A Lesson

A few days passed peacefully, and everyone returned to their usual duties.


An uninvited guest entered Rosamund's office along with a servant that brought him tea. The stray and by all means feral cat hopped on his table and started washing its face with a paw while he was trying to enjoy a break. The animal accidentally slapped some papers peeking out of the files and found a new interest, now intentionally whacking them with glee. He leaned forward to get its attention and presented it with his most frightening frown, the kind that would send Sanjar running out of his office screaming. Apparently, the cat was unaware of his power and status. It went back to slapping his papers, trying to get them out. In fact, it next noticed the files were leather bound. The claws left terrifying long trails as the cat found its new plaything.

He decided to untie his hair before the little beast could ruin his table further. He offered the ribbon for it to play with, and the startled cat started attacking it, chasing it across his table and making an even greater mess than originally. He allowed it, at least it was fun. Somewhat.

The cat sat down again, staring at the ribbon with deep focus. It was wagging its tail, loudly slamming it against the wooden table. Well, that surely meant it was happy playing with him. He decided to try and pet its head.


Five seconds later, Rosamund was cursing and cleaning his wounds using the medicine kit his brother left in his office. The startled cat was hissing at him from the corner of the room, and ran away the next time the door opened.

Adanita walked in, putting two and two together. "You don't really know with cats, huh?" she asked, curiously looking at the mess on his table.
"Evidently not."
"There's a lot of blood..."
"The wounds are shallow, but long. I didn't expect it to attack like that, it was wagging its tail!" he complained. He showed her the injuries he was cleaning. The long cuts, thin and irregular, spread over his right hand. She came over to oversee his self-care, and only left his side once she was satisfied with how he bandaged himself up.

"Your hair is loose again," she said.
"I wanted to play with the cat." The claws expertly tore a good part of his ribbon to shreds. He will have to get a new one... "Shouldn't Ekliptik do something to tame it?"
"It's tame around them," she said brightly.
"And you?"
"Well, I wouldn't pet an angry cat, for one."
"I didn't know it was angry," he complained, returning back to his seat. "How are you? How was your day?" he asked.
"It was fine," she said, leaning on his table in a sort of a half-seated position. "Lady Ansatz decided it's time to try to teach me to dance again. It seems I have two left feet, as my teacher said."
"Well, that is a rather rude thing to say to a beginner."
"It isn't offensive if it's true," she said, shrugging it off. "I guess. I don't really have that feminine grace noble ladies speak of."
"I suppose it's easy to think such a thing if you can't see yourself," he said. "I recommend you try to train with your swords in front of a mirror. While the intent of using a weapon may be deadly, your movements are still beautiful." Hehe, she blushed. Good. She deserved compliments, after all.

"Fine," she said. "If I am as graceful as you say, why do I have trouble dancing with her?"
"Hmm..." By all means, her motor skills should be more than enough to follow simple dancing instructions. So, something else had to be the problem. "Do you have problem following the basic steps, or is building on them the issue?"
"I can't even do the basic steps," she said.
Oh, it made sense now. "Can you show me how it goes?"
"I suppose I can try..." she said, standing up. She found enough space to move, his office was large enough, and placed her hands up in the air. "Let's see. Left foot back, right to the side, then together. Right foot forward, left to the side, together," she said, making the steps.
"And when does it fall apart?" he asked.
"Well, let's see. One, two, three, one, two, three, one, two- oh. Hm." She continued with ease, following the basic steps and moving in a square. He placed his head on his hand, leaning on the table and watching her with a small smile.

"So, what?" she asked, finally stopping. "Are you going to say you're a better teacher?"
"Hardly, I didn't do a thing," he replied. "I'd say you simply feel nervous around those two ladies, so you keep making mistakes even with the simplest moves. It's hard to focus when you have someone watching you, or when you have someone so close."
"Hah!" She looked away, crossing her arms. "I suppose you have a point, though... I should practice it alone."
"I don't think so. Well, I suppose you should, but you should also build confidence while dancing with a partner. And in company of other people. It will prepare you for the ball... if you decide to dance there."
"And you just happen to be offering to be my audience?" she said teasingly.
"Hardly. It would be rude if I didn't make time for you when you do it for me all the time. If you can spar with me, I can dance with you. I am assuming you don't feel uncomfortable around me, considering how this attempt went. So, whenever you'd like to, I am yours."
"And you dance well, I suppose?"
"Why ask that when you could see for yourself?" he joked.
"Hah. I suppose I shouldn't turn down this offer..." she said. Rosamund's heart skipped a beat. Oh gods, was he pressuring her- "I accept. Give me a moment to change into something nicer," she said, interrupting his train of thought.
"Ah. Hm. Right, then," he said, keeping his face neutral. "I should tie my hair then, too. Let's meet in the ballroom in a few minutes."
"Oh, did you mean sometime later? It doesn't have to be right now," she said, noticing the change.
"No, no. I was thinking of taking a break anyway. Nothing here is urgent," he assured her. She knew she could say no to him, right? And she decided to ask to dance immediately, instead of postponing it to an unknown later time. That meant she was fine with- it was just dancing, damn it. He needed to get his damn mind under control. His bloody need for correctness kept making him read too much into unnecessary things. She decided to hold his hand first, she decided to hug him, she decided to carry him several times, and she decided to dance now. Perfectly normal behavior between two friends, perfectly normal little things he didn't mind doing at all. He didn't force her to do anything. He wasn't pressuring her. He was fine.

