Chapter Eight:
A Spectacular Performance
Dmitri
“Thank you, thank you, thank you…” Atticus repeated as he was handed the multiple slips and sign off sheets he requested during our class on Monday. I walked into the room and handed him mine as well, but he stopped me mid step to glance over my choice of trade. “Medical, eh? You really think you’d like something like that?” He pressed, eyeing the form.
I simply shrugged; he raised an eyebrow and pulled out a pen. I curiously watched as he scribbled out the medical choice and wrote a new word across the dotted line. “Magic? Why would I chose magic?” I scoffed hesitantly.
“The idea of choosing a trade…” he had me sign the form again, then ripped it from my hands quickly so I wouldn’t change my mind, “is to open you up to things you haven’t tried before. Ramah’s already taken a liking to you, and I know for a fact you can get by on the battlefield. Let someone else learn how to brace a leg.”
“We can’t even use magic on the field, though…?” I offered unsurely.
He patted my cheek harshly, “This war can turn on its head any second, and you need to be prepared for that. Andrew hired Gwenevere for that reason. Trust me on this one.” He nodded to my seat, which I slunk towards and slid in with a puzzled frown.
“Magic, eh…?” I mumbled, tracing scratches in the desk with the back of my pen. A single thought popped into my head, a thought that was devious, but did make my cheeks flare up slightly; Magic would be the perfect trade, as I could use it to get closer to Gwenevere.
A moment later, Gwenevere herself sauntered in with an agonized growl, and slammed her bag down so loudly that my skeleton nearly jumped out of my body. She ripped her seat out and threw herself into it before her head teetered, then hit the desktop. I stifled a giggle that desperately tried to break free, but she ended up hearing and titled her head to glare at me out of the corner of her eye. “And what is so funny?” She snarled through clenched teeth.
I lightly poked her arm, “I, uh… you ok…?”
“Do I look like I'm ok?”
“That is quite debatable.” She slammed her schedule down on my desk and pointed to today’s date, which, when I inspected it closer, made a whimper slip from my lips. “What the hell does that say?!” I croaked dramatically.
“Dancing; it says dancing. Apparently, Andrew threw some etiquette classes into our agenda as well. Stefan and Michael are busy trying to drag Martha from our room because she, too, is absolutely mortified at the thought of having to participate.”
“Dancing… dancing…” I turned slightly to the right, where Juliet and her friends were devilishly winking at me. “I'm going to die today.” I said matter-of-factly.
Gwenevere giggled like a mouse, but slumped forward miserably, “At least you’ll have a partner; I’ll probably be sitting in the corner the entire time…” she mumbled into her desk.
I frowned and awkwardly pulled at my shirt sleeve, unsure of what to say. She laid her cheek on her arm and began to scribble on her hand out, and every second that silence enveloped us made me feel even more guilty. I wished I could have summoned some ounce of courage to assure her, but by the time I wanted to try the door had shut, and class fell quiet. “Ok, now that everyone’s here, were doing something special today!” Atticus said and clapped his hands together, “We’re going to practice ballroom dancing!”
“Can we pick partners?” Trinity asked, eyeing me viciously with Anastasia and Juliet. I cringed back from their demonic stares; I did not want to be in the middle of that cat fight. We all filed out and down the steps towards the ballroom; the girls followed me like vultures around a dead animal, which made me walk faster. Stefan and Michael created a wall between us and them, finally realizing I hadn’t been joking around about how creepy their little pack had become.
We reached the grand ballroom and stood in a line, with the girls on one side, the guys on the other. Atticus arranged us a certain way, with me at the end facing Gwenevere. Facing her head on was a bit more than I could handle; I still couldn’t look at her for more than a few moments without wanting to melt into nothing. She, for a moment or two, had averted her gaze from mine, but hesitantly peeked at me and waved stiffly. I grinned and waved awkwardly back to her. She looked at the other girls, then gave me a little sweet grin that almost stopped my heart instantly.
Stefan nudged me, “You wanna hide the fact that you’re drooling over her a little better?”
“Wait, what!? I'm not!” I whimpered as his comment shattered my delusion instantly.
“You couldn’t be more obvious if you tried!” He chuckled. I rolled my eyes and pushed him away, taking a breath to steady myself as I tried to think of how to ask her to dance.
“Ok people, whoever is across from you is your dancing partner, so partner up!” Atticus declared, which made my mouth drop open unashamedly.
Well, that was easy.
