The Red Glaive

“Caius?’

Jaw clenched, Caius did his best to ignore Hilde. On the dance floor, Aeria danced with a buffoon who could barely stand. At least she looked happy. As she danced a smile had grown on her lips, growing until finally he had caught her laughing. He smiled for her too, but had too look away. It should’ve been him. He wished it had been him, though he didn’t know how to dance. Dancing was a thing for the rich. For now all he could do was look.

“I spoke to her you know.” Hilde said finally earning a look from Caius. It wasn’t a pleasant one either. Hilde shrank back, but only a little. No one was here to stand up for her. “She says she’s excited to be chosen by Reading tomorrow.” she said looking at the drunk idiot Aeria was dancing with, “He’s such a silly girl, Reading will only use her then move on. I tried to talk her into pulling out of the contest. She didn’t listen.”

Reading? Was that the man Aeria had chosen. Caius frowned. He had heard about Reading Whittal, but only because he had a fondness for dolls. It was the seemingly worst kept secret in all of Durus. Pretty Aestian slaves would go missing, then suddenly be found in Reading’s increasingly massive harem of dolls. Caius had only spent three days in Duowell before someone had told him that ‘secret’.

“Maybe after Reading has ruined her, maybe you can swoop in and have a go.” Hilde said and Caius’ hands balled to into fists.

“What is it that you expect Hilde.” Caius said with a sneer. “What is that you want from me so that you can finally just leave me alone.”

“I want you back to the ways used to be.” she said.

“Never again Hilde.” Caius said resting his hand on the scar on his thigh were a griffin had speared its talon clean through.

“Caius you will never do better than me.” Hilde said placing a hand on his arm. He didn’t move away. She was probably right. “Let’s start anew, you and me. I promise you I have changed.”

“And your husband?”

“An idiot.” She said spitefully crossing her arms. “He hasn’t left the whorehouse since we arrived in the capital.”

Caius studied her. She was still very pleasant to look at, he hated to admit it. Her posture was hostile, but her eyes, eyes he had learned to read long ago, showed pain. He couldn’t help but feel pang of sympathy for her. After all this time, she was still trying to find something to hold on to. When her little lord didn’t seem to work, she wanted to go backwards, back to him. How had she found him here, of all places?

“Hilde. . .” Her stiff posture broke as she watched him. She was just as lost as he was. “We can talk. . .” he said and her face lit up. He took a step towards her, but she put a hand on his chest.

“Not here,” she said glancing around. No one was near enough to hear them, other servants having gone to tend to their lords and ladies. “I’ll go rent a pavilion for us, where we can talk in privacy.” she said excitedly before running off somewhere, though Caius couldn’t help but note the undertone in the word ‘privacy’. He knew what she was offering and he’d go anyway.

Back to that then. Sneaking into her chambers in the dead of night. Skulking about like. . .like-

Why was Aeria grinning at him like a complete idiot. She made her way over. “How’s it going?” Caius said when she was within ear shot.

“Darling!” she said in a very exaggerated Adelaide voice, “I’m having the worst time of my life!” The tone and voice was nothing like Adelaide, it was just plain ridiculous. Caius just started laughing. It was terrible. “Come on!”

She had grabbing his hand and pulling him away from the wall. “Are we leaving?” Caius asked.

“No, you’re dancing with me.”

“What?!” Caius said not even attempting to hide the dread in his voice.

He didn't know how to dance.

At least, not the elegant sweeping steps the high nobility did. He was used to tavern music and the tight, rhythmic grind of a dance it encouraged. Not this.

Stopping dead in his tracks, Aeria just continued to yank at his arm a grin on her face. Around them, a few people were snickering making Caius frown. He didn't want to embarrass himself, but most of all her. . . so he went with her.

She stopped right at the edge of the dance floor. “It’s easy.” Aeria said with a smile, her cheeks flushed lightly. She looked beautiful tonight. “Ready?”

“No.”

But she put his hand on the small of her back then rested hand on his shoulder tightly, never once releasing of his hand with the other. Feeling his face getting hot, Caius looked away. It didn’t make sense. He had wrestled with her during their grappling lessons. Bodies tangled in the training ground’s sand. He had danced with other women, their bodies pressed together. But this, with her, made him nervous.

Aeria didn’t seem to notice at all. She stepped away from him pulling at him as she went. He stepped after her, but she stopped short and Caius’ too long gait stepped all over her toes. Aeria grunted before a neighboring couple laughed. Aeria turned and hissed at them. Caius only caught a brief look at dismay before Aeria turned him away.

“This is stupid.” Caius said letting her go and walking away, his nerves rattled.

“Caius come on!” Aeria said dragging him back to the dance floor. She was smiling broadly as Caius resigned himself.

