Reivyn walked back the way he had come, back to the ballroom. As he approached the light shed by the doors into the dark exterior, he noticed a man waiting in the middle of the path. He walked up and gave a salute to the smiling older gentleman.
"Uncle," Reivyn addressed Bellefrent. He still wasn't sure of the older man's noble status, but he had so far been able to get away with just addressing him as Uncle.
"You gave us quite the surprise, tonight," Bellefrent said, stroking his chin. "Silfa could hardly contain herself after she realized your strategy with the mothers. I dare say that if you keep up your superb performance, the games might never end. They're just so entertaining."
"Well, I have no reason to hide my abilities," Reivyn replied. "There's an adage that success is met with more responsibilities, or in my case, more tests. That's a risk I must take to put forward my best foot."
"I knew you understood. I must say I was quite surprised by your 'duel,' as well. Remfort isn't exactly known for his martial prowess, but defeating eleven people without breaking a sweat is something completely different. You did us a great service by allowing their bribery scheme to go through. If they had beaten you, it might not have worked out so well, but as it is it allows us to suppress their families a bit in court."
"I'm not working with the goals of intervening in anyone's political schemes," Reivyn said. "I'm with Kefira, and that's it. If I help you out incidentally, as Kefira's uncle, that's all well and good, but don't expect me to go out of my way to maneuver in such a way as to affect politics deliberately."
"Not even at the request of Kefira's family?" Bellefrent quirked an eyebrow.
"If Kefira asks me to," Reivyn shrugged. "She hasn't said anything about you to me. I don't know the political factions, and I don't know which one you stand with."
"A fair and honest reply. Those typically won't get you very far in court, though. You should always hold something back, especially in a situation like this where there are too many unknowns."
"Oh, is this you returning the favor?" Reivyn asked.
"Not at all. A bit of advice isn't any kind of repayment... That was more advice, by the way," Bellefrent gave Reivyn a look. "As repayment, I can help you block the efforts of the next best suitor. Always seek action for action.
"Back on the topic of a fair and honest reply, if it had been me, I would have said, 'I will always seek to further the interests of Kefira, and stand by whatever her goals are.' It makes your standpoint clear enough, and it's ambiguous enough to leave room for interpretation.
"For instance, it lets me know that if I have a political agenda, I just need to figure out a way for it to benefit Kefira, and then I might get your assistance in the future. It also leaves you and Kefira the option to refuse, anyway."
"I see," Reivyn said. "I appreciate that, Uncle." Reivyn inclined his head. "And if I could make a request, don't block the efforts of the next best suitor." Bellefrent raised his eyebrows in question. "Block one of the sneakier ones. Dealing with the ones standing out will send a message of personal strength, and having someone block the efforts of someone who's trying to play in the background will send a message of connections."
Bellefrent threw his head back and laughed.
"Hah! If you hadn't said so yourself, I would never believe that you don't have the typical Social Skills to almost Expert Level already. You learn fast, my boy."
"I had some excellent teachers."
"Yes, yes. Excellent response," there was a spark of genuine amusement in Bellefrent's eye. "I won't keep you any longer. Prince Trevor and young Petre should be waiting for you just inside."
Bellefrent nodded his head and strode to the far entrance so as not to intrude on Reivyn's reunion with the other two young men. Reivyn watched him go, a thoughtful look on his face.
He seems like an ally on the surface, but I can't forget that he's Silfa's older brother, Reivyn thought. That means that he's most likely in my camp with his sister, but he's going to take her side for anything other than what he promised me. He might even pay me back in a way that ultimately leads to more headaches; we'll see.
Reivyn wasn't naive enough to take Bellefrent's advice on not being completely open and honest and not apply it to the man himself. He had never committed himself to Reivyn's side, nor had he explained what political faction, if any, he stood in after Reivyn had expressed his ignorance.
Reivyn walked through the doors to reenter the ballroom, and just like Bellefrent said, Trevor and Petre were sitting at the closest table, keeping an eye on the door. Trevor spotted him first, and he immediately stood up and hurried toward him. Petre wasn't far behind.
"That was amazing!" Trevor whisper-shouted. "What kind of weapons Skill did you use? Was it Pugilist? How did you manage to so seamlessly incorporate a fan into your attack and defense? I've seen Pugilists use knuckles and katars, but never a fan."
