He couldn't get the point of these clothes, they were tight and uncomfortable, not only that but they also revealed too much of his body, of someone wanted to attack him they would know exactly where to stab and he would be left unprotected, leather wasn't the best for protection but Leif was sure that if he poked to hard this cloth would be pierced by his finger.
He was made by Kastro to wear a white button-up of fine linen and cotton, with a red vest with black embroidery and a black suit on top of it, weirdly tight black pants and polished black boots, everything was strangely filled with frills and little details, not only was it impractical but he could clearly see it was extremely expensive, he was more afraid then uncomfortable, afraid of accidentally ripping a hole through the cloth and be indebted for the rest of his life. He stepped out of the changing room after Kastro allowed him to breathe some air, but even out of the room, the mansion was so massive he'd have to walk for a couple minutes before being outside, as he walked around the silent corridors he saw two glass doors with black steel frames that led out to a small balcony, he pushed them open and stepped out.
The cold wind of the night hit his face, the always loved the dark sky but somehow this day he wasn't able to see the stars, seemingly blocked by both the clouds and the lights of the city, they beamed even above the walls of Sunfort, even during the night the entire city shined, he simply stood there leaning on the balconies steel frame, he heard someone stepping closer, a sharp clicking sound he had never heard before, turning around he saw Katlyn, standing near the glass doors, she wore a long and tight black dress, embroidered with black and deep violet threads, with long matching black gloves that stopped just bellow her shoulders along with the dress, leaving a window that exposed not only her shoulders but the pale skin of collarbone and upper chest aswell, bellow the knee the deep black dress tranformed into a cascade of white frills, she use black linen tights and polished black heels, on her neck there where three necklaces, a small and tight black one with the symbol of a crescent moon, another one bellow it made out of silver with a small sun and the last one made of gold showing off two crossed swords, Katlyn wore her long and lucious black hair down framing her face perfectly and accentuating even more her paleness.
Leif stared at her for a few seconds before the girls face grew red.
Katlyn: [S-stop staring so much...]
She said, with a meek voice, just then the boy noticed he was staring at all, glancing away back to the dark sky.
Leif: [Sorry...]
He heard her stepping closer and saw her standing by his side, looking out into the sky.
Leif: [So... what's a ball?]
She turned her head towards him.
Katlyn: [It's a... gathering... of sorts, people come around to eat, talk and dance to music.]
Leif had listened to music before, at times bards would come around to the camps when they came closer to civilization, but he never really associated the soldiers drunken jumping with dancing.
Leif: [How do I dance?]
She stared at him for a second then smiled, stepping away from the balconies frame.
Katlyn: [Come here, let me teach you.]
He stepped towards her, she reached towards him and grabbed both of his arms, making him take position.
Katlyn: [One of your hands holds my mine up and the other holds on my waist like this.]
He did as she showed, pushing her back with his finger, and she he on to his tricep.
Katlyn: [Keep your back straight, puff your chest out and your chin up.]
He held on to his breath, trying his best to achieve the right position.
Katlyn: [Then we start to dance, just take two steps to the right, one to the left then turn to the left.]
He did as she said, holding her hand up he took two steps to the right, she followed his steps, then another step back.
Katlyn: [Good, now turn.]
The both of them turned, then repeated the same process, two steps to the right, one back then turning to the left, until she stepped on his right foot with her pointy heel, she giggled as Leif hopped away, holding tightly to his foot.
Katlyn: [Sorry... sorry...]
She said holding on to her aching stomach.
Katlyn: [You stepped too fa-]
Gregory: [Having fun, the two fo you?]
The two teens looked over to the tall and fashionable man, standing proudly with a smirk on his face, Gregory wore a green and cream doublet embroidered with golden thread, over it a short green cloak and on his neck a frilly ruff, deep brown leather trousers and fine leather boots.
Leif: [What are you even wearing?]
Gregory chuckled.
Gregory: [This, young Leif, is clothing typical of royalty.]
Katlyn: [Really isnt...]
The girl muttered to herself.
Gregory: [Wait a second, boy.]
Gregory called out, pointing at the sheathed sword tied to the boys belt.
