There were a few boys less than the girls, so at least they weren’t paired off arbitrarily. Not that Yuriko would have allowed that anyway, but it was nice not to have to face something like that.
The parade of debutantes made their way towards the cleared space in the middle of the ballroom. Yuriko expected a stage since the place was called a theatre, but where there should have been a raised platform on one side of the hall, it was instead a depressed area right in the middle. The perimeter had stepped terraces, with each level wide enough to host a circular table that would seat ten people with room to pass around it easily. There were five such terraces and it was filled with people. She didn’t see where Juliette’s grandfather and mother were seated, and she saw her disciple surveying the tables for her family. Sofia seemed to draw in on herself and refused to even look away from the floor.
Yuriko touched the redhead’s shoulder and murmured, “You’re not alone.” She meant it several ways, and mostly thought to reassure the smaller girl.
Sofia nodded, glanced around and pursed her lips. She murmured, “I don’t get it. I was looking forward to this back in school, but now look at me.”
Yuriko chuckled. “We all have our weaknesses despite everything.”
When Sofia shot her a dirty look, Yuriko had to fight from laughing out loud. The master of ceremonies was yammering away on a platform in the middle of the dance floor, and his lurid red overcoat drew every eye.
“I never enjoyed things like this before,” Yuriko admitted, “but it’s a nice way to relax from training. And studying, I suppose.”
“I still can’t believe you’re our age,” Sofia muttered. “Goddess, what did you do to grow that strong.”
“I’m not a goddess,” Yuriko quipped and grinned at Sofia’s eyeroll.
She covered both of them with her Anima and thickened the perimeter to prevent sound from leaving, to give them a bit of privacy. It took only a bit of fiddling to allow sounds to enter, so she wouldn’t miss what the master of ceremonies was saying, but she ignored it for the most part, content to let only a couple of strands of consciousness remain focused. She kept the rest on Sofia, with a minor few puzzling over how to improve her spells, and always, at least one or two strands focused on stretching her Intent and Will.
“Blasphemy,” Sofia said in a monotone, “but seriously, how?”
Yuriko shrugged. “It took being thrown into a dangerous place, one deadly to myself and others, and adapting to it. It took living in wilderness for nearly a year, finding civilisation after going through monsters, only to learn that there was only war and death there. It took fighting off a creature that’s as powerful as an Archmagus that embroiled my home in a ruinous war… That and surviving.”
Sofia gasped, then smiled weakly, “That sounds horrible.”
“It was,” Yuriko agreed.
“You…don’t seem bothered?”
Yuriko arched an eyebrow, “I’m not. I’m alive, after all, and most of those I love still live.” She fell silent as the earlier melancholy threatened to rise, but she pushed it down again.
“Tell me…us about it?” Sofia asked, gesturing to Juliette who was watching them curiously. She and Sofia had been moving their lips but there was no sound reaching the other girl. Yuriko expanded the soundproof barrier to include the brunette.
“What were you two talking about?” Juliette asked.
Yuriko repeated her answer, and the other girl nodded, her expression betraying a near-unbearable curiosity.
“I should have asked you before, professor,” Juliette said.
“I might not have answered.” Yuriko said lightly, “But I don’t mind telling either of you a bit about my past.” She glanced towards the platform and noted that the master of ceremonies was almost done with his long speech, “But not right now, I guess.”
Yuriko retracted her barrier. A young girl, maybe eight or nine years old, traipsed across the dance floor carrying a basket filled with white roses. She gave a single blossom to each debutante, while a boy child of similar age handed a similar blossom to the young men opposite the hall. When the girl reached her, she stared up at Yuriko with wide eyes, smiled brightly and handed her a rose.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome!”
“Please wear the blossom over your left ear if you’re seeking a suitable match tonight, or on your right wrist if you’re simply seeking to enjoy the evening…” The master of ceremonies addressed her and the other girls. Yuriko threaded the flower stem around her wrist, and found that it moved to lock itself in. Runescript lines flared and died as the spell fulfilled its purpose. She noticed that both of her companions put the flowers over their wrists, but a fair amount of ladies tucked the blossom over their ears. As for the young men, nearly all of them put the flower over their ears. The girls outnumbered the boys though, so the ones seeking a match were roughly equivalent.
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Music rose from an orchestra at the far end of the dance floor, and that was the queue to start the dance. Those wearing flowers over their ears approached the middle of the floor while Yuriko and the other two hesitated.
“Got your eye on someone?” Yuriko asked Juliette, who had been looking around.
“I barely know these people,” she muttered. “I spent most of my early life in Nirlith’s boarding schools, and even more so when it was determined that I had talent in Arcana Weaving.”
“Try to have fun, I guess.” Yuriko chuckled. She noticed some of the people who were on the terraces had made their way to the dance floor. Some were dancing with partners they came with, but more than a few were seeking others who wanted the same. A few advanced towards the debutantes, and most were just a little bit older, but none were beyond their twenties if Yuriko had to guess. Except for a couple of dapper older gentlemen, both of whom had silver hair over their temples.
“And who would ask me?” Juliette asked sarcastically.
“Why don’t we dance, instead?” Sofia proposed. “I’m still a bit nervous if I go by myself.”