Reivyn chuckled at the enthusiasm.
"Here, touch it," Reivyn handed his tessen over.
Trevor was confused at first, but his eyes widened at the weight of the fan. He snapped it open and ran his fingers along the infrastructure.
"It's got metal fortifications," Trevor said.
Petre leaned over and ran a finger along the edge of the fan with curiosity as well.
"It's called a tessen," Reivyn said, accepting the fan back and clipping it back to his waist. "It's a war fan. I've practiced both Pugilist and Fan to nearly the Master Level."
Trevor and Petre were taken aback. Petre only because of how unusual doing such a thing was, but Trevor knew the inside scoop about Reivyn's abilities with a sword and spear.
"Swords, Spears, Fans, and Pugilist all at the threshold of Master Level? And I think Kayzor said your Sword Skills were already there? How do you find the time?" Trevor was astonished. Petre's eyes widened even further at that information.
"Haha," Reivyn laughed. "I started training with my father in all sorts of weapons when I was five years old, and I've basically never stopped. I also trained my Mana Skills with my mother since I was that young, so I've always been used to a full day involving both Martial and Magical Skills."
"Again, where do you get the time?" Trevor asked. "How do you get anything else done? You were a captain in the army and commanded a company. Plus you've said you've delved into several Dungeons."
"We don't have to train every day," Reivyn rolled his eyes. "Practicing can only get you so far. Practical experience is one of the best teachers. Fighting with your life on the line does wonders for your understanding and Skill Levels."
"But still!" Trevor argued. "You would have to spend six hours a day, at minimum, to get those weapons Skills up, then you have Mana Skills in the evening. Do you just not sleep ever? I don't see how you have the time to do anything else in the day, unless..." Trevor's eyes widened. "Do you also have a Time Affinity?"
Petre was busy looking back and forth between the two, his eyebrows never getting a moment to rest.
"No comment," Reivyn smiled.
"Alright, be all mysterious about it," Trevor sulked.
Reivyn laughed as he grabbed the two by the shoulders and directed them to walk once more toward Kefira's table. She, Serilla, and a few other girls had returned as they had never left, but she was no longer accepting any invitations to go dance. The music had started up again, and people were still dancing, but Reivyn could tell that it was beginning to wind down with the absence of the main host no longer participating.
Trevor and Petre took a seat next to a couple of young ladies and began conversing with them. Most of those in attendance were at least familiar with each other, and those sitting at the same table as Kefira were definitely friends. Kefira had said that Petre was a friend, so Reivyn wasn't surprised to see him mix in so easily with the others present. They weren't the only boys at the table, but they sat the closest to Kefira.
Reivyn went around and stood behind and to the side of Kefira. She turned and looked up at him.
"Where did you go?" She asked.
"Just got some fresh air," Reivyn shrugged.
"Uh-huh. I hope you didn't hurt them too badly. Teaching them a lesson is one thing, crippling them, another."
"I knocked a couple of heads and bruised a few egos, but that's about it."
"Is that where you're going to stand for the rest of the evening?"
"I've already made all the rounds. I danced with some of the ladies and mingled with some of the young nobles. I think it's about time I made myself available to my 'boss.'"
Kefira snorted and rolled her eyes.
"Ok. It won't be long before we retire for the evening. It's still a little early to leave just yet. We'll wait until there's a noticeable dip in those interested in dancing, then we'll make our exit."
"Sounds like a plan."
"By the way," Kefira casually asked, "what made you think of dancing with the mothers?"
"Do you enjoy dancing?" Reivyn asked back.
"A little. Not as much as I used to since I only got to dance with you once. And that wasn't even for an entire song."
"What about these other young ladies?" Reivyn continued to inquire.
"Most of them aren't under any kind of pressure to find a husband, yet. They all love to dance."
"Exactly," Reivyn said. "And what are the mothers doing right now? Sitting at a table, talking to the same friends over and over again. I dare say that they don't have too many events they go to where they get to dance. Their husbands are all trying to further the interests of their families. They don't have time to lead their wives out for a dance or two.
"All of those mothers used to be young ladies just like all of you, and I would bet that they haven't lost their love of dancing." Reivyn shrugged. "I gave them what they wanted. They were a little hesitant at first, and I bet your parents had something to do with keeping their husbands from chasing after me to get me to stop, but once it got going, they could hardly wait for their turn. Even Remfort's mother only hesitated for a moment."
