Amnicity gasped in fake surprise while looking towards her right.  She searched the shadows for the outline of his figure without success.

A rich male laugh sounded.  "Do not worry; it is not my intention to harm you. I just wanted to provide a suggestion to help ease the Princess's feet." 

"Who is making such a suggestion?" Amnicity asked, continuing to examine her surroundings.

Stay calm and play dumb.  He does not need to know you recognize him.

"Simply another masked gentleman." the male voice stated, walking out of the shadows to her right. His hands raised above hair that matched the sky above and a green mask that highlighted his eyes.  

He is also the man I made eye contact with earlier.  Dear goodness, if this is destiny, I do not want it.  I cannot marry a Judian.

"The masked gentleman will not provide a name?" She turned her attention towards the water to maintain her emotions.

"He would, Princess Amnicity, but such an act would break your rules," he chided, making Amnicity snort in amusement.

"Oh, no." Amnicity gasped, covering her reddened face as the gentleman laughed. "It is not funny. I have diligently attended to being a lady this evening."

"Is that a great feat for you?"

"Of course not. The Princess of Vetus is always a lady. However, there are times where others might influence her. Like now. Thus, you shall be blamed." Amnicity paused for a moment. "Unless you can provide an adequate reason for bothering me in this part of the garden this evening."

She held his gaze as it darkened slightly.  He is hiding something.

The gentleman shrugged while taking a few steps forward.  "To be improper, and influence you to be unladylike, of course."

Amnicity decided to let it pass without pressing the issue any further.  The Judian lady did say they had no intentions to start a war.  "You must be a great seer."

"I am."

She shook her head in amusement before using a more serious tone.  "What is the truth?"

"How will you know it is the truth if you already distrust my character?" The gentleman countered, holding Amnicity's gaze.

"Fine." Amnicity shrugged, hitching up her skirt slightly to let her feet splash into the fountain.

Propriety demanded that gentlemen did not view a lady's ankles.  But, the gentleman seeing her ankles and feet seemed far safer than holding his gaze any longer.

"I wanted to see the grounds to understand the layout better." He stated as she rolled her eyes.

"Why would you ever wish to do something so boring?" She inquired, watching her toes wiggle underneath the water.

Do not seem interested, Nici.  Remain calm.

He took another step forward while assessing her.  "Is it not my turn for a question?" 

"It did not occur to me that we were taking turns, but very well." Amnicity sighed, waving her hand for his inquiry.

"Why are you here instead of enjoying your festivities?"

"Well, originally, I wished to take a rest before having to dance with the last gentleman on my card. But then, I heard two vile ladies being disrespectful and wished to correct them for their faults."

He smirked at her with a shake of his head.  "So you followed them here?"

Amnicity met his gaze over her shoulder.  "Do you see any other ladies within this part of the garden?" She laughed. "I lost track of them along my journey."

"Being part of society is not always grand." He smiled.

The small rush his smile brought made Amnicity's gaze return to her eased feet for escape.

She cleared her throat.  "Why are you in these parts of the grounds?"

He shrugged, leaning back on his heel while performing a slow turn in the gravel.  "To see if it is something that I wish to have or not." He shrugged.

Amnicity turned sharply towards his direction to better understand his tone through his facial expression.

"Wha—wait, sir? Sir?" Amnicity called into the darkness without a response.

Amnicity understood the reason these interactions were considered improper.

These things are far less frustrating when read in a book. But, maybe, it is merely the lack of control that makes it so aggravating. The gentleman did seem to know more about me, and his gaze was unnerving. Oh well, nothing to do about it now. 

Amnicity sighed as she let her feet rest in the water while observing the night sky.  She did not know how much time had passed, but it seemed like almost an hour when the sound of crunching gravel met her ears.

"Princess Amnicity, there you are," came the relieved voice of her cardholder. "You are needed for another dance, as the gentleman has come to collect you. He even requested a shocking song. Please accept my humblest apologies for the inconvenience. His request could not be ignored. King—"

Amnicity held up a hand to stop him.  "Your apologies are accepted. No matter what they are for." She sighed, putting on her slippers.

Her attendant bowed as the sound of wet feet slipping from her shoes could be heard. He did not want to be so brazen to request to dry them for her.  The drying process would involve seeing her ankles, after all.  He rose from his bow when she walked past. 

