Chapter 31: The Grand Ball Part 2

“You know Volva, you should probably go on a date with Ivan.” I say as I look over to Volva who is almost done with her plate.

“A date?” Volva asked as she looked at me in confusion.

“Yeah a date. It’s like you go out with him, just the two of you and you get to spend some private time together.” I say.

“But we do spend time in private at night.” Volva said, clearly still confused.

“I mean spend time together with your clothes on.” I reply with a smirk as Volva blushes red again.

“But seriously what do the two of you do? You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to but if you have any concerns or questions you can talk to me about it if you want.” I offer.

“Well… at night we usually talk a bit. Well Ivan sama does most of the talking. I just like to listen to him. He is very wise, he gives me the feeling that he knows a great many things. When I ask him questions he always gives me very simple answers that always seem obvious once he says it.” Volva said as her gaze softened.

“Ivan’s a good guy, straight forward and tough as nails. He is quite intelligent under that hard exterior. Most level headed guy I know.” I say with a smile.

Ivan deals with the horrors of war really well, much better than anyone I have ever seen actually. He can come across as quiet and reserved, some may feel that he’s not very smart because of that but in truth I feel he’s quite intelligent. He has this kind of grip on reality that few possess, a talent for seeing past all the bullshit in the world and focusing on what’s important.

“Yes he is, I feel… safe when I am with him. He always knows what I want without me having to say it. It’s like he hears one word but understands two. But…” Volva said as her voice tapered off.

“But?” I ask as I note her sudden change in expression. She went from looking like a lovestruck girl to one that looks terrified.

“He tells me I can ask for things, that I can… I should want things for myself. But I’m scared of wanting things…” Volva said as her voice shook.

“You are afraid of having your own desires?” I ask, a bit confused.

“Before we were purchased by you, we were taught many things. We used to want things, even little things, like a pretty rock or a small rat… but the slavers never let us have it for long.” Volva said as her voice began to shake and I could see her start to shake like a leaf in the wind. Alfie then reached over to take her hand and Volva’s shaking seemed to ebb slightly.

“Years ago I made friends with a small rat, I named him Squeak. We were supposed to be slaves fit for the heroes so they fed us well and we had plenty of food as compared to the others. I would save a little and feed Squeak. I grew to care for him... then one day I held him in my hand and he curled up. He felt safe with me and I knew he trusted me. So I laughed…” Volva said as her voice turned to a whisper, her eyes wide in terror. Her eyes were glassy and unfocused as if she was reliving the memory.

“One of the kennel masters heard me, he came over and saw Squeak. Squeak looked up and seeing the kennel master, he immediately jumped off my hand and ran off. A few days later the kennel master brought me to a room, they tied a rope around my neck so I couldn’t run. I saw Squeak in a cage on the floor… and a pot of boiling water on a nearby table…” Volva said.

I knew where this was going, I hope I’m wrong but… if there’s one thing I know better than anything else. It is the true depths of human cruelty…

“They poured the boiling water on Squeak, he screamed as he thrashed in the cage. I screamed too, begging them not to hurt him. I tried to run forward to stop them but they pulled me back with the rope, they kept pouring until… Squeaks stopped moving...

They dumped his body out of the cage and they let me go, when I tried to get to Squeak they pulled me back again. Then they just… stepped on him, they crushed him…” Volva said as a tear ran down her cheek.

“After that they told me slaves do not own things, they do not want things, they do not wish for things, they only obey. After that I just gave up…” Volva said softly.

“I know what it’s like to be afraid of caring, of wanting things. It hurts like hell when you lose it.” I reply as I reach across the table and take Volva’s hand. I can feel it shaking in my hand, I give it a squeeze and I feel the shaking lessen slightly.

“That’s why I’m so afraid now, every night when I’m with Ivan sama it feels like a dream. I’m terrified every night before I go to sleep, I’m afraid that when I wake up the next day I’ll find myself back in my cage…” Volva said shakily.

“Have you talked to Ivan about this?” I ask.

“No, he wants me to be happy, but I just can’t.” Volva replied shakily.

