We kept rocking ourselves, teetering left, leaning right. Amanda was clearly the better dancer than I so as expected she took charge and I followed, my own personal human-sized metronome guiding my tone-deaf steps back into rhythm.

She straightened my posture, tightened my grip, loosened my steps… ever so subtly breaking me in like some sort of dancing mule. But despite the lessons, I just couldn't quite get the finer pointers right… and yes, it was for the lack of trying.

Have you ever danced with the devil in the pale moonlight?

Well, now I can say that I have… and now I can say for myself that it wasn't all quite fun.

"So what do you think of the event so far?" Amanda asked so casually, like all of the sudden we'd be talking about the weather at any moment. "Like the music? It's all composed of music from Asteria. We just reprised the OSTs to better fit a ballroom tune. That was actually my idea. Pretty good, no?"

You know, I didn't think it was possible to dance without feeling. But the fact that I could sway myself so lively, and yet feel so empty simultaneously just proves that anything's possible when enough bullshit is thrown in your face.

"Sorry, I blanked out. An idea of yours? Good?" I said, sighing as I spun her around. "Never would have thought."

Obviously, my gloomier demeanor had not gone unnoticed, her lips shaping to a frown with a tilt sideways. "Are you sulking?"

"Of course I'm sulking."

"Don't sulk. Stop sulking."

"I'm gonna continue to sulk," I assured her, already resigning myself to an eternal grumpiness. "I'll take a vow of sulking if that's what it takes. The fact that you - "

"That I what?" She interjected, a chuckle stifled behind a smile. "Went behind your back? Break your trust? Did something utterly, morally reprehensible?"

"Don't also forget getting me to actually dance in this getup," I pointed out immediately. "That's the most egregious one."

That chuckle broke through. "Think maybe you're overreacting a bit?"

"No."

"It's like bitter medicine. You might not want it, but really it is all for your own good."

"How is any of this for my own good?" I asked, briefly breaking our hands apart to flail mine up. "Did being made a princess for so long make you think you're wise? Who the hell are you supposed to be anyway?"

"I said it before. I'm Princess Riona - the sole monarch of the Kingdom of Astra."

"Okay, Princess Riona, the sole monarch of the Kingdom of Astra," I began, enunciating every word with a high-pitch jeer. "Enlighten this foolish fool to your absolute wisdom. Explain your thought process. Do you get a kick out of doing this to me or something?"

"Get a kick?" She said, her smirk suddenly straightening. "I'll kick you! I already told you I'm doing this all for you, you dummy!"

"Well wow, I'm flattered, I've never had a woman organize an entire battle royale for me before to compete myself in. Woo gee, you really shouldn't have."

"Implying as if I held you at gunpoint and forced you to compete."

"You might not have a gun, but you do have an Elf kept hostage… and you know damn well how'd I react. I'm not implying anything, I'm stating the facts."

"So…" She went for a twirl, then surprisingly, very nearly stumbled if not for my hands keeping her upright. "You're going to be actually… competing?"

"No shit," I said.

For some reason, she stayed leaning in my arms. "Really, really?"

Before I could answer again, however, I heard something distinct, something deafening - the still sudden sound of silence. It came the time to switch again, and one by one the dancers surrounding us parted hands.

But when I tried to do the same, I couldn't. My hands stayed interlocked, my fingers stayed intertwined - Amanda wasn't letting go. Then, with one eye to the crowd, she quickly spun and weaved us around to another section of the room… where there was no one to notice that the princess had yet to dance with another.

"Pretty sure we're not allowed to do that," I muttered, hastily placing a hand to her waist once more, and blanking my face as if all was right. "You really don't play by the handbook, do you? Even your fellow hostess said as much."

"Oh hush, no one noticed," She mumbled, and yet still darted her gaze around uncertain. "Besides, what harm is another dance or three?"

"Three?"

Anyway, where were we?" She said, ignoring the question completely. "Ah yes, ahem… really, really?"

"Yes, really, really," I affirmed again, getting quite weary. "You're acting like getting me to participate in this shit wasn't part of your grand scheme at all."

"No, it is, it is," She assured, suddenly back to smiles again. "It's just that there was still the prospect you'd just completely sit back and do nothing instead… which in my head had a 50/50 chance of happening. Considering, well… you."

"I feel called out."

"You're indecisive, too indecisive." She said, roping herself around my arm. "I'm just giving you a little push in the right direction, you see."

"You call this a little?"

"Point is - now, you can't just sit your tiny little ass on your tiny little fence anymore mulling things over all day. Not everybody is as patient as you are, not everybody is willing to wait for you to finally come to a consensus… and I certainly am not waiting for you any longer. Not everybody is going to be making that first move… sometimes, it's gotta be you."

She leaned backwards, slanting downwards. I held tight, leaned forward… with only inches to separate, face to face, the warm breath from her lips coating mine as she softly whispered with an almost leering smile.

"So make your move already, dummy."

