Ger kicked a small spray of sand at her shoes, earning himself another childish shove.
Unfortunately, Mareda passed by at that particular moment and paused in her path to tut at them.
“Ade, really? You need a playmate, tonight of all nights?”
“Mareda!” Ger boomed merrily. “Pleasure as always.”
Mareda pursed her lips. “Gerard.”
She moved on, and as Ger waved merrily at her retreating back, Adeline had to bite her lip to keep from laughing. She chastised herself inwardly.
Composure, and decorum, and whatnot.
Mareda was right; their mother had been very clear about what she expected from them tonight.
“Best behaviour,” she warned Ger. “You’ll get me in trouble.”
“That’s completely unfair. I live for getting you in trouble, Ade. Always have.”
But he traced the sign of the Goddess over his heart all the same, a solemn promise to behave.
They had drained their second glasses and Adeline was just beginning to enjoy the spreading warmth of the fruity liquor, the loosening of her tight neck and shoulders, when music suddenly swelled from a shadowed corner of the room. An orchestra had settled neatly into one of the curtained alcoves, and begun to play. The music was fast and dramatic and when Ger suddenly whipped around to grin impishly at her, Adeline could only giggle at the familiar look on his face.
“Oh no,” she said weakly.
“Ohyes,” he said, nodding emphatically.
He grabbed her hand and she allowed herself to be dragged to the centre of the room. Other couples had begun to gather already, but they instinctively cleared the way as Ger approached, for he had the look and air of someone who might command the dancefloor, strapping and lively as he was. Unfortunately, as he haphazardly spun a breathless Adeline around the floor, they soon realised that this handsome, graceful lad was not so much a natural dancer as anenthusiasticone. He made a great spectacle of leaping and lunging and gyrating, and seemed not to notice the wide berth that other dancers allowed him, nor the panicked cries as he stumbled slightly too close by them. It was only from years of formal dance lessons that Adeline avoided breaking her toes under his rapid feet.
By the time the first song ended she was winded; both with effort and with helpless laughter at the clumsy shapes Ger had thrown across the floor. She was quite relieved that the next song was mellow and slow.
Gerard slung his arms around her waist and they swayed on the spot, chatting quite contentedly while other guests warily filled the space around them again. Adeline told Ger about the troubles at public court that morning, ignoring him when he sniggered at Mareda’s tearful breakdown: “Honestly, how is she going to be Queen if she cries every time someone’s mean to her?”
He updated her on his slow-burning romance with a fellow Gard, which after many months of uncertain flirting had finally culminated in a rum-soaked kiss.
“Is that why you’re not inviting me to the alehouse?”
Ger grinned. “Ah, Ade, are you jealous?”
She raised a brow at him, then scowled when he pinched her chin and said; “Chin up, buttercup. You’re still my favourite. It’s just… well, you know.”
“No, I don’t.”
“Ah, you do though. People always think we’retogetherwhen we’re together. How was I ever going to get anywhere with Barry when I have a stunningly beautiful Princess draped all over me at any given moment?”
Adeline rolled her eyes. “Well I’m glad you finally got your kiss.”
“Got a lot more than a kiss. We live in the barracks together, remember?”
“Goddess spare me.”
“She won’t, and neither will I,” said Ger, and he proceeded to regale her with details of their drunken encounter in the barracks.
Adeline felt a rueful smile curl her lips. Once upon a time, in the wake of their own doomed romance, this story would have been a gently twisting knife through her heart. Now, his happiness brought nothing but warmth to her chest. Still though, she could have done without hearing the particulars of Ger’s wandering hands, nor the memories it evoked.
“Come on, Ger.” She grimaced. “I don’t subject you to such detail aboutmysex life.”
Gerard spun her so that the cloudy tail of her dress flared out, then pulled her back to him.