I swallowed the lump in my throat and almost laughed, watching the other girls glare viciously at Gwenevere. She turned to me in horror, which broke me, and caused a chuckle to bubble out. I summoned every ounce of confidence I had and walked over to her, hands in my pockets as I stared at the floor uncomfortably. “Hi…” I squeaked and looked down again, feeling the heat rise in my face. She bit her lip and giggled one quick laugh. “What?” I asked sheepishly.
“I can see you blushing?” She whispered in her smooth voice. I stammered like a broken record, but instead of continuing to tease me, she shook her head. “We gonna dance or what?” She asked sweetly as she held her hand out. I nodded and took a deep breath, stepping closer to her to carefully put my hand on her waist. She placed one hand in mine and the other on my shoulder, then looked around the room at the other shaking couples, “Well, this is awkward.” She snorted as the music started, and it was hard to disagree. We moved to the center of the room, where everyone got into position. “Sorry I’m so damn short; I hope it’s not too inconvenient for you?”
“Sorry I’m so damn tall; I don’t think you’re that short, by the by.” I offered casually.
“Everyone’s short to you, eh, Pretty Boy?” She mocked lightly to lighten the tone. My cheeks were basically on fire at this point, and her teasing wasn’t helping, but she seemed to be enjoying herself.
Atticus counted off and signaled for us to begin, which made most of the pairs groan in annoyance. Gwenevere and I began shifting in a little square; I twirled her once, and she gripped my hand tighter when she came back from the twist. “I thought you would know how to dance?” She teased, which made a grin pull at the corners of my mouth shyly.
“Where did you get that impression?” We spun around Juliet and Chris; Juliet gave her the dirtiest look I’d ever seen. “Kitty’s got a temper.” I popped as I pulled us in the opposite direction, fearing for Gwenevere’s life slightly. She choked on a giggle and buried her face into her arm so I couldn’t see the light pink that filled her cheeks. “Are you blushing now?” I taunted with a carefree wink.
“N-no… I mean, no…” she cleared her throat, “You want to show them how to really dance?” She asked, flexing her hand so she could grip mine tighter.
“Yeah…” I replied smoothly.
We paused for a moment before stepping into the king’s waltz, spinning like tops across the dance floor. I caught her waist and dipped her, catching her before pulling her closer into my embrace. Her long midnight hair brushed her face with our movements, and her clear eyes were full of awe. Our confidence was soaring at this point, as we were actually beginning to have fun. “Beautiful!” Atticus cried with a full smile when we spun by him, practically floating. Beautiful was an understatement; Gwenevere looked as close to a goddess as humanly possible in my arms. Her eyes sparkled that beautiful green/blue in the chandelier lights, and, contrasted with her dark hair, sent an actual shiver down my spine. She was light on her feet for a rough and tough soldier, but this spark of femininity was a stunning surprise.
We finished our dance and came to a pause, both panting slightly. The music faded off somewhere behind us, as if we had stepped into our own private bubble. “That was, awesome!” Gwenevere laughed in full delight, a gorgeous sound that I was slowly drowning in.
“It was rather fun…” I prompted, mesmerized by the way her long hair stayed swept across my forearm from the rush of twirls and dancing.
“I never thought I’d get to do something like this!” This was the first time I saw her serious front fall, and a child-like awe replace it. The excitement in her eyes made them glow, and the longer I gazed into them, the harder it became to turn away.
“Well, I would love to do it again sometime.” I suggested nonchalantly. I realized what I had blurted and snapped my mouth shut, embarrassed beyond belief.
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She looked up with a completely serious expression, “You, would?” She asked. Atticus called the end of our dance rehearsal and whistled for everyone to return upstairs. I gave her a warm smile, my heart fluttering a thousand miles a minute, and that smile said it all. She let my smile consume her before she stood on her tip toes to sweetly kiss my burning cheek. Her lips were like pillows against my skin, and when she pulled away, I was drunk from the action. With a wink she turned and followed our classmates, her long braid tapping my wrist as she passed. She glanced back to wave to me flirtatiously, her eyes glowing like live wires in the sunlight coming from the grand windows. I wagged my fingers back delusionally with a plastered on grin, and desperately tried to find the feeling my legs so I could return to class as well.
╬
That night, after a long week of preliminary training and adjusting, my roommates and I smuggled beer into our room and used our first paycheck to do the only logical thing; gamble. We were betting on a lineup of football games, and so far I had won five, Michael two, and Stefan a laughable zero. Our television was center of attention for the third floor of the castle, and a few soldiers kept peeking in to see the score. Thankfully, no one ratted us out for the alcohol, though Michael and Stefan were old enough to buy it.