There were pairs of girls moving towards the orchestra, where the actual dancing commenced. And a few boy couples too, now that she took a closer look. Yuriko hid a grin and motioned for the two to go ahead. She flagged a server who was carrying a tray of sparkling wine in wide-brimmed glasses.
Just as she received a glass to sip wine from, a warm voice called out to her. She had her perceptive aura expanded but usually kept it from touching anyone directly, so she wasn’t surprised by the person. What she wondered was why one of the two older gentlemen approached her.
“Good evening, Lady Davar,” the man said. “It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance.” He swept a bow at her, all the way keeping his eyes focused on hers. He was just a bit shorter than she was, by a couple of inches, but like with most men near her height, was much broader across the shoulders.
Yuriko nodded as she balanced the wide glass on her finger, “I’m afraid you have the advantage of me, mister…?”
“Ah, forgive my lack of manners,” he said easily while she thought his posturing was deliberate, “I am Lord Obadiah Cooper, ambassador of the Ishodir Empire.”
“Well met, Lord Cooper,” Yuriko said as she extended her hand as etiquette demanded. He took it, bowed over it and attempted to kiss her knuckles. She raised an eyebrow and thickened her condensed aura over her digits so that his lips couldn’t press against her skin. He didn’t seem to notice though, or if he did, made no comment or reaction.
“Well met, indeed, my lady. Care to dance?” He gestured towards the dance area.
Yuriko nodded. “I would be delighted.”
She allowed him to lead her towards the other dancers, who were performing one of the set pieces that she and the other two rehearsed. They waited for an appropriate break in the melody, then dove right in.
The man was a very graceful dancer, and despite her misgivings, enjoyed the dance as well as the next one. She discreetly inspected Lord Cooper, who was human, though with slightly pointed ears that hinted at Sha’Ledras ancestry. His grip on her hand and waist was firm, but he did not attempt to take any liberties, remaining a perfect gentleman despite the fact that the second dance required rather close contact.
“It is a pleasure to dance with your gracefulness.” He complimented her as they finished the piece.
“You dance well,” Yuriko said simply. They had moved towards the edge of the dance floor, and with a casual gesture, she floated the half-empty wine glass she’d left by a table.
“Impressive control,” the man murmured. “I see that the rumours about you were not exaggerations.”
“Oh, and what rumours were those, Lord Cooper?” Yuriko asked idly, though with some amused curiosity.
“That you are one of the most talented women of Niria and that you hold a powerful Light Affinity,” he said easily. “But if anything, the rumours of your incredible beauty were completely understated. Even portraits and scrying records do you no justice.”
“And why would you have scrying records and portraits of me?” Yuriko said with a little bit of heat.
“Precisely because of the truths I spoke.” He chuckled disarmingly. “The Ishodir Empire is always on the lookout for talent.”
“And why is that?” Yuriko murmured while she recalled what Gwendith and Heron said about the Ishodirians they encountered in the Chaos Fount. That they had a quarrel with Xotha Matriarchy and that they were rather rude, authoritative, and proud.
“Talent is always to be sought out and possessed,” he said simply, “and the emperor loves to collect and reward talented people.” He smiled, showing a bit of eyeteeth, “And yours has been made known to the palace.”
Yuriko frowned at his wording, though it might be because of his accented Wojan. Still, she felt a shiver of annoyance at being sought out again by royalty. “That’s interesting,” she said in a flat tone, hinting more than a bit at refusal.
“His Imperial Majesty would be honoured if you chose to accept our invitation.”
“You have not given me one,” Yuriko said pointedly.
“Ah, of course, your incredible visage confounded me,” Lord Cooper chuckled. “My apologies, again. His Imperial Majesty has empowered me to present an invitation to become our guest at the Imperial City. You will be treated as an empress, given all luxuries you can desire, and honoured for your talents.”
Yuriko raised an eyebrow. “An interesting offer, but one I find hesitant to receive. What kind of honour would you even offer?”
“The Ishodir Empire carries the greatest institutions of learning and education in the nearby regions, after all, the Emperor Emeritus is an Archmagus. Emperor Roland Turner vi Ishodir shares his grandfather’s passion for scholarship and learning, even if he isn’t as talented as our august ancestor.”
Yuriko nodded absently and delicately shuddered at the thought of a possibly hostile force that was helmed by someone at the same power level as the Chaos Duke. Still, she had no trouble dismissing the ambassador’s offer offhand. She was just about to say so when the man raised a finger.
“Lady Davar, you would be pleased to know that the City holds just as much knowledge as both Niria and Briarwin Academy have. We also have our own portal leading to the hub, and unlike those in Bresia City, ours opened less than a Season ago. It would be far easier to accomplish your goals there than here.”
Yuriko flowered at the implied threat, then muttered about how people from a country away knew of her goals. News spread too quickly for her taste unless the country had spies in Nirlith… Hmmm, that may not be far from the truth.
“And…” the man continued with a self-satisfied grin, “Did you know that the Empire is the chief exporter of cocoa beans in the nearby regional cluster?”
Cocoa beans? Chocolate…
Well now, the offer was suddenly much harder to refuse.