Chapter 12
I wanted to be anywhere but here. If Boric came back to life to challenge me in the arena, I would fight him again. Anything to avoid lady-in-waiting lessons.
Ania handed me a stiff petticoat to slip over my breeches.
‘This will have to do until we get some dresses made for you.’ She walked behind me to tie it in place.
The petticoat was far too short for me, and my battered leather boots stuck out awkwardly beneath the skirt.
A loud snort from the daybed told me Bethel was only pretending to read her book.
‘Do I need to wear this now?’
‘You must hold your skirt out while we practi se curtsying and dancing.’ Ania smiled.
‘Dancing?’ I squeaked. I had never danced in my life.
‘Only the basics for today.’ She patted my arm.
I did not feel reassured.
‘Do as I do. You will curtsy like this when you are introduced to the king and queen.’ Ania placed one slippered foot behind the other and gracefully bent her knees, all while holding out the skirts of her gown and bowing her head.
‘Now you try,’ she said, standing straight.
It seemed easy enough, so I lowered myself into a curtsy, remembering to hold out my petticoat.
‘Lower,’ Bethel called out.
I lowered myself further than Ania had.
‘You mustn’t rise until the king and queen have signalled you can, either by gesture or speaking directly to you.’ Bethel’s slippered feet came into my line of sight as I kept my head bowed.
Bethel had shown no interest in instructing me on how to be her lady-in-waiting until now. This was a challenge then. I kept my gaze trained on the intricate pattern on the rug. I liked challenges.
The room was stuffy, and I felt a trickle of sweat run down my forehead.
‘I think that is long enough,’ Ania said.
‘No.’ Bethel started to circle me. ‘I once had to remain like this while the queen became distracted by a messenger with a letter. It wasn’t until she had finished reading it that she remembered I was there.’
‘Aunt Yaris would not have expected you to remain so,’ Ania said.
‘Even so, I did what any lady should do.’
My legs were beginning to tremble despite their strength. I wobbled slightly as I heard the door open.
‘You came!’ Ania exclaimed.
‘I said I would,’ Atlas replied.
‘Why is Caris not moving?’ Tomas came to stand beside Bethel.
‘Why is she wearing breeches and a skirt?’ Atlas asked, his polished boots coming into my line of sight.
‘This is ridiculous,’ Ania declared. ‘Caris, ignore Bethel. You can rise.’
Sweat was stinging my eyes. My legs were aching.
‘Bethel, tell her she can rise,’ Ania begged.
‘What is going on?’
‘Captain Torgrin!’ Bethel’s slippered feet disappeared.
‘Bethel!’ Ania stomped her foot.
‘Oh, fine! Rise, Caris.’
I felt my face stretch into a wide triumphant grin as I straightened.
‘Now that everyone is here, we can dance.’ Ania brought her clasped hands to her rosy cheek.
My smile disappeared and I had the urge to run and hide behind the velvet drapes while no-one was looking at me.
‘You and Tomas can watch for now while we show you a simple quadrille,’ Ania told me.
‘A what?’ I muttered to Tomas as we stepped back.
‘It’s a square dance with multiple couples,’ Tomas explained while the others turned to face each other in the middle of the room.
‘You know how to dance too?’ I hissed.
Tomas chuckled. ‘I’m the only brother of four sisters.’
Ania counted steps in place of music, and the others began to dance.
‘How do Atlas and Torgrin know how to dance?’
‘Atlas said Ania and Bethel taught them when they were hired as their guards. They even attended royal balls,’ said Tomas.
‘Right, it’s your turn, Caris and Tomas.’
I must have let my fear show on my face.
‘Don’t worry, you’re in good hands.’ Tomas bowed, and I curtsied, following Ania and Atlas’s lead.
Despite Tomas’s help, I was a terrible dancer. I picked up the timing of the steps, as it was similar to training with a sword, but I could not emulate the grace and lightness Ania and Bethel moved with.
Bethel snickered while mimicking the stomp of my boots.
‘We can practi se as often as you need, Caris,’ said Ania.
A light-footed and elegant partner, Tomas led me as best as he could.
‘Perhaps a taller partner for Caris would help. Captain Torgrin, you are the tallest, I think. You take Caris’s hand and lead her into the reel. Everyone else, stop and let’s watch,’ said Ania.
Hellfire, take me now.
Torgrin came to stand stiffly beside me. I had watched him dance with Bethel and could see how perfectly they moved about the room together. Her delicate hand in his, their dark heads intimately close.
‘I think you must hold hands for this to work,’ Atlas said with a chuckle.
Torgrin still didn’t hold out his hand for me to take. Why was he making this even more awkward?
Finally, he held his large, call used palm out to me, and I placed my hand in his. There was an ever-so-slight tingle at the contact that disappeared so quickly I thought I might have imagined it.
‘You need to lift your feet.’ He frowned while I concentrated on taking two steps with a hop forward to match his movements.
I ignored him and repeated the steps Ania had shown me.
‘I’m supposed to lead.’ He squeezed my hand.
‘Sorry, I forgot,’ I said breathlessly.
‘Now for the lift!’ Ania called.
Torgrin spun me until he was behind me, and his hand left mine to join his other hand on my hips.
This was not going to go well – I was a tall, muscular woman.
I was surprised to feel him squeeze my hips as if he was trying to reassure me.
Taking a deep breath, I relaxed and bent my knees a second before my feet left the floor.
I was in the air for only a moment before Torgrin set me back on my feet.
I was supposed to take a double step forward, but his hands still held me from behind.
Pressed against his body, the hair at my nape tingled as Torgrin’s breath caressed the back of my neck.
‘You smell like lavender,’ he murmured in my ear.
Now, my breathlessness had nothing to do with the dancing.
He pushed me away from him, and I stumbled forward.
‘Excuse me, but I’m expected elsewhere,’ Torgrin said to no-one in particular before marching from the room.
Wolfe skipped through the doorway and greeted Torgrin, but the captain didn’t even slow down to return his greeting.
Everyone looked surprised by Torgrin’s abrupt exit, except for Bethel, who looked at me with hard emerald eyes.
It felt like Torgrin had punched me in the gut and left me with no explanation as to what I had done wrong. I untied the petticoat and stepped out of it.
‘Thank you, Ania, but I’ve had enough for today,’ I said, handing her the garment.
Ania’s eyes became glassy as she took it from me, and guilt swept over me. She had tried so hard to help, but I could not tolerate another moment of lady-in-waiting lessons.
‘I have training tomorrow morning, but after that, I’m free to take you all into the city or wherever you’d like?’ That caught everyone’s interest, even Bethel’s.
‘Can we watch you train with the soldiers?’ Wolfe asked excitedly.
‘I don’t see why not,’ I replied, smiling at him.
‘Will Captain Torgrin be training?’ Bethel enquired.
‘Ahh …’ I looked at Atlas for confirmation, slightly confused by Bethel’s question.
Atlas nodded, a hint of redness in his cheeks as he avoided direct eye contact with me.
Ania stepped forward. ‘I would love to go to the markets and perhaps the blacksmith. It would be exciting to see where you worked. I thought the sword you made for Father was beautiful,’ she gushed.
‘Of course, I would be happy to take you,’ I said. I hoped Cillian would be willing to see me and, maybe, that he would allow me to apologise.
I was certain tomorrow was going to be an interesting day.