The three of us were hunched forward with our eyes glued to the screen, our hearts pounding in excitement and our legs shaking uncontrollably. The score was seven-six with my team in the lead, and the boys were sweating bullets over the fact that they were about to lose another twenty pounds. “Come on, come on, come on…!” Michael groaned.
The announcer’s voice consumed our room entirely; “Jennings cut a hard right through midfield, shoots, and… Oh my God, Lannister has cut him off at the pass…!”
“Yes, YES!” I cried, jumping up in anticipation.
“Lannister passes to Love, who passes to Adams… he shoots… HE SCORES!”
“YES!” I screamed bloody murder, cheering loudly as the boys threw their bags of crisps and swore to themselves.
“God damnit, Mortimer!” Michael shrieked, slamming his money on the table.
“You’re a right cheater!” Stefan yelled as I danced in place.
“What is going on in here?” Andrew chuckled as he and the girls peeked in.
“Pay up, loser!” I snorted, making Stefan growl and shove his money into my gut with an eye roll at my victory dance. The three in the doorway laughed hysterically as they came in, while I plopped back into my seat and narcissistically counted my prize. “Twenty, forty, sixty…”
“Cram it, you lanky pillock,” Michael snarled, shoving me away as I chortled in his face.
“Oh, boys, relax…” I handed them each their share from the night, which made them blink, “It’s just friendly competition; that I totally won by the way!” I snorted in their faces.
“Can we kick him out!?” Stefan barked to Andrew, who sat in an empty chair.
“Glad to see you three are getting along,” Andrew joked, his eyes falling on the empty beer cans, “and that you’re buying alcohol for a minor…?”
“Alcohol, what alcohol?” Michael coughed, smacking the beer carcasses onto the floor.
Andrew shook his head, and pulled a pillow loose so he could sit better, “Relax, I could care less. Do any of you have plans this coming Sunday?”
“Sunday?” I asked, putting an arm up on the couch behind Stefan casually as the girls plopped down in various spots around us.
“I know it’s your day off, but if none of you are busy, I’d like to take you around town a bit. I know Stefan, Michael, and Gwenevere know their way a bit, but I like to give everyone an official tour, as well as spend some time with you on my own.” Andrew chimed excitedly.
“That sounds so fun!” Stefan chirped.
“I agree; what time are we going?” Michael asked, kicking his legs up on my lap. Andrew was absolutely delighted to see how close the boys and I had become in such a short time and was glowing at the smile I had been wearing since he joined us.
“Around ten or so. I know you’re all probably tired, so it’ll give you a chance to sleep in. Zachary’s schedule is hard to get used to for many.”
“Hardly,” I sniffed, “I’ve been getting up at five ever since I can remember.”
“Even for the academy?” Martha asked.
“Especially; Gerard takes his training very seriously. We had to run three miles every day before we even got ready during our internships.”
“How did you survive?!” Stefan cried, which made us all laugh.
“Even I'm not that cruel,” Andrew teased as I shrugged. “Do you two miss your kingdoms?” He asked Martha and I sadly.
“Please,” Martha snorted, swinging her legs adorably, “The South is all commercialism, big cities with obnoxious crowds. I like the countryside much more. My parents aren’t ever going to leave Adelaide’s side, but they’re happy that I got the kingdom I wanted.”
“What are their jobs?” I asked.
Her tone fell slightly, and she stared at the ceiling with an unamused smirk, “My father is Ethan’s personal assistant, and my mother is the librarian for the castle.”
“Wow, that’s cool! Are you close to Adelaide?” Michael prompted.
Her stagnant tone stayed even, as she was unamused by what she said, almost as if she was forcing herself to admit the information. “I guess. I spent all of my time down at the base, tinkering with the planes and such. I plan on committing to the Air Force when the Common Weapon Law is lifted, or they allow us to fly again. Adelaide wanted me to be one of her Cavalry, but she also understood that I wanted to travel and explore other kingdoms. My home will always be The South, but I am highly enjoying The North.” She added with a wink to Andrew.
“Well, that makes me happy,” Andrew teased, ruffling her hair lovingly, “And you, Dmitri?” He continued somewhat nervously.