He calmed down in his room, taking a moment to wash his face and tie his hair back nicely. There was no need to overthink this, really...

He went down to the large and properly spacious ballroom. The room was currently not in use, waiting for the event he will host, but the marble floors and windows were kept nice and clean. Round tables and chairs were lined up by the walls, covered in sheets for now. There was nobody here-

"Boo~"

A whisper in his ear made Rosamund jump in surprise. How can she keep sneaking up on him, damn it! You'd think he'd get used to it by now. Well, with her gleeful little laugh echoing through the room, he really couldn't stay angry. He tried his best to continue looking dignified as he turned around, at least.

"Oh. You look beautiful, Captain," he said.
"Thank you," she said, imitating his manners. "I know."

A bright smile suited her well. She wore her sky blue coat, now fixed by her tailor. The seams were fixed, and the few tears that the worn out fabric gathered over the years were hidden behind lovely embroidery. The ends of her sleeves and the bottom of the coat were now lined with silk, adding to the elegance of the coat. Her tricorn hat got a bit of an update too, matching her coat with light blue and golden threads, and a brand new feather. Her heavy leather boots shone with a new light after a cobbler put a lot of care into restoring them, and adding a few details as well. The masters of their trades managed to fix her clothes while keeping the outfit so unmistakably hers, and she seemed pleased with it too. The way her eyes were glowing, the way that the gold beads glimmered in her hair as she showed him all the details on her coat...

Khm.

"May I have this dance?" he asked once she was satisfied with the amount of compliments her clothes received. He offered her a hand with a small bow and she accepted it with a smile.

He led her to the center of the ballroom and held her hand in his. She was so mindful of his freshly bandaged injuries, making sure her fingers wouldn't touch places where she knew the cuts were. She gently placed her right hand on his shoulder, and he hovered his left over her waist, keeping distance between them. "Your posture is good," he complimented her.
"Thank you," she said. "You aren't holding me right, though. Are you?"
"A proper gentleman wouldn't grab his partner's waist," he let her know. "This is how I hold people when dancing."
"Aha. And how many people are as polite as you?"
"Ah. Hm. I- I suppose that you do have a point there. If you get bothered, please let me know. I will- I don't want to make you uncomfortable," he said.

"It's quite alright."

His face was a bit warm as he placed his hand on her waist. "Well then. Follow my lead, then. Left foot back..." he slowly guided her through her steps again, and started counting.

"It's much easier when it's you," she said, following along without a single mistake. "I suppose you were right... Although I like Lady Ansatz, and I don't really have any problems with the lady she found to teach me."
"I am happy to have so much of your trust," he said honestly. It seemed he didn't need to keep counting. They were well in sync, even without music.
She smiled at him again. "I suppose I feel at ease around you. It's nice. I hope this doesn't mean you'll work til midnight today, I hoped to come over and listen to you play."
"Hm. The Pirate Queen demands I forsake my duties and spend more time with her," he dramatically said. "Well, I suppose I cannot turn down Her Highness. Worry not, I will be sure to be in my room in time for my evening practice."
"Good. I enjoy your music. Too bad you can't play and dance with me at the same time."
"If I were to split myself in half..." he pondered.
"But how would you hold me then? Or the violin, for that matter."
"Quite a conundrum," he agreed. "Would you like to try to do a spin?"
"How?"
He explained the movement to her and let her go. She turned around before giving him her hand again. Two beats later, they were back to the basics.

"Beautiful," he said. He loved the way her coat fluttered as she was turning.
"You are full of compliments today, Lord Governor," she joked.
"You are deserving of them," he replied. "Or- do they bother you?"
"How could they? I'd like more, please. You can comment on the color of my hair again, if you'd like."
"And how it reminds me of sunset?"
"I quite liked hearing that," she nodded.
"Perhaps I should retire from my position and spend my days complimenting you, then."
"Oh, that sounds lovely. Once we complete everything, I think I would enjoy that arrangement."
"Good to know I have something to do for the rest of my life. A guaranteed position in the pirate crew - the Queen's Praiser."
"Considerably less stressful than the position of the Governor. I'd say I am a much better employer than Sarmia."
"You'd be entirely right. Ah, but you didn't hear me say that."
"Of course. May I lead now? Lady Ansatz said I should learn both," she said.
"Oh, of course. You just do opposite of what you did now. Right foot forward, left to the side, together."
"Makes sense."

