Freya and Holly gasped as they saw who the Captain was going to meet—Tulip watched the handsome rabbit approach as she spoke with a golden-cheeked warbler. The warbler disengaged and plodded towards Captain Bell. Tulip curtseyed to greet the pair as they talked. Perhaps she would direct him down their way? Freya hoped so, for Holly’s sake.

Abigail returned to the group at that exact moment they did, face flushed. At least someone had won something.

“How was he?” Holly asked, drawing the four of them into a tight circle.

“He was a wonderful dancer, probably better than you Freya,” she said.

“Impossible,” Freya noted.

“He says that he will be calling upon me this week, perhaps for a walk!” Abigail burst out. She was really trying to hold back as evidenced by her continual smoothing of her face and whiskers, a nervous tic from their school days. Each time there was a tough test, Freya saw that same anxiety play across Abigail’s face.

“That is wonderful, Abigail,” Lady Raina said. “But don’t look now, because I believe that the Knight of Grain is approaching. I just saw him speaking with my Tulip.”

Lady Raina always referred to Tulip in such a manner, as if she owned the poor mouse, but Freya took it as more of closeness, an affectation that they had worked together for so long.

“Well, what else did he say,” Holly said in a near whisper as another dance concluded and the music paused. “You didn’t just talk to him about swords, did you?”

Abigail blushed the deepest red, reminding Freya of the time she had been caught red-handed. A goody two paws her whole life, the time Freya drew her into a plot was the first and only time Abigail had ever earned the ire of the teachers. Both Freya and Abigail had to sit weekend detention because of the “carrot cake” incident. Both had sworn a blood pact to never divulge the secrets behind the prank while the other lived so Holly had never figured it out, at least not in Freya’s estimation.

Behind Lady Raina, a pair of rabbit ears peaked over, sleek and trimmed in the most recent male fashion. She couldn’t see the face so she leaned to the right.

“Lady Raina, I believe that someone wishes to speak with you,” she said, nodding in his direction.

“Ah, Captain Bell, so good to see you again. May I introduce three of the most eligible young ladies in the coalition?” Lady Raina said, drawing her spectacles up to her face. “And you’ve cleaned up nicely.”

“Auntie, thank you for noticing, but it was a simple matter of not being in mud-stained field garb,” he said, puffing up his chest.

Who is this guy trying to impress? Freya thought.

Lady Raina introduced the three of them to him. He took his time to gaze deeply into each of their eyes as if taking their measure one by one, ending with Freya.

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On the other hand, those eyes, Freya thought, drifting off.

“Ah, Freya, I believe that I passed by your family estate not too recently and I was quite interested to see the beasts that your… grandfather has been keeping?” he said.

“Yes! The chickens! We’ve been trying to domesticate them, and”—Freya leaned in conspiratorially—“I think that we’ve made a breakthrough.”

Captain Bell smiled, the picture of a trimmed and fit military officer. Freya could imagine Holly fuming at her side, but didn’t look to make sure. Was he… hitting on her?

“I must hear more about this,” he said. “Perhaps I could have a dance?”

Freya's heart fluttered. This was not supposed to happen. She was supposed to get some handsome rabbit to sweep Holly off her feet. And then she heard the notes that indicated for the dancers to get into position. If she was going to act on this, this would be the time. And how would Holly feel?

No time. Make a decision. Holly would want me to bring him into our confidence.

“Yes,” she said, putting her arm into his. “Let’s dance.”

Maybe, in getting him to dance with her, she could get him to dance with Holly afterward.

Stepping onto the dance floor, they took positions across from each other, and then they were weaving forward and back. Freya noted that his garb was uncomfortably formal and out of place. He would probably be more comfortable with the scouts out in the field, at least there the fashion served a function rather than just putting up a front.

Putting his paw on top of hers to traverse the dance floor, he seemed to relax into the movement.

Let him lead.

She nearly stepped on one of his paws as he stiffly missed a step. Picking himself up they got right back into it.

“Seeing those beasts, they moved so gracefully,” he said softly to her. “They moved almost as gracefully as you do.”

Freya blushed. She almost missed a step, but imagining herself messing up steeled her resolve. She couldn’t just melt to some rabbit's charms, no matter how beautiful he was.

“Thank you, Captain Bell,” she said.

They twirled around the dance floor, and once again Freya was in her element.

“And you do move gracefully.”

Turning away Freya scrunched up her face and turning back she had to force herself to look pleasant.

It’s not fair! I put in the work to look charming and one little rabbit starts to tell me that I move well, and I melt? Freya worked hard to keep her face as a neutral, ambivalent one.

There must be a way to win, to stay aloof and still attract a handsome suitors' attention. Perhaps she could invite him to speak to the chickens? No, that didn’t make sense. She barely understood the powers herself and when using it to speak to the cockroaches, it felt like it took a lot out of her. Would it be embarrassing to her family to appear overeager? That could turn him away from her. And other suitors, what would they think? Freya's head spun as they danced.

They continued their dance, stepping and weaving to the music as Freya heard it come to a near crescendo. The song would be ending.

What was I thinking? Why hadn’t I thought of Holly’s feelings before I accepted his invitation, but if I hadn’t accepted his invitation, then would he even stick around. Would he have felt insulted if I’d said no? Freya thought, oh Raven.

“Thank you for the dance, Miss Uki,” Captain Bell said.

“You too,” Freya replied, blanching as she realized what she’d said.

Captain Bell flashed a smile as he led her back to the assembled conspirators.