I played with a string on my shirt as I spoke, “I liked The East well enough, but I agree with Martha. The East is very, rugged, I suppose you could say. Small, quiet, and disconnected. Gerard runs a tight ship, a very balanced one, but much of the academy was ‘every man for himself’ minded. Made it kind of hard to make friends. He and his wife have been very kind to me, and if it weren’t for them I wouldn’t be in this room right now, so I have some personal ties I suppose…” my mouth continued to run regardless of how I tried to stop it from digging a hole I did not want to attempt crawling out from.
“Personal ties?” Michael asked seriously, everyone’s attention fully on me now.
“It’s… a long story…” I tried sheepishly.
“Care to tell?” Stefan asked, and Andrew nodded to me in the background.
I pulled my legs up under my chin and hugged them to my chest, my tone softening as I spoke, “Things at home got… really bad. I mean, they were always bad, but this time, it became too much to handle. My other brother, Riley, contacted Gerard and begged him to let me attend the academy. Gerard was reluctant, of course, but after a meeting between all of the rulers they begrudgingly allowed me to go. The conditions were strict but feasible; I needed to get decent grades, stay under the radar, and keep out of trouble. If I did so, I was allowed a shot at trying out to be a Cavalry. I graduated valedictorian, kept my alias for over four years, and did everything Gerard and Julia asked of me. I cut off all communication to The West, except for a phone call every few months between Riley and I, which Gerard monitored…” My tone shifted as the horrors of reality began to creep back in, “Joshua has been searching for me since the day I left, and I know the moment he or Alexei finds me will be quite the problem…” I sighed miserably.
“What exactly did he do, to you?” Martha hesitantly breathed.
“I'm not sure I'm ready to talk about it…” I murmured to her slight disappointment, but she understood and grinned gingerly to prove it.
“That’s alright,” Andrew said, standing and patting my back, “We have plenty of time for that. For now, let’s look forward to a nice time on Sunday. If any of you decide you don’t want to go, you’re more than welcome to stay home; just let one of the others know ahead of time. Good luck with your meetings tomorrow morning, and have a goodnight, everyone.”
“Goodnight, your majesty!” We called as he waved and shut the door behind him.
We all awkwardly sat in silence, with the only sound coming from the game we had been ignoring since the conversation began. Michael broke the silence by checking his watch, and stiffly standing to stretch his aching limbs, “Well, it’s already eleven. I suppose we should start cleaning this up?” He proposed as he gestured to the messy coffee table.
“I guess.” Stefan replied stiffly, standing to grab a trash bag.
The girls frowned at me as I sat emotionless, staring ahead with a blank expression. My heart ached from my words, and all I wanted was to crawl into bed and wallow in my sorrows in peace. Gwenevere stood a moment later and nudged Martha for them to leave; Martha was thankful for her out of the situation and jumped up quickly to follow her roommate. As they went to exit Gwenevere paused and laid a hand on my shoulder with a sweet smile. The smile meant two things; thank you for opening up a little, and, more importantly, everything is going to be okay. I forced a grin back for her, which she returned as the two said goodnight. The door shut behind them loudly before I stood and collected a few crisp bags from the coffee table.
“You guys both going Sunday?” Michael asked as he crammed the trash bag into the corner and flopped onto his bed.
Stefan buttoned his shirt carefully, eyes focused on the ground as he addressed me, “Of course; how about you, Dmitri?”
“Yeah, I’ll be there.” I dejectedly murmured.
Stefan perked up a little but lowered his head again when he saw me curled up tightly under my covers. “Awesome. Well, I had fun tonight.”
“Same here…” Michael nudged my arm, which made me look up from the pillow I was hiding in, “You know, no one is pushing you into anything. We’re not going to be mad if you don’t want to spill your guts, but just know, we’re all here if and or when you are ready.”
Stefan frowned at us from his bed, his big green eyes shimmering with worry. I turned from Michael and pressed my cheek into the pillow again, staring forward at the candles I had flickering on my nightstand, “I know.”
“I mean it, Dmitri. We’ll never be friends if you think we’re always out to attack you. I would love for you to be comfortable around us, but things take time. Stefan, Gwen, and I know each other already, so it’s easier for us to adjust, but we respect that you and Martha are not as open and comfortable as we are. If we’re ever pressing too much, you need to tell us. I don’t want you slinking back into your shell after you’re finally peeking out.”
I nodded to him, which made a weary smile light up his face, and patted his arm twice to suggest I understood; he sighed in relief and moved to climb into his own bed. Stefan flicked the switch to the lights, and for a moment, we all laid there quietly. “I'm going to make you my best friend if it kills me.” Stefan blurted into the darkness, which made Michael and I burst into laughter at his stupid comment.