The dance was a relatively fast waltz, and it soon became apparent that his partner knew it well. His dance instructor would have had many complaints, he was sure, but she was perfectly easy to dance with. He was glad he had chosen her. She also didn’t avoid his gaze or stare at him, which was nice. When he had first been taught to waltz, he had felt very awkward looking at his partner. Many times he had shouted at Lucas that he didn’t know how much to look at her, or how much to smile, but all the pleading and complaining in the world wouldn’t have swayed him. Now, Alexis knew exactly the right way to do it, and how to tailor that to his partner so as not to make them feel awkward or neglected.

Maria spun gracefully, and he found himself wanting to watch the ends of her red dress swirling around her shoes. However, he dutifully kept his gaze on her face, and smiled as he dipped her towards the ground. It was a nice dance, although it could get tiring after a while. He was glad of the extra practice, as he didn’t generally get as much exercise as he should and would have been struggling otherwise.

They hadn’t spoken since starting the dance, but Alexis noticed his parents watching the dancers, and remembering his promise to his mother, he tried to make small talk.

“You dance very well,” he complimented.

“Thank you. I have been to a couple of balls before, actually.”

“Oh? How so?”

“I’m distantly related to a duchess. Some kind of aunt. She decided to take me along.”

“Ah, I see.”

She was very easy to talk to, as he felt whatever he asked she would answer, and whatever he said she would reply. However, he found that he had nothing he particularly wanted to know, and he could not think of anything else to say, so they lapsed into silence again.

When the dance ended, he bowed and Maria curtseyed, and he told her that he would have to find another partner for the next dance. She returned to her friends without any obvious signs of disappointment, and he asked the nearest available girl if she would dance with him.

This turned out to be a bad tactic.

The young lady he had chosen was rather tall, almost the same height he was, and perhaps it was this that made her so eager to take the lead. Not only did she refuse to follow his movements, but her forceful grip made it hard for him to move freely. When he smiled at her she scowled, seemingly taking it as an insult.

“Do you live far from here?” he asked in an attempt at conversation.

“Five days’ walk,” she replied with irritation, as if the long journey was somehow his fault.

Next time I’ll just move the palace closer, shall I? he thought.

Attempting to keep his feet, dance the correct steps and maintain a look of elegance and composure was both impossible and exhausting. It was all he could do to stay out of the way of other pairs. No matter what his mother had said, he was going to sit the next dance out to catch his breath.

The musicians brought the dance to a close, and Alexis gave a slight bow. His partner responded with a curtsey that was either clumsy or reluctant, or more likely both.

So that he would appear busy, he decided to look for Thomas. Moving slowly but purposefully through the crowds of dresses at the edges of the room, he saw no signs of his brother. When the music began once more, he studied the pairs of dancers, but could not find him there either. If the Crown Prince was still in the ballroom, he was doing a very good job of being inconspicuous.

He shouldn’t have been hard to see, because there were less people now. Some had chosen to go home (or left reluctantly at the behest of their parents), and others had tired themselves out and had to be taken somewhere quiet by some of the servants to recover. Of those who remained, there were still more women than men (as the only men attending were nobles), but in any case, a large number had chosen not to dance.

He was uncertain how to proceed, now that the dance had begun without him. He really didn’t want to engage in another tedious conversation with people he surely wouldn’t like, but doing nothing would be just as boring, and he had better things to do with his time than be scolded by the Queen.

Alexis glanced over at the refreshment tables, thinking he might get a snack just for something to do, and he noticed the young woman who had been speaking to Glottle Elgemeth earlier. It was the girl who had acknowledged his existence, and as he watched he decided that she did indeed look more familiar than the standard recognition of seeing her for a few brief seconds. Perhaps she had done something interesting. He couldn’t recall it, but since she had left a positive impression on him, he decided to go over and talk to her.