His reaction to her question was swift and layered.  The uptick of his eyebrows in his shock, the glance to the topic of her question in a moment of panic, and then those pale eyes returning, meeting her eyes, and a rare smile spreading across his face.

“I would love to dance with you,” came his answer.  Her own smile blossomed in return and she offered the Landian her hand.  After a pause he took it and she started leading him along towards the pole and the dancing pairs about it.  Despite the fires about the field, the night’s air was cool.  Hand in hand, the pair passed the gathered villagers, some offering greetings while others were caught up in their conversations.  Stalls and tables lined the field, some of the later holding platters of food or drink, the later offering their unique treasures.  It was a cacophony of sound, sights, and smells that would take Quartes a day to sort fully out in his mind.  More for how little attention he was paying it all in the moment.

“I’ve never danced,” the Landian announced as they neared the other spinning couples.  Keto stopped and looked to Quartes.  Her own eyebrows raised in shock now.

“All of your years, and you’ve never danced?”  He gave a shake of his head in response.  “All of those victories, were there not festivals and celebrations?”

“There were but those were for other, it was not a thing for the Heir of Lehn to partake in.”  They had slowed at his announcement, had stopped at his explanation.  Keto starred at him, her own emotions playing across her features now.  Shock, a thought of sadness, and then her smile returning and growing bright, her blue eyes shining.

“Then I will be happy to be the one to teach you how to dance.”  She grabbed his hand once more and pulled him now towards the group of dancers.  When they reached edge of the group she turned and faced the Landian.

“Ok so your hand goes here, I’ll put mine here, and then we hold…”

He was, as always, a quick study and it was no shock that his footwork would be fast enough to make up for his inexperience.  One spin about the pole led to another, songs came and went.  They picked up the pace with his confidence, spinning within the crowd.  She felt his breath grow quick with the effort, noticed that even he had begun to sweat, but then their eyes would meet again.  A smile would sneak onto his features, the rare kind that crinkled the skin around his eyes, and hers would bloom in response and around for another turn they would go.

In time, the band finished one song and started onto something slower.  The spinning couples slowed, Quartes and Keto joining them.  She stepped closer, resting her head against his shoulder, catching her breath as they simply rocked back and forth through a few steps.

“Thank you,” he said after a time.

She shifted back, head rising and looking into his pale eyes once more.  “For what, teaching you to dance?”

“That but more,” he answered.  “Travelling with you it’s been…you know what I am but you also don’t treat me like it.”  His eyes squinted, a small frown cresting his lips.  “That’s not quite right…around you, because of how you treat me, I get to be a person.  Not just the figure in a story.”

She rested her forehead against her shoulder, happiness brimming into a smile large enough that she nearly wanted to laugh.  She fought the urge only because it would leave him too confused.  “I think you’re maybe missing the importance of being happy,” she started when she had control of her voice again.  “It’s quite the weight your story puts on you but happiness is important, if for no other reason because it reminds us all that we’re just trying to live our lives and fine joy in it.”

  She looked to him one more, “Landian or Hunai, you’re living through this world like the rest of us.”

They enjoyed the rest of song in silence, his arm shifting to hold her close, and when the song ended it was enough of a break for her to guide him towards the table with the pitchers of wine.  To spend more time enjoying the festival and the company the night afforded them.