Page 95 of The Last Syphon

Inara rolled her eyes. Felix flirted with Princess Phaedra every chance he got, and she was sure he was over the moon about being able to dance with her⁠—

Princess Phaedra looked over her shoulder. “Kronan, if you’d please?”

The Shielder had been plastered to the back wall for the entire duration of the lesson, not moving or saying a word. He stood there with his arms crossed over his chest and that same perpetually grumpy look upon his face as he watched, looking as if he’d rather be anywhere else but there.

At the princess’s words, Kronan pushed off the wall and made his way over. He was an absolute force of nature. Big. Terrifying aura. Inara could not picture him dancing.

He slid between Princess Phaedra and Felix, staring the other man down. “Move.” He grunted.

Felix’s shoulders slumped slightly, but he did as the Shielder commanded without question. He and Inara joined Na-Ri, sitting on the floor in front of her.

The two took up position, standing opposite one another. “Something important to remember about this dance is the story you are trying to tell through its movements,” the princess said.

Kronan bowed low at the waist. Princess Phaedra curtsied. The music started. It was slow, at first. Soft, melodic notes. Inara found she could really appreciate it more now that she was not the one dancing.

Princess Phaedra and Kronan raised their arms, palms facing each other, and moved elegantly and fluidly to the soft hum of the melody. They were perfectly in sync. Forward, back. Forward, back. They both turned away, taking several steps around in a circle, their arms remaining up the entire time before they found each other once again, almost as if they were drawn back by some unseen force.

“What’s the story?” Inara whispered to Na-Ri, who was sitting behind her. For days, she’d been learning this dance and hadn’t realised there was a story to tell.

“It’s a tale about two lovers,” she said back, equally as quiet, “destined to be together but forever being torn apart by forces beyond their control.”

Inara watched, utterly entranced. The two never touched, despite their hands hovering mere inches from one another, despite the fact that their bodies were so close, the fabric of their clothing grazed with almost every single movement. Despite the fact their faces, their lips, could almost touch with the softest form of a kiss. Not even when they spun around and around and around each other, their gazes forever locked, never wavering, did they touch.

Emotion clogged Inara’s throat, and she did not know why. It was so beautiful. More so even now that she understood the meaning behind it.

Princess Phaedra and Kronan continued to dance, and the whole realm might as well have slipped away. The room became silent. Not a sound. Not a whisper other than the soft, entrancing music. Kronan stood behind the Princess, her left arm raised up over her head and palm facing the sky. His right arm wound high so their palms were hovering over one another, almost touching but not as they stepped forward and back, forward and back. The princess closed her eyes, and her head tilted back and to the side. Kronan’s eyes ran the length of her long, slender neck, and for the briefest moment, his gaze softened. Not once did their movements falter. They moved as if they were one. Linked. Bound.

The music quickened, and so did they. Their bodies moved in perfect harmony, flowing off one another, their arms curving and carving through the air, their legs sweeping and spinning, and still…not touching. They would come together for a split second, only to rush away once more, as if something physically pulled them away. Tore them apart.

Shivers danced down Inara’s spine at how beautiful they looked. She had never seen anything so mesmerising.

It wasn’t until the end, the final few seconds, that their hands finally met. They stood in front of each other, hands clasped together, and then slowly, one agonising step at a time, they retreated backwards. One step. Another. Another. Their arms stretched, and they continued to hold on even as they backed away until finally, having no choice, their hands let go. Their arms remained in the air, stretched towards one another, as if desperate to reunite, and then the music stopped.

A tear fell from Inara’s eyes. The way they were looking at each other…Kronan, a man she had not seen show one single ounce of emotion since she’d met him, had it blazing from his face as he gazed longingly at the woman across from him. Princess Phaedra stared back, her chest rising and falling rapidly, that same longing etched over every inch of her face.

The story might as well have been written about them. It was so obvious that Inara could not believe she hadn’t seen it before.

“Damn,” Felix blew out under his breath, shaking his head. He knew what she did, and was disappointed that he would never get a chance to be with the princess. Her heart was firmly taken.

His slight outburst was like a gong going off. Princess Phaedra and Kronan snapped out of what had overcome them, his face almost shutting down right before her eyes and that hard, stoic expression returning in an instant.

Princess Phaedra smiled, but it did not reach her eyes. It was tinged with a sadness that broke Inara’s soul. She ran a hand through her thick dark hair, even though there was not a strand out of place, and blew out a deep breath. “Any questions?” she asked as Kronan resumed his position back along the wall.

Inara had more than she could count, but she knew the princess would most likely not want to answer them, so she stuck with the ones relating to the topic at hand. Perhaps, when they were alone, she would try again.

“Why do we even need to do this? Prince Walder doesn’t exactly seem like the dancing type.”

Princess Phaedra chuckled. She was completely composed, now back in presentation mode. “Yes, my brother despises the tedious traditions of the court. Although not mandatory, it is expected of the Crowned Family to participate in at least one dance during a Grand Ball.”

“And let me guess,” Inara began, flowing to her feet, “he chose this one because it involves the least amount of touching.”

Her smile turned wide. “Correct again.” There was a knowing twinkle in her violet eyes, but Inara couldn’t place its meaning. “A Grand Ball is the perfect opportunity for prospective brides to approach and make themselves known. It is one of the many, many reasons why my brother does not like balls.”

“Not in the market for a wife, huh?”

“No.” She scoffed. “Despite how much our mother tries to push the subject.” She clapped her hands together. “Shall we resume?”

Inara really didn’t want to. In fact, she would have much preferred to walk barefoot across hot stones. However, she did not wish to make a giant fool of herself in front of the entire court. So, with a deep groan, she sucked it up and rejoined Princess Phaedra in the centre of the room.