“Then tell him, after all he’s very wise and gives very simple answers that always seem obvious once he says it.” I say with a smile. I see Volva’s eyes widen for a moment, then she gives me a weak smile as she looks down.

“You are very wise too, Katsuro sama.” Volva replied now looking a little better.

“Anytime you need to talk my door is always open. I am sure the other Heroes feel the same way. You are our comrades, we don’t see you as beneath us, we care about your well being. We just do it in our own way.” I say gently.

“We are so lucky…” I heard Alfie say.

“How so?” I ask as I turn to face her.

“At first we were afraid of you, afraid of all the Heroes. Back in the kennels, the kennel masters had the most power, they could do whatever they wanted with us. I thought power meant the ability to hurt those weaker than you. If the kennel masters could hurt us so much, then what could the heroes do to us? But all of you showed us that doesn’t need to be true.” Alfie said.

“Power is a tool, like my gun, like Jacob’s sword, like that fork on your plate. It doesn’t matter how powerful the tool is, what matters is what you use it for. One day you will be stronger than most people in this world…” I say as I think back to the Rift Points I now possess. Even now I could raise all of their level caps by five. I intend to make my party powerful, more powerful than anyone can imagine.

“When you have the power, what will you do? Will you seek out the kennel masters to make them suffer? If you see someone weaker will you abuse and hurt them? With power comes responsibility, you must be as wise as you are powerful. If not… Well all of you know what happens when someone who isn’t wise enough wields their power like cudgel.” I say as I look at the four pairs of eyes looking at me.

“So we shouldn’t hurt the kennel masters?” Momo asked.

“No you shouldn’t, I will do it. Revenge is sweet, almost intoxicatingly so, you may become addicted to the feeling. I will end the kennel masters when the time comes, for if we leave them as is, more will suffer under them. The deed is important, but the most important thing is why you do it.” I say.

“So we should hurt someone for a good reason, not because we want to?” Volva asked.

“Yes, you may enjoy it anyway but don’t do it because you just want to hurt them. Do it because it must be done.” I say as I gaze earnestly at the four girls seated around me.

I know I’m a hypocrite, I’ve peeled off toe nails, gouged out eyes, shot defenceless prisoners. I enjoyed those moments, inflicting pain on those who wronged me, making them suffer as I suffer. I also know that this path leads to nothing but more pain and suffering.

These girls however, have a chance to not walk my path, to not make the same mistakes as me. They don’t have to know the satisfaction in giving in to those dark inclinations. They can be better than me…

“So we should hurt them because it makes them stop hurting other people, not because we want to hurt them.” Momo said from the side.

“Yeah exactly right.” I say as I place my hand on Momo’s head. She smiled up at me with eyes that still held the innocence of youth.

“We want to be like you, you are strong, you make the bad people stop. You kill bad people.” Momo said and I froze as I heard those words.

“No. You shouldn’t want to be like me. You should want to be like Ivan, Jacob and Charlotte. But not like me, never like me…” I say softly as I take my hand off Momo’s head.

“Why?” Momo asked.

“Because I hurt people because I like it, you can’t become like me, I don’t want you to be like me... I want you all to be better than me. I will do all the bad things so you won’t have to.

The path I walk, the path of vengeance, if you follow me you will find no peace. I have walked it for a long time and the road is... endless. Do not be like me, be better.” I say as I look down at Momo’s wide eyes.

“We can be better together...” Momo said.

“Yeah I guess we can.” I say with a smile.

Then I hear the music change. I turn to see the nobles start to step onto the dance floor. I spot Charlotte stepping onto it, her hand held by the prince. Jacob was next to her, a noble girl in hand. Ivan was nowhere to be found, well he didn’t seem like the dancing type anyway.

As I watch Charlotte dance, I notice her feet flowing over the dance floor as the prince struggles to keep up. We received a day of dancing lessons before this ball, the dancing teacher assured us the ball would be keeping to slow music to help accommodate us. Charlotte was a natural at it, not surprising considering she had been learning ballroom dancing since she was six.