Caius reluctantly put his hands back in position. Aeria moved again, this time pushing against him. He stepped back as she pushed against him slightly then matched his step. She was leading him. In a sword fight, he dictated the flow of the fight, predicting his opponents moves before they made them. Here, he wasn’t the superior opponent. Each and every time he thought, maybe he had the hang of it. Aeria would start a different sequence of steps making him stumble over his own feet.

That same couple from before, laughed at him again. They seemed to be hovering nearby watching. Caius set his jaw looking down at his feet to prevent anymore stumbles. When he looked up Aeria was laughing. Not at him, she was just happy. . .

That made it all worth it.

He smiled despite himself. Step, step. Caius let her lead. He always had to be in control of a fight, and when he was with a woman he took charge. Here she was in charge, and, strangely, he was okay with it because it was her. Because it brought laughter to her face. So Caius focused; Step, step, shift, step, then-

They collided with someone else.

“Watch where you’re going you dizzy bitch.” Aeria snapped immediately despite the fact they had clearly been at fault. Well Caius was, probably.

The woman gasped indignantly, and looked expectantly at her parter. He sighed and turned to face them. “What did you say to-“ he stopped mid sentence when Caius turned to face him. Taller than this man by nearly a foot and twice as thick, the man took one look at Caius and balked. His once angry voice turned small and said nervously, “So sorry, i, it won’t happen again.”

“Owe!” the girl shouted as the poor guy dragged his girl away.

Caius smiled and pulled Aeria closer, she didn’t resist. Instead, she laughed.



One, two, three, four, one, two, three, four. . . Aeria counted in her head to the beat of the music. Each number matching a step. The steps were nothing but a simple box, though they did have to move in a circle around the dance floor. She was the one leading which drew curious stares from those nearby. It wasn’t exactly customary to have a woman lead in a dance, but she had to or Caius would trounce all over her poor feet.

The musical cues indicated a partner switch, but Aeria wouldn’t put Caius through that. When the cue hit, Caius, who was looking at their feet, hardly had time to react as Aeria stepped away, spun and returned to him while everyone else switched. Caius smiled as he pulled her closer, nearly hugging her, but Aeria only sighed enjoying being near him.

Her head was starting to get groggy, maybe all those drinks had been a mistake. How many had that been? Five? Six? It didn’t matter so long as it made her numb to the obscene world of the wealthy. She would have enjoy herself.

Across the dance floor she spotted Canis again, where she and Owe dance flawlessly with flowing beautiful steps. Aeria smiled, nearly giddy with herself, as she led Caius over again. Just like last time, Caius was too busy looking at his feet to notice as Aeria practically shoved him into the dancing pair. “You stupid bitch!”

“I, uh, sorry!” Owe was quick to answer as he backed away yet again.

“I don’t understand!” Canis shouted angrily before she stormed off leaving Owe Whittal standing there dumbly. She felt a pang of guilt for him, he had done nothing to her, but Canis had made it a point to be as snide and mean to Aeria whenever the opportunity presented itself.

Caius grabbed Aeria again to start once more. The giddy grin on her face made him stop. “You’re doing it on purpose. . .” he said and she laughed.

“She deserves it.” she said as they started moving again. This time, she let Caius lead sort of. She moved backwards and pulled him along with her. He was familiar enough with the steps now to keep along. They whirled towards the edge of dance floor, spinning to the sound of the music.

She shut her eyes, trusting Caius to keep her from colliding from anyone more, and letting everything fade away except the music that she allowed to guide her steps, and by extension those of Caius. It was remarkable, peaceful, how easy it was to think of nothing. Just the steps and the music.

“Shit.” Caius mumbled as he stumbled over his feet. Aeria laughed lightly. He was pretty clumsy when it came to dancing despite the fluid motions he knew from fighting. Aeria spun away from him to hide his mistake. But when she reached the end of his arm he didn’t let go.

Instead he pulled her back to him, as he had seen the other couples do, but he didn’t know to step back as Aeria returned. She crashed into him awkwardly, her hands pressed against his against his chest. “Idiot.” she said laughing as he held her to keep her from stumbling further.

His lips fell on hers. Aeria sighed, melting into his arms. Feeling the heat of his body. . . . .

. . . .

Wait. . . .

Caius pulled away and looked at her, but only briefly, before he looked away and letting her go said, “I, uh. . . sorry. . .” and walked away.

Aeria exhaled sharply. Her legs felt weak and the fire he had spread still lingered in her body, but her first thought had been.

Who had seen. Aeria looked around, but they had moved a few ways off the dance floor to give themselves more space. Everyone was facing towards the heart of the dance floor. No one could’ve noticed. . . But then she felt it, that cool chill she realized had been with her the whole night. She didn’t have to look to know the Intoner’s lion had been watching. Felt it stare now more than ever. And when she turned there it was across the ballroom, it's lumbering shape towering over all the bodies in the space. It’s mistress hidden someone in the throngs of people.

Aeria shrank before its stare, then, swiftly, left the room.