Their journey survived a few corners before Amnicity suddenly stopped on seeing a bench.

"Do you have a handkerchief?" Amnicity asked, moving to sit down on the bench.

"Of course, my lady." He responded, looking over his shoulder in agitation.

"Then please attend me." She responded, removing a damp foot from her slipper.

The attendant warily eyed the Princess's foot before nodding. Any propriety that could cause him harm seemed far less than the damage that would befall him if Princess Amnicity became hurt while dancing.

Once finished, Amnicity sighed, tapping him lightly on the shoulder.

"Thank you." She smiled, walking ahead of him. "You may run ahead to tell them that the Princess will be there shortly."

Amnicity sighed softly as she watched her cardholder hurry ahead. His anxiety had scratched upon her nerves, wishing to infect them. The young man seemed more afraid his head would be removed from his shoulders than anything else.

Well, with Jude's gift-giving earlier, it may not be too outlandish a thought.

"Oh goodness, I am to dance with Jude," Amnicity whispered.

Her father would never deny Jude due to the tension between them. Amnicity needed the art of pretty dresses and dancing more than the politics to survive this interaction.  She bounced a little higher at the thought while walking. Perhaps she could finally put an end to Lady Elry's boring lessons. After all, political knowledge did not seem the way to obtain a suitable partner. She could hardly woo her possible spouse with the current economic value of this or that township. 

A rebellious thought interrupted her triumph.  You did use the political knowledge she gave you to decipher who people were in the gardens.  And, it helped you to remain calm when in an awkward situation.

Amnicity frowned slightly and shook her head.  She would not thank Lady Elry for the knowledge.  Instead, she would focus on finding a spouse for a strong union.

All memorable stories end with marriage, and there is little else after such that.

Her step fell a little heavier with the thought.

Amnicity's morbid thoughts gained some gaiety as the soft light of candles began to soften the sky's darkness. The music infiltrated slowly, allowing her steps to instinctively find synch to the current tune with a soft smile upon her lips. The same lips tightened upon seeing her cardholder approaching. No matter the difficulties of her rank, there were some advantages to be boasted of.

"After this dance, you will be accompanied back to the King and Queen.  Then they will announce the unveiling of identities." He instructed in a tone that made Amnicity wish to provide some less than admirable retort.

Instead, she provided a silent nod to portray her annoyance.  Any gratification she felt dwindled quickly as she moved through a crowd of flushed faces.  A suzerain loomed in Amnicity's future, and she needed to gather her wits for the meeting.

At least I will find out if my theory is right and prove that I pay attention to some of my lessons.

Her most remarkable performance of the evening needed to be for Jude. She remained uncertain on how to display gratitude for their gift. The duel had arrested her senses, leaving her in a state of apprehension—a feeling she had not placed until this moment. Perhaps Amnicity required lessons to identify her genuine emotions.

A staff banging upon the floor silenced the festivities.

"We would like to thank everyone once again for sharing this evening with us. For the last dance, we would like to invite our daughter to the dance floor.  Her partner has made a special request." King Valander stated.  Amnicity's slippers softly clicked on the tile as she moved to the middle of the dance floors amongst hushed whispers around her. "Back to me. Yes, now where is—ah, yes. Would any other couples wish to join?"

Amnicity willed the chills of her nerves to quell, watching the other couples surround her. Her imagination raced through the possibilities of the dance he may have chosen for this moment.

Should I pretend to be shocked when I see him?

"Music, please." King Valander's voice carried through the air.

It took all of Amnicity's strength not to display distress at the sound of a waltz.

"If I may have the honor." A familiar baritone accented voice whispered.

Amnicity turned with practiced elegance to meet the sight of an ebony-haired head bowed before her with an outstretched hand.

"Of course." Amnicity curtsied, placing her hand in his.

Amnicity's eyes widened slightly at the feelings that rushed from her heart to her spine when their eyes met. She transitioned into the proper form to quell the emotions.  Her hands rested upon the forest green jacket, and she willed herself not to enjoy the touch.

"Since you have little taste of propriety at the moment, it seemed this dance would be best." The green masked gentleman whispered. Amnicity's stifled laugh did little to deter his teasing tone. "Did you enjoy the gift I gave you?"