He placed his right hand on her shoulder, letting her hold his left the way he did with her previously. She placed her hand on his waist.

Oh...

He almost froze up, damn it. Unable to look up, unable to move, for a fraction of a second. The way her warm, strong arm wrapped around him, the way her soft scent made him dizzy - his senses were almost overtaken by her presence. But he broke out of it, managing to only miss his first step, which she didn't even notice as something important. They were both getting used to the new roles, after all. A few moments later, they were dancing properly, and he managed to make himself face her with his usual neutral expression.

"Am I bothering you?" she asked.
There go his hopes of her not noticing, damn it all. "Not at all," he calmly said. "I don't often dance with people taller than me."
"Were you shorter or taller in your previous life?" she curiously asked.
"Taller. I was somewhat taller than Nivelir, but still not as tall as you are."
"Does my hand bother you?"
"Hardly. Most dance partners who lead would also hold me like this."
"I should have asked. I apologize. I know you're averse to touch."
"You caught me by surprise, but I am not uncomfortable. You don't need to let go."
"But would you want me to?"
Was he such an open book to her now? "No. I'd let you know if I was bothered."
She nodded, accepting it as she led him around the ballroom with a smile.

Maybe he wouldn't mind it, retiring to be her dance instructor and provider of compliments. Being held by her in this way felt- it felt nice. He liked it. Maybe he wouldn't mind if they danced for days, if it meant she would hold him like this. Her gentle hand on his waist, wrapping around him like so, put him at ease. He felt safe with her so close. He felt... cozy.

"I apologize in advance in case it is rude," she said, "but does your issue with people touching you stem from something?"
"No," he said. "Nothing in particular has happened to me. Most people would find it rude if they were suddenly grabbed by a stranger. In my case, it simply applies to a bit broader number of people. It's a preference, not a trauma."
She nodded again, accepting that. "I suppose I would also hate if a stranger grabbed me. Well, people do try sometimes. Punching, grabbing my arm, pushing me around in general. Most I've either killed or injured in return. So I understand that much, at least. But I've noticed I am much closer with people I care about than you are. Ekliptik, Teo, my crew... If my, hm, 'expressions of affection' sounds like too much... but if I happen to bother you, do tell me. Or, I suppose I should ask the next time I want to hug you."
"Considering what I had to do for the first hug, I wonder what I'll need to do to earn the second," he joked.
"When we're this close? All you need to do is trip. I'll catch you."

He almost did.

She laughed again at how easily she could throw him off balance, while he felt himself blushing again.

Perhaps this was a mistake.

She pulled him a bit closer.

Alright, it wasn't.

"I do feel bad sometimes, though," she said.
"Hmm?" he replied, trying to focus on following the dancing steps.
"Lady Ansatz, the nobles in general. Your hands are very soft, while mine are full of callouses and hardened skin. I can't imagine it feels nice."
He gently squeezed her hand in return. "They are rough, yes. But they are a result of hard work you do, sailing your ships and holding your swords. You use them for a powerful purpose, just like your muscles they are a reflection of your hard work and determination. I don't think you should worry about that," he said. "And besides, whenever you hold me, you are as gentle and careful as I can only dream. To me, your hands are the softest in the kingdom."
Hah! She blushed again. A bit of payback for catching him off guard so often. He felt quite happy with himself. She deserved he be every bit as gentle and kind to her as she was with him, and she deserved to be teased just as much as he was. It wouldn't be fair otherwise.

"I think I should let you get back to work," she said, not letting him go. "I do want to hear you play music in the evening, after all..."
"Yes, I shouldn't forsake my duties just yet. Poor Nivelir would have to take over in my place again, and that man overworks himself even without me."
She let out another laugh that echoed through the space.
"The next time, we should do more complicated moves. I'd say you've picked up a good foundation for the basics. Practice more at Lady Ansatz's, too."
"Next time?" she said, teasing him again.
"Of course. I do hope you will dance with me at least once during the ball. We might as well practice."
"I didn't even get my invitation yet, and you are already asking me for a dance."
"As the host, I can tell you in secret - you will certainly be invited."
"What a shock!"
"Don't let anyone know, now."
"I'll be sure to keep it to myself," she said.

She let him go. Rosamund bowed over her hand, thanking her for the dance.

"I will see you in the evening, Captain Vervain."