AU for _deadlydance_, set immediately after "The Price"

[birthrightgreen]

She wasn't nervous. She had nothing to be nervous about. It wasn't like it was a romantic evening. They'd just worked so hard on the case, working to catch the rabid witch who'd been slaughtering innocent males. And they had, with Jaenelle's help. Now Jaenelle and Daemon were back on their honeymoon and she...

She was here in Amdarh, back how she had been, nursing the bruises Falonar had left. So, why, exactly was she changing her dress? The one she had on was perfectly acceptable. She was going out dancing with a friend. She could use a friend right now. What she couldn't use was a male thinking he was just going to sweep in and carry her off.

Not that he was probably thinking that, but she was suspicious.

He was a male, and years of seeing them abused by her own sex still hadn't made her trust them as a gender. Then again, she didn't trust most people.

With a growl at herself, she finally settled on a black dress with enough slink to impress and a enough swirl to make a statement on the dance floor, no matter how elegant and formal. Hair pinned half up, the rest left down. If people stared at her ears, so be it.

She was ready. It was going to be fun. She kept repeating that. Fun. With a friend.

Just a friend. He wasn't expecting anything. He wouldn't be that foolish.

She just wished she knew what he wanted.

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He rarely did this.

He would never tell that to the woman on the other side of the door that now loomed, of course. He could predict, and follow, the started look in her eyes, foloowed by the distrust, and the tense line of every muscle in her body that would soon follow. It was there, clear in Rainier's mind, as bright as any thread from one of the intricate Court Dances. Watching Surreal over the past few days had taught Rainier enough that he if Surreal became fully aware of his hesitation, if her mind touched his and caught the it's scent, then she would never let him in. Because Surreal would assume that his uncertainty was part of a jumbled road that lead to something that was still very dangerous, no matter what promising tastes of peace Witch had brought.

Dangerous.

Complicated.

But that simply was not where his mind was traveling. Rainier rarely did this anymore, because it was the exact opposite of what so many in the Circles studied with watchful eye. Going dancing tonight with Surreal would be -- easy.

He was going to quide a beautiful, strong, and and often obsinate witch out onto the dance floor, and she would already know what to do. There wasn't any need to teach her steps. What was more, they had danced together before, and his body tingled with the anticipated recognition. There would be no complicated games woven together with the complicated steps, no questions or games.

Rainier knocked on Surreal's door.

[birthrightgreen.livejournal.com]

She shook her head at one of the maids, moving to answer the door herself, much to their consternation.

A smile, a fleeting hand to touch her hair, and she opened the door, still smiling. Her wariness was pushed down under a perfected mask of courtesy, pleased to see him, genuinely.

"Good evening." She stepped back to let him in. "How are you faring after the excitement of the evening?"

[http://users.livejournal.com/_deadlydance_/]

Rainier returned Surreal's smile, something light that played across his features, a touch almost as soft as the Craft that was used to settle his hair, and dress. Almost as if he had been dancing already. Almost as if he was someone you could not give any amount of specified attention to. Almost.

He entered and stood as close as Rainier knew Surreal would allow.

"I should ask the same as you," he nodded. "As much as I hate to admit it, you bore the brunt of that excitement."

Not that he entirely wished she could have done less. Anyone who spent time with Surreal would want to ask that of her. Just that Rainier wished he could have done more.

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Truthfully, she was still a bit shaky it all. Not the danger to herself, but to the little Warlord. She had never been in danger.

She smiled slightly. "It all ended far better than many other encounters. We stopped her at least." The 'we' was ambiguous enough.

A lighter smile. "And now we celebrate." She would go out. Have fun. She'd at least managed the bath and relaxed a bit.

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"Stopped is one word for what you did to her," Rainier countered. That was admiration in his voice.

He returned to Surreal's left, and offered his arm.

"Shall we then?"

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She relaxed a bit under the admiration, though she didn't trust it to last. "I did what needed to be done." That she'd liked it was irrelevant.

She took his arm with a smile, grabbing a wrap for later.

"We shall." She tilted her head, glancing over at him. "Where are we going? I'm still learning the city..."

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"That is why I was glad you were there," Rainier said honestly. "When we found them, in the hotel." It something crossed his features, he didn't wait to see if Surreal had noticed it. "I would have tried to help her."

The corner of his gaze caught Surreal's own as he escorted her down the steps. "I would have failed."

A question, without the question.

"I thought I would take you to -- it is a club of sorts. It has been there for years. Actually it isn't very far from where we had lunch. There is some light dining of course, but mostly, it's the dancing that brings people there."

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She nodded slightly, her hand tightening on her arm. "She was beyond help, and her strength matched yours. She preyed on those weaker, but she might have..." A slight shrug. "I'm glad I was there, too."

"It sounds like a fun place," she said with a smile. "And Darkness knows we could use a little."

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Rainier sensed the smallest scent of unease in the air. If it was his, or Surreal's, was a discussion open for debate, but he took the opportunity to move a fraction closer. Truthfully, it might have been a necessity with the direction they were walking.