"Which gift would that be?"

"The swords, of course."

Amnicity paused to consider her words.  "It is difficult to know how to accept such a rare gift, or who exactly to thank. It did come from both you and your father."

"True. Though, you did well. You only blanched a little." The young suzerain commented, leading Amnicity into a turn.

"Is observation one of your favorite occupations, Suzerain?"

Amnicity thought she felt his muscles stiffen underneath the jacket.

He took a moment to respond.  "The practice does have its benefits. It did help you decipher my identity."

"If my intellect did not allow me to make such a simple deduction, my kingdom would be profoundly unlucky. What kingdom could survive with such a dull individual?"

"Very true, Princess." He agreed, transitioning the hold to the promenade.

"Are you in the habit of providing the gift of death and exploring your host's gardens regularly, or are we the lucky benefactors?" Amnicity ventured with more tartness than required.

Instead of an answer, Amnicity found herself guided in a series of turns.

"It would be best if you learned to be more diplomatic, Princess." The suzerain advised once within a closed position that would be deemed improper to an observant eye.

"Please loosen your hold. There will already be enough discussion as to why the heir of Jude requested such an intimate dance." Amnicity hissed through a clenched smile.

He chuckled softly. "Well, luckily, they are all contained to one location, so there is no need to chase them into darkened gardens."

Amnicity deemed it best not to respond to the jibe, nor his subtle glances towards her as she stared at the candles that flittered past.

Please do not get comfortable within his arms, Nici. This is your duty. There will be another gentleman here that is worth your attention. You just have not met him yet. Remember your responsibility.

A swift turn caused a genuine smile to catch her lips.

Perhaps a few moments as a traitor would not hurt. This is a violently romantic moment and is just one dance.

The thoughts were deterred by the fan covered faces. Amnicity caught a glimpse of her mother's tightened grip upon her glass before being spun away.

***

Christaline held her glass tighter than needed while watching her daughter dance.  She hated how brazen the young suzerain was with her daughter.  He held her far too close.

"You should not have allowed this." Christaline hissed behind a sip of her wine glass.

"We had little way of avoiding it without being rude, my love." Valander watched the Suzerain spin his daughter effortlessly once again.

She hissed slightly before taking another sip of her wine.  "We need a plan to dissuade him."

"It is doubtful he is looking to claim her. I am sure he is vain enough to believe he made the show of dominance required for this evening."

The song slowly came to an end as the couple did one final turn.  Then the young suzerain bowed to provide a kiss upon Amnicity's hand.  Stunned silence passed around the room before whispers could be heard.

Christaline turned to her husband.  "If you allow our daughter to become hurt within this game, it will be impossible to forgive you, Val."

Valander turned to assess his wife for a moment. A soft cough brought his attention back to the young, smirking, Suzerain of Jude holding the hand of his daughter out to him.

"Your Majesties." the suzerain bowed as Amnicity dropped into a curtsey beside him.

Valander felt a short thread pull somewhere from his gut at the sight of the two together. His Majesty remained fortunate training saved him from betraying emotion to the young suzerain.  It would be better if Jude and his other enemies did not see the fear he felt.

The two looked too comfortable within one another's presence. The suzerain could not be much older than twenty.  A suitable age for Amnicity to wed.  Unfortunately, an alliance with Jude would not be something this country could survive.  Vetus barely survived his marriage to Christaline.  

Valander took a deep breath before speaking, "you may rise, Daughter."

Amnicity closed the distance to take her father's outstretched hand and kissed his ring.

She turned to her guests for her last address. "It has been my greatest honor to celebrate this evening in your company. We now invite you to reveal your identities."

The garden filled with a flurry of laughter and chatter as the identities were revealed. The suzerain remained standing before them with a smile as he held Amnicity's content gaze.  

King Valander and Queen Christaline smiled beside their daughter while inwardly stewing. They could recognize that look upon her face as she gazed upon the suzerain.  Jude had come this evening to obtain more than blood. It was a fact many persons were unhappy to perceive.

***

Cover Photo can be found here: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32886894692.html

Thanks for reading!  I hope y'all enjoyed this chapter :)