Gregory: [Youre not really taking that with you, are you?]
Leif: [Why would i not?]
Katlyn: [I was going to ask you the same thing Leif, you should leave it with Kastro during the ball.]
Leif: [Wh-what? Why?]
Gregory: [This a ball, young man, not a battle or a duel, if you really wish for a fight, use dance moves!]
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Leif: [Nothing youre saying makes sense at all.]
Katlyn: [I agree.]
In the end he was really forced to leave the sword with Kastro, the butler was incredibly hardworking that afternoon, even before Alleras arrival he had been busy working to organize the ball, Leif had passed by the kitchen earlier and the steam was pouring out of the main entrance, butlers and maids circled back and fourth by the ballroom and everything was ready by nightfall, but the ball itself was scheduled to begin at 8 pm, in about 30 minutes.
Katlyn: [Want to practice some more?]
The girl asked when Gregory walked away, Leif looked at her, a smile playing on her lips as she looked down at him, he wanted to but the truth is that he felt a bit embarrassed being that close to her at all.
Leif: [S-sure..]
The two of them tried once and again, stepping around in the corridors, from time to time they'd step on eachothers feet and giggle, Katlyn taught the boy how to follow the rhythm by humming a tune while they stepped around, Leif was a fast learner and Katlyn was a good teacher, in a few minutes she was even able to teach the boy some less basic movements and when the guests begun to arrive their footwork was much better, they accompanied eachother towards the ballroom, on the south side of the mansion, they had to go down a flight of stairs to the second floor, the ballroom as incredibly spacious, to the south was a wall of decorated glasses leading into three balconies, the room had two long tables to the right and left wall, both filled to the brim with all kinds of food Leif had never seen before, but to be fair he had never seen a whole chicken before aswell so the only things he had really ate present was bread, lamb, fish, some of the vegetables and potatoes, but there all kinds of strnage things on those tables, red shelled animals that looked like big insects with pinching claws, plates little spotted eggs with intact shells, many bowls of strange porridge-like paste with lots of meat and vegetables, big baked bread things filled with vegetables or at times meat, the smell alone made Leif's mouth water.
When they got there some of the guests had already arrived, even being 10 minutes early, they could see Allera from the top of the stairs, she used the same Rocky Lion's pelt cape she had on before, with the wolf's maw seeming to dig into her right shoulder but this time instead of a wardrobe of thick black leather she had on a long red dress made of a blend of linen, wool and silk, embroidered with golden and black, the dress parted into three just on the middle of her thigh, one end on the middle and two on the sides that connected on the back, the end of the seemed to be finely sewn black roses made from leather and linen, the split panels of the dress exposed her well-defined thighs peppered with small scars, and Leif was surprised that a woman like that could wear high heels.
The both of them stepped down, Katlyn put a hand on Leif's shoulder for support, Allera seemed to be surrounded by three groups, Gregory and other who seemed to he followed by his tales of grandeur, a few people along with a old man with a long gray beard to match his long grey hair, wearing some kind of long grey cloack with golden epaulets and by last a couple, a woman with conserved pale skin and long deep black hair held back away from her face by a hair net amde with golden silk and silver beads, and a equally pale man with short hair and a goatee and few white streaks on the sides of his short hair, both of them had the sine kind of eyes as Katlyn, monolids as she said.
As the two of them reached the end of the stairs the pale older woman approached.
???: [Katlyn, dear.]
She said stepping closer with her arms open.
Katlyn: [Mother..]
The two hugged tightly, Katlyn's mother rubbing the back of her head lovingly, behind them the man with the goatee approached.
???: [Little kitten.]
Katlyn: [I told you to stop with that!]
The man laughed as her stepped closer, with his hand on the back of both women, Katlyn turned her attention to Leif once more.
Katlyn: [Ah! Leif, these are my mother and father.]
???: [Its a pleasure to meet you, young man.]
The mother stepped forward, reaching her hand towards the boy, he took softly.
???: [Is this the boy you mentioned in your letter dear?]
The father asked, she seemed to redden a little.
Katlyn: [Ah... y-yes...]
Miro: [It's a pleasure to meet you then, young Leif, my name is Miro.]