"Hmm, I hadn't considered that," Kefira said. Serilla peered up at Reivyn with a considering look. "I had always just taken it for granted that the teenagers and young adults danced at these events."
"So you weren't just showing off in front of Kefira, letting her know that you could dance just as much as she could?" Trevor teased.
Petre looked up from his conversation, and Reivyn looked them both in the eyes.
"Trevor, Petre, if there's one thing you should learn from tonight, it's that if you ever find a girl you're really interested in never ask her to dance," Reivyn said.
The table grew quiet as all the nearby girls simultaneously turned frowns in Reivyn's direction. They weren't the only ones. Trevor and Petre frowned as well, not quite understanding what he was getting at. He simply smiled at the attention.
"Dance with their friends. Dance with their mothers and aunts. Dance with their mothers' friends. Drop some hints of your interest and show them a good time, and you won't have to ask her to dance. They'll do all the work for you."
The frowns all disappeared, replaced by thoughtful expressions. The girls exchanged glances with each other, and several of them bent their heads together to whisper.
"I saw him dancing with your mom," one girl whispered to her neighbor. The other girl blushed and gave Reivyn a furtive glance before rolling her eyes.
"I came here with my brother," she replied. "He was dancing with all of the young men's mothers if you noticed."
"I don't know... he's pretty handsome."
Similar conversations were whispered around the table. They didn't know who Reivyn was or his abilities. Even without his Divine Sense, he would have been able to pick up almost all of their words with just his Perception Stat alone.
Kefira coughed to get everyone's attention.
"Don't overthink things, ladies," she replied coolly.
Nobody but Trevor knew of Kefira and Reivyn's relationship, and even Petre only thought he was running interference for her against her parents' wishes. Calculating eyes watched Reivyn, and another bout of whispers ensued.
"Yeah, I suppose he'll be too busy dealing with things for Princess Kefira right now," one girl whispered.
"We'll have to wait until she gives up some of her control before we have a chance," her friend replied.
Kefira looked back at Reivyn in exasperation. Reivyn just gave her a surprised expression in return that said, "What?." She rolled her eyes at him and returned to conversing with her friends.
The rest of the evening was uneventful for Reivyn. By the time he had assumed his position behind Kefira, there were no more young men seeking to dance with her. Only some of the young men that she or her friends were on friendly terms with came by to briefly converse with her, and several of the girls switched out with others as they continued to dance a little.
Each time one of the girls returned to the table, she gave Reivyn a considering look. Reivyn just ignored them.
Finally, the dance floor only held a few couples still dancing, and Reivyn could even see some people staring off into space, obviously checking the time. A few even had to stifle a yawn. Kefira noticed it, too, and she stood up. She struck her glass with her spoon, giving out a Mana-infused, clear note. It captured the attention of everyone still present. Only a few people had already left, and Reivyn didn't see Remfort or his cronies, so he assumed they were in that bunch.
"Ladies and Gentlemen," Kefira announced, Mana flowing through her words to spread them easily across the ballroom. "I thank you all for attending my little gathering, and I greatly appreciate all of your well-wishes. I had a wonderful time, and I hope you all did, too.
"It's getting late, so it's time for me to go. If you want to get a few more dances in, by all means, stay a while longer, but it's time for me to retire for the evening. Good night."
A chorus of "good nights" and congratulations sounded out from the crowd. Reivyn moved her chair back so she had space to step away from the table, and he offered her his arm. Kefira smiled up at him as she looped her arm in his, not hiding her expression at all. Reivyn escorted her to the exit, Serilla just behind them.
Several of the more observant youngsters in the ballroom stood frozen, surprised expressions on their faces. Reivyn smirked at a couple of the young men that had been trying to woo Kefira on the dance floor. All eyes were on the couple as they left the building.
The night air was cool and refreshing with a nice breeze. The scents of the garden wafted over to give a pleasant aroma as the three walked back to Kefira's courtyard.
"Well, that went better than expected," Kefira said. She paused for a moment to bend down and remove her shoes. She handed them to Reivyn, and they continued with her walking barefoot. "Ahh, that's better. My vitality is high enough that I don't think I'll ever suffer blisters again, but it still feels more comfortable this way."
"I know the feeling," Reivyn replied. "These dress shoes aren't exactly made for comfort."