I stared into her eyes, the dark brown within shimmering tenderly, fondly.

"I already did," I whispered back.

"Did you?" She blinked mildly surprised. "So? Is it Ash, is it me? Which side of the fence did you finally topple over to?"

I pulled us back up, straightening our stances, and promptly began to move again, our steps light and nimble.

"First off, why you?" I whispered. "I'd never think to begin with that - "

"Well, why not me? She said, feigning a sadness that she was far from feeling. "I'm smart, I'm funny, I'm pretty…"

"Humble too, apparently," muttered me, shaking my head slightly. "That's not what I mean. I know that already. I mean why did you, out of everyone you know, choose me?"

"Do I need a reason?"

"Everyone has a reason."

"You saved my life, that's one," She said, slowing down our pace to a slow waltzing circle spinning in place. "Isn't it quite normal to fall in love with your heroes?"

"You're not normal. What else is there?"

"Well, you also saved the world from a slow rotting death. I think that's worthy of a few admirers to your name, don't you think so?"

"Sounds materialistic," I shook my head. "You're not materialistic, keep going."

She snorted. "I also think you're cute."

"My mom thinks I'm cute," I said. "Come on, give me something more feasible."

I heard her expel a breath, like a burst of laughter that sputtered out quick. "Oh come on, now you're grasping for excuses. Is it really that improbable to you that I could eventually grow to like you? Is it that unfeasible a prospect? Really?"

She kept quiet after that, awaiting a response… to which eventually was answered with only my silence, my stare. That was all she needed to hear, to see.

"Of course not," She smirked again. "You knew already that I like you. I made it plenty obvious that I did… fake boyfriend, pfft. And what'd you choose to do? You played dumb, you played blind, went along with it… brush it all aside. You still are."

"That's not fair, I - "

"Do you like me too?"

"Okay, now that really isn't fair."

"All fair in love and war," She retorted, giving no chance to contend. "It's a yes or no… it's a simple question."

"But a hard answer."

Amanda shook her head at that, suddenly her poise not as refined, her demeanor not as exuberant, her expression not as vibrant.

"Still on that fence, I see..." She muttered. "Or maybe you just like to keep people waiting in anticipation, maybe? I guess I'll find out soon enough anyway. Once the dance is over, the contenders will be announced… and your choice will finally be revealed."

Here's the thing, I needed a moment to think, a moment to back away a step and assess. But every word from her lips, every expression on her face, kept stamping out every opportunity to do so.

So I veered away, threw my gaze literally everywhere else except back at hers. I thought maybe then I could unscramble the words I wanted to say, that I could then speak out to her in a way that would leave no room for questions or misunderstandings.

I only needed a second or two… just a second or two.

But then I found my gaze lingering for three more seconds… then four more, five…

Her unmistakable ethereal white, twirling. The glow of her eyes, gleaming ever-green. I saw them, found them… found her just there, just across, maybe two, three dancers distant.

Twirling, spinning... dancing with another, and not just with any other. Her fingers on his shoulders. His hand on her waist. The golden locks of hair that fluttered with every sway was just as unmistakable.

Leon looked as if he was in pure bliss, his smile seemingly only growing wider with every second's pass. I hated it, I hated seeing it… I felt that prick again, that sting in my chest. Only worse.

And yet, I couldn't stop staring… and briefly, I even forgot what I was doing in the first place.

That was until I heard a quiet sigh sounding close, then instantly I snapped my head back… only to find Amanda's gaze also astray, her eyes following where mine had led to, and she saw what I was seeing.

I watched her face. Saw every subtle movement, saw every fleeting expression, until it finally settled, finally decided… and she turned back to me with only a peculiar smile accompanying her stare.

"What a glimpse," She uttered, her tone strangely nonchalant. "I think I just caught a sneak peek into your mindset there, didn't I? Even when I'm right in front of you… you still manage to somehow find her too. It's kinda amazing. Guess you really did make a move already, after all."

Then as if timing to the melody of bitter irony, the music abruptly came to a sudden stop again, leaving more of a quiet than there already was.

"Now who's the one overreacting?" I said, my voice like a strangled whisper. "Amanda, who I choose now is arbitrary. At the end of the day, who gets who won't change anything between any of us here because the outcome won't change… because it's just a game. It doesn't really matter."

"Well, I thought it mattered…" She muttered, for once, just for a second… losing the smile in her voice.

The silence ended, another melody starting anew. It took a while for me to notice that our fingers were no longer entwined, that our hands were finally parted.

"But that's just me," She said, bouncing back again. "Don't think too much about it… 'cause I know you will. You always do."

And with that she spun around, disappearing from view as her new dance partner swayed her elsewhere. Leaving me bowing down to my own newfound partner with a heavy head.

Because I do indeed have a lot to think about now.

Here's a side-note of that bestiary that may or may not come to fruition - Princesses especially, are a downright headache.

Steer rightfully clear.