Lesson 38: It's Never Easy to Say Goodbye

Benedikt stared determinedly at his feet, trying to remember the steps of the lowland promenade Moose had carefully laid out for him and Grielle to learn. Step left over right, turn about-face and slide. Benedikt turned with his open palm raised. He expected it to find Grielle's hand but he found air instead. Finally looking up from his feet, he didn't have time to duck before the back of Grielle's hand smacked him in the nose.

"Oof!" he grunted. His hands flew to his smarting nose as tears sprung to his eyes.

"Oh no! I'm so sorry!" Grielle exclaimed.

Moose gave an exasperated sigh. Ludvig paused playing the promenade. He dropped the flageolet from his mouth and fell into a fit of laughter.

"Benedikt! Quit looking at your feet and look at your partner. She's a lot prettier than your toes. And Grielle! This is a dance, not a street fight. Relax. Drop your shoulders and try to move with some grace."

Grielle shot Moose a glare as he wiped the tears of laughter streaking his cheeks.

"Let's take it from the top," he said, readjusting Benedikt and Grielle so they faced each other.

They began the dance again and Benedikt kept his eyes on Grielle, hoping his feet knew the moves without his supervision. They almost made it to the end before Grielle tripped on the hem of her dress and stumbled into Benedikt's arms. He couldn't resist smiling at the look of panic on her face as he stopped her from tumbling to the ground.

Grielle seemed to realize how funny she looked in this awkward, stilted dance, and began to laugh too.

"I think that's all we can do today," Moose said with resignation.

They weren't the only ones in the ballroom. A small army of servants polished banisters, cleaned the fireplaces, and hung large swags of fabric and ribbons from the arcade. They occasionally paused in their work to observe the prince who had been absent from court for three years.

Benedikt watched as Grielle eyed the decorations for the masque, her hands wringing the folds of her skirt. The laughter had left her strained smile. Taking both of her hands in his, he led her back into the center of the ballroom. "Enough of this formal dancing business," Benedikt said, twirling Grielle under his arm. "It's time you learned how a real Stalvart dances."

He continued to twirl Grielle under his arm until a laugh escaped from her lips.

"So it's just twirling?" she laughed.

"No! There's spinning too. And if you're not spinning you stomp your feet or bang your glass on the table to the beat," he said, grinning.

He swung her around to face him and grabbed her other hand. They began to spin with shuffling steps. Slow at first, they picked up speed until the momentum threatened to pull them apart. Grielle screamed in delight and the entire room blurred except her.

A loud clearing of a throat startled Benedikt and he slowed their spinning to a clumsy stop. "Mother," he gasped, trying to catch his breath. On reflex, he grabbed Grielle by the waist to steady himself as the room continued to spin.

Queen Ylva glided to the center of the ballroom, a smile on her elegant features. "I thought I'd come meet the young woman who has taken my son's heart. Formally, that is," she added, glancing at Grielle. "We met briefly before, but I wanted to greet you as a guest in our home," she said, lowering her voice so the servants casting them all sideways glances wouldn't overhear.

Grielle bent into a swift bow. "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

Queen Ylva eyed the decorations that were going up around them. "It's looking like we will have a splendid masquerade." Then, throwing Benedikt a knowing smirk, she added, "You'll just have to make sure you dance with all the other maidens before midnight." She turned to Grielle. "If there's anything you need, let me know. Do you have a gown?"

Benedikt felt Grielle stiffen at his side. "I assumed I would wear one of the gowns the maids left in the bureau in my chambers."

Ylva waved a hand flippantly. "I'll have my dressmaker sent to your room this evening. She'll have no problem whipping you up a gown in time, as mine is already finished."

"Thank you," Grielle replied.

"Well, I'm off to entertain our guests with tea. I'll see you at tonight's banquet won't I?"

Benedikt and Grielle nodded. Queen Ylva gave them a demure bow of her head and floated out of the ballroom.

"Is everything alright?" he whispered in Grielle's ear once his mother was out of earshot.

"Your mother is beautiful," she remarked with wistfulness to her voice.

"And is that upsetting to you?"

Grielle snickered. "No — it's just she seems so elegant. Do you think your kingdom will mind having a queen who's a little rough around the edges?"

Benedikt wrapped Grielle in his arms and placed a kiss on her forehead. "My entire kingdom is rough around the edges. We're a bunch of warriors who decided to settle on the most inhospitable mountain in the realm. Polish is not our forte."

Grielle's lips turned up into a weak smile. "If you're sure."

"I've never been so sure of anything."

~

The following morning, Grielle found herself at the gates of the castle, Yorick in her arms. He gave a reluctant sigh.

"Shh," Grielle hissed. "You never let me hug you, so let me have this moment," she said, squeezing her brother tighter around the middle.

"I can't breathe," Yorick wheezed, and she reluctantly loosened her grip.

He reached out and shook Benedikt's hand. "I'd say take care of her, but she was the one who always took care of me."

Benedikt laughed and put an arm around Grielle's waist. "I understand," he said.

Moose stepped up next. He swept Yorick into a hug that lifted his feet from the ground. "You'll be a good little wizard, now, won't you?" He straightened Yorick's hair for him once he put the boy back on the ground.

Talitha and Unae waited on their horses as Yorick hugged Reyn and Ludvig before climbing on his own. They were in the center of the bustling market that sat right outside the castle gates, and the elves were starting to draw attention from passersby. Grielle felt her heart wrench as Yorick adjusted the reins of his horse. She waved goodbye, hoping to hold off her tears until he was gone.

Yorick gave a bright wave of his hand while Talitha and Unae eased their horses into motion. The crowd of merchants parted to let them through and Yorick followed. Grielle watched him sway above the sea of people in the market until at last, they disappeared around a corner, following the road that led back through the mountains.

"He'll be fine," Ludvig said. He placed a consoling hand on her shoulder.

Grielle sensed that everyone saw through her brave face. "Of course he will," she said, wiping a stray tear from her jaw with the sleeve of her gown. "It just feels like the Liberators are breaking apart. First Berne and now Yorick. I know you three can't make a living on commissions in Stalvart alone," she added, hoping they understood her implications.

"Well," Benedikt said, his head tilted charmingly to the side. "A queen of Stalvart needs a private guard of her own choosing — two or three trained warriors she trusts more than anyone in the world to protect her in the line of duty." He gestured to Moose, Ludvig, and Reyn. "I don't know if they'd be interested, but I hear the pay is good. The company...not so much."

Grielle laughed as she wiped another tear from her cheek. "How does the job description Queen's Royal Guard sound to you lot?"

Moose shrugged. "Sounds pretty much like what we were doing before except you'll be a queen instead of an unsuspecting princess with a bizarre flair for adventure."

Reyn bit her lip, feigning consideration. "I've never had stable employment such as this, but I think I could get used to it. What say you, Ludvig?"

The archer smiled at Grielle from beneath his goatee. "You're plumb crazy, princess if you think I'll be anywhere but at your side."

Grielle smiled despite her sadness at seeing Yorick leave. She'd never had a normal family like Benedikt did, but this slapdash group of Liberators had become hers.