Seeing as I had nothing I needed to do today (the death certificates signed and stuffed away in my desk drawer) I went to call on General Fenester.

We sparred in the secret garden, enclosed by four walls thirty metres apart from each other. I would've rather done it under the winter sun, but the only garden with enough space to spar was right in front of the Debutante suites and I didn't really want them ogling me in my shirtsleeves.

"When do you go back to the front?" I sat back against the brick wall with Fenester.

"As soon as I can. Your father seems to want to keep me here, mind. Will you return to the field?"

I nodded slowly, swigging from the leather flask I had brought, a souvenir from the front lines. "Just need to suffer through the season first. Choose a bride and sod off back to where I belong."

"Yeah your men miss you, morale has gone right down. If you ask me  -" a knock on the door silenced whatever he was about to say. Barley poked his head around the door and I scowled.

"Is it that time already?" I shook hands with Fenester in parting and took up my sword, following Barley through the gardens back to my suite. We had thousands of bright flowers and pretty smelling herbs in our gardens, plus there was the vegetable garden and the Orchard nearer to the kitchen. I looked forward to summer when they would bloom again.

"Military formal." I informed Barley as to what I wanted when we got to my rooms but he had already laid it out. He helped me change and I can't deny the excitement I felt as I heard the orchestra tuning up below me.

There was a knock on my door just as I was pulling the long boots on. Mother came in and stood behind my chair. I kissed her cheek and the look she gave me was more proud than any I had seen before.

"Are you ready?" She asked, it seemed a little meek for her.

"I'm ready." I replied and she led me off down the corridor, informing me of the drill necessary tonight.

"For your first dance choose whoever you like. Oh but please don't let it be that little girl you made me put at your table last night. Choose someone nice like Angel or Holly. You must dance with each of the Debutantes before you can even think about leaving. You can't leave until your father and I do and I won't leave until you've danced with Serena Jeffords twice, her family owns our navy and I need tell you..."

The navy was starting to rebel against the war.

Nonetheless, I made a promise to Lady Bence and I hold up my promises.

"Oh, and Ganechka, as it is your induction ball, you will lead the pavanne, your father and I will sit it out."

Almost all the breath left my lungs.
"I'll lead it? I've only ever been second at most."

Mother nodded and I saw that reflection of a smile on her face. "It's all the same steps though, only social status is -"

"-acquired in the pavanne." I smiled with her.

"So I suggest you take Lady Jeffords for that, her steps are amiable too." I nodded along, already having to hide my grin in anticipation of openly defying my parents.

Unlike Afanasy, I followed their words quite closely, but that didn't mean I didn't feel the thrill when I did go against their wishes, besides, I was the favourite child, the crown Prince, they would never punish me too harshly.
We paused outside the door to the dias and I heard the clipping of Fana's shoes on the marble. He and father appeared around the corner, father was lecturing him on how to behave, this ball being important as it was. Fana had chosen to glare a blaze into father's sixth medal.

"Shall we, Ilya?" Mother held her hand out and father put his beneath it. I elbowed my brother, actually struggling to stop smiling. He shoved me away, clearly very peeved to be put through this.

"Just think, this is the perfect time to add to your wealth of knowledge." I pointed out.

"Shut up." He hissed. "You'll give my act away and father won't let me in."
Father gave the nod to the butler by the door, who then tapped thrice against the wall. The trumpets whistled out and I stood up straight.

We were announced and I kept the courtly pace behind my parents, Fana subtly sulking behind me.

The doors swung open slowly and I saw a way out below us the Debutantes craned their pretty necks to see me.

"His Majesty King Ilya, her majesty Queen Anya, his Highness Prince Gavrila and Price Afanasy." The crier called out and I hid a grimace with all of the frivolities.

We walked in at that petty pace and mother and father went over to their Thrones. Fana and I carried on top the steps, overlooking the whole ballroom, which was packed.

"Deal with Angel for me would you?" I murmured and he scowled, all of it muted to avoid the crowd.

Murmurs rolled through the crowd and I knew that my time was now. I began my descent of the steps, one hand on the thick black belt I wore, one behind my back.

The Debutantes were a rainbow of colour. They reminded me of the poisonous frogs in the Baracosian jungles. I cast my eyes across them, each trying to catch my eye, looking for those curiously slanted ones.

Evangeline was hiding a little behind Holly Reichen, when I caught her eye she avoided me. How strange, it seemed she genuinely didn't want to dance.

Nonetheless, I said I would dance with her and I am a man of my word.
I strode across, Serena's face lit up as she must have expected me to ask her. No, I side stepped her to bow to the short girl next to her, whose arms were folded, the nails digging into the skin.
"Shall we? Lady Bence?" Her eyes barely disguised her grimace, but she did take my hand and the dance floor separated out around us.

A very disgruntled Lord Jeffords stepped behind us with his wife, the next highest person, then Fana, Angel was grinding her teeth on his arm. Others fell in behind us, I expected Tristan had obeyed his parents and led Holly Reichen.

The music started and so did the dance. Evangeline clung furiously onto my arm and I nearly trod on her toes twice. She kept her eyes on my feet, trying to copy them.

She was telling the truth earlier, I knew it.

"Listen, do you still want to get out of here?" I murmured to her, people were starting to stare and pointing would come next.

She nodded vigorously.

"Fake a faint. Just collapse and I'll -" She didn't need me to say any more and as we were starting to complete the turn, she stopped moving all together and swayed for a moment before she fell onto me, her arms slipping down my chest. As soon as people noticed, I swept her up into my arms, one arm under her legs and one supporting her back.

"Have a care." I ordered just loud enough to silence the exclamations. I stalked through the crowd who parted readily and nodded in reverence to mother and father, both of whom were fuming. "Carry on the dancing." I hissed to father.

The doormen opened the door for me and I left down the corridor, hearing the music start up again.