Uninvited Guest

Dinner wrapped up, and with the king's blessing, the crowd of guests made their way into the palace's ballroom.

As many as were invited to the feast, it seemed that almost double had been welcomed to come to the lively dance.

The herald was endlessly announcing the arrival of noble after noble until Ethyn wondered whether the tide of guests or Gilroy's voice would give first. He hoped for the steward's sake it would be the first.

For some unknown reason, almost every one of the noblemen present had a second or third daughter to introduce to the young knights. After the third young lady was formally introduced to Ethyn by a baron and his wife, the green-eyed man began to struggle with remembering names.

There were a few ladies that seemed quite pleasant, and no two ladies looked the same, but the sheer volume of eligible women overwhelmed Ethyn's senses.

The strangest part was that each father mentioned how much his enchanting daughter loved to dance. How could Ethyn say no to such a request? As a valiant knight, he couldn't.

'Perhaps all ladies love dancing, and that is why they love balls,' the young man mused.

Some of the young women were more willing dance partners than others, but most seemed to find his company quite enjoyable. Ethyn had never been so flattered by so many compliments. As this was his first official ball, the green-eyed man wondered if all balls were so teeming with praise.

The festivals and country dances in Rynnlee were filled with life and joy, but also stories of old, questionable songs, and some jibs and teasing of anyone and everyone.

Ethyn doubted very much that the tawdry tune he had heard in the stables earlier when he went to check on his horse would make its debut here tonight. Charming as it may have been, it made his ears burn just to hear it.

And hour or two passed--who kept time while on the dance floor?--and Ethyn finally had to excuse himself from dancing. He was tired and needed something to drink.

Around the corners of the room, food and drink were laid out to refresh the dancers. Between them, chairs were assembled in small groups for guests to sit and chat, and beyond the ballroom were small suites for games of cards. Ethyn gathered himself some food and punch, filling his plate to the brim. Just when he thought he could take no more, a servant offered him a platter of green puffy profiteroles. He added it to his bounty.

"Don't mind if I do," he told the servant with a wink. It was a night to celebrate, after all. Rather than find a group of people to join and sit, Ethyn found a spot on the wall to lean against and watch the festivities.

The dancers on the floor moved to a lively tune, and were not Ethyn quite exhausted, he would have loved to join them.

He reminded himself to thank Lily and Katherine for teaching him the basics of dancing and Sir Cynheard's wife for giving him some of the moves used in polite society. Without these ladies' help, he would have been utterly lost tonight.

The rest was a bit of trial and error. Dancing was a little like sword fighting, except for the other person was not trying to kill you. The fluid motion and trying to anticipate the other's movements were quite similar, and it made Ethyn able to pick up the steps of each dance quickly.

It helped that he also had very gracious dance partners. They had nothing but nice things to say about him, which gave him the confidence to try.

Now that he was staring at the various ability levels of the other men, the redhead wondered where he stood among them in dancing prowess. With an intricate maneuver, he popped the green treat into his mouth as he considered his skills, enjoying the flavor of the doughy sugar.

"Don't stand there gawking. At least act like you are keeping an old lady company or people will begin to gossip about you..." a voice nearby travelled to his ears. Ethyn turned his head and saw an exquisitely dressed old woman looking with excitement at the dance floor.

He recognized her voice immediately. Without another word, the young knight dutifully took up the empty seat next to the woman.

When Ethyn looked into her eyes, his suspicions were confirmed. The irises were clear yet also swirling with color.

"What are you doing here?" Ethyn asked Hanna, shocked by her presence. How long had she been there?

"You do not think I am worthy of being invited?" Hanna pretended to be offended.

"That is not what I meant...Wait, did King Rhodri invite you?"

Now the young man was unsure. Maybe the Fates and the royal families had an understanding of which he was unaware.

"No, child. Yet, I came just the same. I may not be able to be everywhere at once, but I do try to witness the most important events when I can." The Fate took a small candied sweet from the young man's plate and popped it into her mouth.

A spiderweb of wrinkles spread across her face as she enjoyed the morsel.

"That is divine. I must ask the chef for the recipe."

Looking around, Ethyn spotted the king talking with a few of the dukes and Sir Cyneheard. The rest of the crowd was equally occupied with talking or dancing save a wallflower or two.

The young man furrowed his brow. "I don't understand. What important event can possibly be happening here?"

A tinkling laugh like bells filled Ethyn's senses. "You really don't know?" Hanna laughed. "I came to see you, young man. Silver isn't the only one who wants to see you succeed, you know."

Blushing, Ethyn brushed his hair away from his forehead to hide his embarrassment. "I did not realize you cared so much, Hanna. I'm honored."

"You should be," the Fate smiled at him. "You should also be dancing!"

"My feet hurt," the knight protested.

"That has never stopped you before from doing something you want to do." Hanna rolled her eyes upward, and Ethyn had never felt so judged in his life.

"Just give me a moment, will you? And anyway, I have no partner just now, unless you would care to do the honors and dance with me?" Ethyn held out his hand to her in challenge.

"Most tempting," the old woman almost seemed like she would accept his offer. "But I am here to observe and eat, not be the belle of the ball."

The redhead had only ever seen Hanna float slightly above the ground. Was she even capable of touching it? "You are that confident in your dancing?" he asked incredulously.

"My skill and your charm? No one would be able to take their eyes off of us!" Hanna winked at him and they fell into a companionable silence.

As they enjoyed Ethyn's plate of food, the music turned somber. A love song that the young man had heard as a child began to play, filling him with nostalgia. It was the first tune the green-eyed man had recognized all night.

A petit woman got up to sing, adding her voice to the instruments. The melody was as lovely as it was haunting.

However, Ethyn's reverie was cut short as Nuall led a familiar woman onto the dance floor. Nuall held Rose's hand tightly, even possessively, as he spun her into his arms.

The unpinned portion of the princess's blonde hair flew from her back like rays of sunshine before landing back in their proper place as she took her position.

"Ugh," Ethyn's mood was spoiled, but he could not say exactly why. Was it the fact that he had seen Nuall or that the princess was falling for his trap? Or was it something else entirely?

"Something wrong?" Hanna asked innocently.

"Why couldn't it have been a line dance..." the young man muttered. "I don't care for this music at all."

Nuall spoke into the princess's ear and she smiled. Something about her smile made Ethyn want to hit the handsome young man in the nose.

"What is wrong with the song?" Hanna had her eyes shut, listening to the lyrics with her whole being. "The couple this song is about are two of the loveliest people I have ever known." In the corner of her eyes, small balls of water had formed.

The young man was too preoccupied to notice. He was memorizing every move Nuall made, trying to strain his senses to read the man's lips, but in the end the dancing couple was just too far away.

Any hope Ethyn had of trapping Nuall in his scheme was quickly fading. He would have to try another time.

When the song ended, Rose was making an inscrutable expression as she curtsied to excuse herself.

"I'm glad that's over," Ethyn mumbled to the Fate. "The princess better stay away from Nuall for her own good. He is trouble."

"Pay Sir Nuall no mind at all, dear boy. His name rhymes with small for a reason." Hanna's ever present smile had returned to her face, filling it with mischief. "As for you, you have trouble of your own coming this way. Good luck!"

Before Ethyn could ask what she meant, the Fate had disappeared before his very eyes.

Coming toward him, two young ladies were elbowing each other, each trying to be the first to approach.

Ethyn had seen the same look of avarice in the ladies' eyes only a moment before in Nuall's expression as he stared at the princess. It could only mean one thing.

"Uh oh..."