Kefira stared at him for a moment.
"You will never understand the plight of a young lady in heels," she declared.
Reivyn just laughed.
"So how many engagement requests do you think will go through from this evening?" He asked.
"Probably only a couple," Kefira replied. "Serilla did a great job intercepting the most sleazy boys, but a few of the sweeter ones were clearly enamored. They're sure to bring it up to their parents."
"Oh, were some of them sweet on you?" Reivyn asked.
The first thing that had popped into his mind had been something else entirely, but he wasn't under the stress to blurt out the first thing that came to him like with her mother's interview. On second thought, it didn't sound right at all, so he kept it to himself.
"You know what I mean," Kefira playfully slapped his shoulder. "They were gentlemen."
Reivyn laughed at her antics.
"Alright, alright," he said. "Do we have any idea what your mother has in mind for Round 2?"
"Not yet," Kefira shook her head, "but I imagine she's going to give my father time to implement his tests first. By the way, you still haven't told me what you discussed with Garet earlier today."
"Oh, that. I'll be overseeing the training of several companies he and your father have slated to send to aid the other Empires against the invaders. It seems like my answer to his question the other day was in line with their way of thinking, and they're going to operate some mercenary companies. The end goal is to gain experience fighting against people for our own troops."
"'Our' troops?" Kefira quirked an eyebrow at him.
Reivyn motioned to his officer's uniform.
"Even if I wasn't your Liaison, I hold the rank of lieutenant in the Imperial Army, now," he shrugged. "My job will be to oversee their Martial and Magical Skills, as well as to train their commanders in Strategy and Tactics for fighting against humans.
"The reports of relying on experience from fighting monsters being less than adequate has inspired your father and brother to correct it ahead of time, and I'm the perfect candidate for the job."
"Um, that you are," Kefira muttered. "So just training and instructing? Not commanding?"
"I don't know," Reivyn answered. "For now it's just training, but they haven't told you what your responsibilities are going to be going forward. If I have to guess, they're going to give you the job of sponsoring your own unit, and I'll have to be the one to lead it. That's technically the main purpose of a Liaison. I'm your representative and what better way than to lead your own, personal army?"
"That... could be annoying," Kefira huffed. "Guarantee that mother will time one of her tests while you're away, and who knows how long you'll be gone if they go that route."
"That's where you come in." Kefira gave him a questioning look. "You'll have to negotiate to not be required to enter into any kind of long-term contract. If your father gives you the order to raise a military force and send them to another empire to seek employment in any manner possible, then he might have a say in the contracts you accept.
"You'll have to demand the right to operate your force autonomously, without any oversight from him or anyone else. That way we can negotiate a contract with the other empires where I'll have plenty of leave to come back to Willowan."
"That's if my father gives me that kind of responsibility."
"Right now that's what I would bet on. Even if he doesn't, you'll need to fight for less supervision from them for whatever task he gives you. That's the only way we'll be completely free to handle any and all situations that come our way."
"I thought I was the one advising you on political maneuvers," Kefira nudged him in the ribs. "That's good advice."
"I'm a quick learner, and I had a good teacher," Reivyn gave her a dazzling smile.
"Flatterer," Kefira rolled her eyes.
The trio arrived back at Kefira's courtyard, and Reivyn escorted her right up to her door. The two separated for a second before embracing tightly, sharing a fierce kiss. The emotions and stress of the evening bled out of the two of them, and Serilla turned her head, pretending like she didn't see or hear anything.
Kefira and Reivyn had to consider the presence of the maids waiting just on the other side of the door, and there were always Imperial Guards with heightened senses patrolling the grounds. The two didn't linger too long in each other's embrace, and they separated all too quickly.
Reivyn smiled as Kefira and Serilla entered her rooms, and then he turned and walked over to his own dwelling. Kefira's parents weren't too concerned with Reivyn living just one building over. They knew that not only the Imperial Guards would stop any sneaking around, but Serilla also wouldn't allow any shenanigans.
It was late enough, and Kefira and Serilla still had enough work ahead of them to get out of their outfits and store them away properly, that it wasn't appropriate for Reivyn to practice his Mana Skills with Kefira.
I'll just do some Meditating and Affinity training on my own, then get some sleep, Reivyn thought. I have to report to the Imperial Army recruit training grounds in the morning, already.