched in. I quickly grabbed the sheet that covered my legs, and jerked it up to cover the rest of my body. Father didn't see my unclothed body. His eyes started in the far corner and drifted all the way around the room, before he spoted us. His face twisted in rage. "What do you think you're doing in bed at this hour?"

"Itani is--"

"Going to get out of my path, this instant." Father interupted, as he glared at Itani. She was standing in my defense, at my bedside, back perfectly straight.

"Please, My Lord, if I could explain--"

"Don't take up for that little wench." Father snarled.

"Sir, her side." Itani said, as she reluctantly took a step to the side.

"Out of-- what about her side?" Father stopped pushing Itani.

"S-she hurt it, sir. I was trying to put some salve on it. She's not been in bed all day."

Father hesitated, looking at me, his face softening for a fraction of a moment, before getting angrier. "Just what did you do?"

"I..." I couldn't tell him the truth. That I'd snuck out of the mansion with the princes, and tried to whack them a wooden sword-- before the War Chief came and whacked me with a sword. No, that would get me, if not all of us, in trouble. "Fell off of a stool in the parlor. It skinned my side."

"Let me see that." He grabbed the sheet and jerked on it.

"Papa! No!"

"Sir, she's indecent--"

Father instantly dropped the sheet, as he saw I was wearing nothing but my small clothes. He hesitated, his face flushing red. He was embarrassed. "Er...I...don't believe that...but...hurry and get ready. The dance is tonight."

Oh, no...

He turned and walked out the door. As soon as he was gone, Itani sat back on her stool and finished wrapping my side.

~

I closed my eyes a moment, as we stood in the doorway, waiting to be announced. I despised the Spring Gatherings. I'd thought I'd hated winter most of all-- when the snow came past my knees anytime I dared to venture outside, and the chill in the air settled deep within my lungs, along with a nasty cough.

But, no, I realized, as I got old enough for Father to drag me along to his dances and banquets and festivals. I didn't hate winter the most. I hated spring even more. Because with spring came the Gatherings; and I was already tired of them. It didn't matter that the previous night was the first I'd been to this year. I knew what laid in my future.

I opened my eyes as I felt a slight breeze, and saw the doors open. The herald stepped forward, looked at us, then nodded and stepped back out on to his platform, gesturing for Father to follow.

I glanced at Fania. Her hair was curled into blond ringlets, her small body squeezed into a tiny dress that made her waist look smaller and her bosom larger than they really were. She looked so sweet and innocent. I nearly rolled my eyes. Instead, gently brushed a curl back into it's place, and gave her a small smile. "It's okay. You're young. You won't have any trouble keeping your dances in order."

She nodded, too quickly. "I know."

She was afraid. I nodded back to her, hoping to reassure her. Dances were scary things. Especially when you were young and just learning about dances-- about how you kept track of who you agreed to dance with, on the dance card that Itani thrust into our hands as we were leaving the mansion; and how you lied to the men that you didn't want to dance with.

"The Lord Leikos Elstan, his Lady Viviane."

I glanced up as Mama and Papa started down the staircase; Mama taking slow and deliberate steps, looking every bit the Lady she was. I remembered watching her intently, when I first accompanied them-- certain that, if I mimicked her perfectly, I'd make Father proud of me. He was certainly proud of her. That much was obvious.

I glanced behind me, and saw that Itani was watching Mama closely as well. Good. "Just keep your chin high, your back straight, and a smile on your face. It's not so hard."

"I'm scared, Rana."

Of course she was. I was terrified, my first time; and I wasn't exactly comfortable, even now. "I know."

"His eldest daughter, Miss Darrana Elstan."

I sighed as he misprounced my name; but plastered a fake smile on my face, and stepped out onto the top of the stairs. I swallowed hard as I saw the mass of people already in the ballroom. I knew that there would be more people here tonight than there was last night; but I'd let myself hope that we would be some of the first to arrive.