"Yes," he finally admitted after a thought or two that was his own. "We could both be the better for indulging in a little bit of fun."

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Surreal fought the urge to pull away, not because his nearness was unpleasant, but the opposite.

She tucked a strand of hair back with her free hand. "It's been a while since I just went out for fun. Not since before the wedding at least."

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"I didn't mention the part where we're walking, did I?"

The night air was cool, but pleasant, and Rainier enjoyed the sound of their steps on the cobblestoned walk, an easy rhythem that spoke to him. And if she asked he could fully admit that there was pleasure in strolling the streets that he and Surreal had worked together to make safer.

His face tilted down towards her, studying the finely drawn features there.

"The wedding was fun though, wasn't it?"

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She chuckled. "No. You might've forgotten that part, sugar, but I don't mind."

It was a nice walk and she slid back closer to him in the slight chill.

She glanced at him, smile just a touch forced, not quite meeting her eyes. "It was a lovely wedding."

[http://users.livejournal.com/_deadlydance_/]

"Well, the minute you do mind," Rainier softly guided Surreal through the next turn. "Just go ahead and let me know." He privately considered the other males she had known in her life as of late. That had be in that life. "I promise not to snarl."

He attepted to his smile as Surreal pressed closer.

"It was at that. It was good to see Jaenelle finally taking something as her own, something that private." Rainier's fingers curled slightly. "There was a lovely dance or two while I was there as well."

[birthrightgreen.livejournal.com]

She gave him a rueful, and highly doubtful look. "You promise not to snarl? Are Warlord Princes capable of not snarling?"

If she flinched at all, it was small enough to be mistaken for a shiver. "They both deserve every happiness. He's waited for her for so very long." He got a lighter smile after a moment. "There was indeed."

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Rainier stopped walking, turning towards Surreal as he flashed a wider smile in her direction.

"I never promised not to snarl. I just promised not to snarl in that particular instance. That is all the promise that I can give."

At least, where she was concerned.

There were many women that he would make promises for. But there were on so few Rainier would break them for.

Perhaps that was enough of that.

"You dance very well."

[birthrightgreen.livejournal.com]

Surreal took the opportunith to slip her wrap around her shoulders when they paused, looking up at him.

"A promise not to snarl even in one instance is fairly impressive," she said with a slight laugh.

Then she shrugged a bit. "It was a useful skill to have."

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"I like to think I've ben known to have my moments." Rainier offered his arm again, the pace a bit brisker in the face of Surreal's obvious chill. "At least one or two of them."

Something else passed through him, though he took some care to keep it from her.

"I'm sure that it was."

[birthrightgreen.livejournal.com]

She tucked her arm through his, pressing close against his side. "More than that, I'm sure, sugar."

A sideways glance, curious, watching for any reactions.

"It wouldn't have done to not be able to keep up in aristo ballrooms."

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Rainier just smiled. That was all. Just smiled.

"Wait until we've danced a few more times, and then you can let me know for sure."

Guiding Surreal through the entrance to the dance hall, Rainier navigated the usual distractions with obvious practice. He took the oportunity to brush against thus unexplored skin as he took her wrap. His voice was low.

"You should never have to worry about keeping up with anyone, I imagine."

[birthrightgreen.livejournal.com]

She met the smile with one of her own. "I'll keep that in mind."

Her breath caught slightly at the seemingly innocent touch, the tenor of his voice. He shouldn't be able to just...do that.

"Not in a long, long time, no."

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"Let's be content to keep up with each other then?"

Rainier had not realised there was silence until the music began again, swelling behind them. A new look of pleasure was there, as he lead Surreal to the edge of the dance floor. Twenty or so other couples were already there, dancing in a sea of color. Surreal stood alone, in her black.

And then it seemed to Rainier, she just stood alone. He extended one hand to her, determined to offer what he could.

It was a waltz.

[birthrightgreen.livejournal.com]

She watched him for a long minute, then nodded, half wary almost. Layers and undertones here that she wasn't sure what she was agreeing to, but she took his hand and let him lead her out.

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It was obvious that he loved the waltz, Rainier was aware of that. Even he could feel a renewed lightness in his steps, the opportunity to not break contact with our partner even once for the entire dance something to be enjoyed. His cheek brushed Surreal's as he pulled her close.

"It's just a dance," he soothed. "Let it be just a dance."

Sometimes that was all it needed to be.

[birthrightgreen.livejournal.com]

She knew the waltz, the ultimate dance of seduction, as well as she knew every other tool. The way to turn, the way to look, the arch of her arm in just a way, so that a dance wasn't just a dance.

But she let that slide away, under his words. Smiling up at him, she relaxed and just danced.

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Something caught in Rainier's throat. But he swallowed, and pushed it away. With ease he guided them to the furthest edge od the floor, the space allowing for the broadest steps, and most sweeping turns.