Karol: [And i am Karol.]
Miro: [We were both surprised when, Katlyn told us she went with General Allera to contract a young Warlock from Cithroam.]
Karol: [Indeed, i had never heard of a Warlock who had never even visited New Pallac, how has your first impressions of our city been?]
Leif was a little overwhelmed by the attention, but managed to think of a response.
Leif: [A little... overwhelming, i guess...]
Miro: [I guess if I had never seen a building i'd be overwhelmed aswell.]
The two of them laughed.
Katlyn: [Mom! Dad! Can you give us some space.]
Miro: [Space huh...?]
The man said with a bit of a salty tone, Karol laughed at his reaction, grabbing on to his shoulder and pulling him away.
Karol: [Come papa! You two kids have fun.]
Once the two of them stepped away she turned her eyes to Leif.
Katlyn: [Hungry?]
She asked, with a smile, and he was, it was already night and the last time he had eaten was yesterday, despite how good he was at enduring hunger the time he spent with them, eating everyday, even twice a day had made him worse at it, they both kept themselves around the food tables as the guests kept on arriving, Katlyn force all kinds of different food in his mouth, different types of small birds, meat drowned in wine, she even made him try atleast a bite of each kind of pie around.
???: [My lady, allow me a dance?]
They both looked back, a tall young man looked down at them both, with golden hair that curled at the tips, he had a strong chin and sunken cheeks, with blue eyes and thick eyebrows.
Katlyn: [Ah, Mr.Denvor.]
The young man bowed before her and reached a palm, she looked back at Leif as she took.
Katlyn: [Ill be back in a second, alright?]
Leif: [Uh... yeah..]
The young man pulled the lady towards the middle of the room, where others had already begun to dance to the band's tune, Leif watched them dance for a few seconds before stepping away, he walked towards the central balcony, before walking out he passed by Allera, she glanced down at the boy with a sharp eye.
Allera: [If you don't like it, boy, then do something about it.]
She said before turning back to her guests, Leif was confused by her words but continued on his way, standing outside, with his back agaisnt the ledge for a minute, enjoying the soft breeze, his eyes occasionally drifted towards Katlyn and the man dance, Allera's words playing again and again in his mind.
Leif: [Do... something about it...]
After a few minutes the song was over and the two parted ways, Leif watched as Katlyn glanced around, looking for him, a small smile appeared in his face, he walked back in, stepping towards Katlyn, he reached and took her hand.
Katlyn: [What... what are y-]
Leif: [Let's dance?]
A bright red hue grew into her pale cheeks, the boy took her silence as approval and pulled her to the center then into position.
Katlyn: [L-leif... what ar-]
He pulled her into the rhythm, their simple steps following the tune of the band.
""Upon a night, so clear, so bright,
Beneath the heavens wide,
Two figures danced in silver light,
Where shadows softly hide.""
The two followed the steps they had gone over before on the hallway, simple basics, two steps to the right, another one to the left then a turn, Leif closed his eyes, trusting his body to follow the pattern, he felt the energy course through his body, but this time he wasn't alone, he felt the energy flowing throught Katlyn's body aswell, with eaxh step he left a little bit of this energy behind, with each swing and each breath this energy seeped into the air.
""The stars above did hum and glow,
Their whispers filled the air,
As hands entwined, they moved below,
A fated, fleeting pair.""
Leif felt the energy flow through his core, opening his eyes once more, feeling the power surge all around him as Katlyn followed his lead withing the steps.
Leif: [[Fhìr.]]
The energy pouring out of the couple compressed in mid-air, crystallizing into small specks of ice that flowed around them.
""Through winding steps, their souls entwined,
A rhythm bold and true,
Each spin, a thread by stars designed,
The dance of old and new.""
Leif could see others stop their movements and stare at them in amazement, but he didnt care, he only cared for the shining sparks being reflected into Katlyn's eyes, the both of them twirled and seinged from side to side, staring deeply into eachothers eyes, the specks of ice floating around them seemed to materialize into pillars of light, each with its own shine and color.
""With steady grace,
As constellations gazed,
A silent world in awe embraced,
By love's eternal blaze.""