My eyes drifted down to where Char was sitting on a throne, to the right hand of his father. He was watching me, smirking. I nearly narrowed my eyes at him. He was enjoying my pain far too much; but managed to stop myself. It was bad enough that I had an audience as I made my entrance; I didn't need to give them something to mock.

Don't draw any more attention than you already have. Fania will be nervous enough, without you getting yourself in trouble. I lifted my chin, willing my nerves to calm, and started down the stairs, slowly, forcing myself to look straight ahead.

It didn't help much. I could still feel the hungry gazes on me. The men. The young men, as well as the old, stared at me; and it turned my stomach. I wasn't a cow for them to watch and assess; and decide how much, in dowries and offerings for my father, I was worth.

A flicker of movement at the base of the steps shook me from my thoughts. I turned my head, slightly, too see the Prince of Grekeiua coming up the stairs, toward me. I hesitated, my foot hovering above the next step. What does he think he's doing?

I glanced back at Char. The smirk was gone from his face, and he was carefully watching Esmond come toward me. What am I supposed to do? I swallowed hard, my eyes flicking around for someone who held a hint of what I should do. Esmond stopped on the stair below me and bowed.

"My Lady." He took my hand and kissed it. "A woman as fair as you should not be left without an escourt. May I walk you down the stairs?"

No. I curtsied. "I'd be delighted."

He turned, offering his arm to me. I carefully rested my fingertips on his outstretched arm, staying as far away from him as I could without being impolite, and continued down the last third of the stairs.

"His youngest daughter, Miss Fania Elstan." I could barely hear the herald as he announced my sister. I couldn't hear much of anything, over the pounding of blood in my ears. Over my breath, rapid and shallow, as I locked Esmond in the corner of my eye and kept him there, until, an eternity later, we reached the main floor.

"My Lady." The Prince bowed again, stepping away from me a polite distance.

"Thank you, Your Grace." I curtsied slightly, glad to be out of his reach, before turning toward the platform where the Royal Family of Algnes sat on their thrones-- King Kernighan in the middle, with Char on his right and Aslynn on his left.

"Thank you for your hospitality, My King." I curtsied, bending myself as low to the ground as I could, before my corset dug into my sore side.

"Thank you for attending." He sounded bored. Of course he's bored. He's been in a greeting line all night.

I inclined my head, before turning toward Char and curtsying. "My Prince."

Char was smirking again. "Miss Elstan."

I rolled my eyes, then, panicked, looked up-- but the king didn't see. I breathed a sigh of relief, as I turned toward the princess Aslynn. He'd get me a load of trouble if he saw me roll my eyes at his son. "My Princess."

"Miss Elstan." She said, nodding to me once before looking at Fania. I glanced at my sister, too, as she stepped forward, trembling slightly, and murmured the lines she was obligated to. When she finished, she turned toward me; I led her away from the platform a little ways, nearer to the table of food.

Her breathing was shakey, I noticed, as I handed her a glass of punch. "You did good."

"That was scary." She snapped quietly, her eyes wide.

I offered her a sympathetic smile. "Don't worry. It gets easier."

"Really?"

No. "Sure."

"How long do you have to wait before a man escourts you?"

"Well, heh." I took a sip of the punch, and wrinkled my nose. It tasted worse than the wine, and didn't even offer the promise of getting me drunk. "That was the first time it's happened for me, to be honest."

"I don't know what I'm doing."

Me either. "Well...just watch a bit. You'll learn in--"

"Miss Elstan."

Dammit. I turned toward the voice I was already beginning to recognize, smiling sweetly at the prince. "Prince Synakrien."

"I would have first dance with you, if I may."

"It would be my pleasure." I answered sweetly.

"I'll look forward to it."

"As will I."

He bowed to me once more, before disappearing into the crowd.

"Do you know who he is?" Fania asked in hushed tones, eyes wide.

"Yeah. It's--"

"Esmond Synakrein." She finished. "You know what he does--"

Yes, Fania. I do know who he is and what he does. I'm the person who told you, if you'll recall.

"I do." I interrupted before she could finish. What I don't know is where he is; so shut up.