Jacob took to it quite well but was a bit shaky on his feet, Ivan struggled much more than Jacob. The fine graceful movements required for the dance proved difficult for him. Sometimes he looked as if he was dragging his partner along rather than dancing with them. Well he didn’t have much experience with fine movements throughout his life, I mean he was a coal miner and now he swung his warpick like a mace. I doubt he spent time sewing or doing stuff like origami…

I surprisingly was the best dancer of the guys. I found the movements easy and I soon found myself moving quiet easily across the dance floor. Charlotte and I spent most of the practice dancing together, it was a surprisingly good time. I was honestly looking forward to dancing with her in the ball, which was why I was so annoyed when I tried on my formal clothes.

I’m not sure why I took to dancing so well, back in my world I don’t recall ever dancing at all. I suspect it has something to do with my high [Perception] and [Dexterity] stats. I found I could see the movements very clearly and recreate it with very little effort. Well I guess an agile rogue like character being good at dancing isn’t that far of a stretch.

As I watched Charlotte dance I noticed she was twirling around the prince as he struggled to get close to her. I never saw her do those movements when we were training, we spent most of our session face to face with a few twirls here and there. However, we always eventually ended with my hand on her waist and our gazes locked as we moved across the dance floor.

The sight of Charlotte showing up the prince was honestly quite funny. The song wasn’t even that fast but Charlotte somehow knew how to use the rhythm to transition from one move to the other leaving the prince struggling to catch up. The whole court had their eyes on Charlotte as she moved gracefully around the prince. She never broke away, always just maintaining just the right distance. I could tell the prince was getting a little annoyed. From the corner of my eye I spotted the king speaking to the musicians.

Then the music slowed down dramatically and Charlotte caught off guard, ended up losing her rhythm. The prince seeing this pulled her in close and the two ended up face to face with the prince’s hand on her waist. The music was now too slow for Charlotte to attempt anymore of her tricks so now she was stuck with this for the rest of the song. I saw the prince pull her closer until they were practically chest to chest and I caught him peeking down the front of her dress.

I couldn’t help but feel a growl rise to my throat as I saw the prince smile and gaze lavisciously at Charlotte. Who to her credit remained calm with that same radiant smile on her face as they danced. I could see them talking as they danced, the pair of them smiling as they moved on the dance floor.

Then the music stopped abruptly, I turned to see Filianoreh speaking with the musicians. So it seems the game of politics can be played with a band musicians. I watched Filianoreh start to walk over to Charlotte with another noble man. He looked familiar somehow, as I peered at him I realised who he was. It was Sir Jerome, his hair was styled and he wore a set of fine formal wear. He looked so different from when we met in a warzone. I have to admit he cleaned up nicely…

I could see the prince was annoyed by the abrupt interruption but he tried to play it off. Charlotte let out a small laugh as she waved any embarrassment and awkwardness away. As Filianoreh arrived next to Charlotte and the prince, I caught the barest hint of glare from the prince. It looked like Filianoreh was trying to set Charlotte up to dance with Jerome. Well if I was honest, if I had to choose between Sir Jerome and the prince I would take Jerome any day of the week.

Jerome looked to be a decade older than me and Charlotte and he behaved in a way that showed his maturity. Always looking at Charlotte with respect and not lust. I could tell Charlotte was quite happy to see him. We had conversed briefly before we left for Northedor after we defeated the demons. I found I quite enjoyed Jerome’s company, well I enjoyed almost all of the soldiers' company. I guess we had a lot in common I suppose.

The knights in this world were quite chivalrous, holding to their ideal of honour with a conviction I did not expect from a nation like this. I honestly thought Davis was the exception but as I spoke to the other knights I found they were of one mind. They were all nobles but they saw their duty to the knight order as above their personal desires.

As Jerome puts it, “We are knights, the sword raised against the darkness, the shield that guards this realm and only death may relieve us of our sacred trust.” They were all brave and valorous as far as I could tell.

Although I did hear from Davis that the Silver Lions and the Grey Eagles were among the best of the knight orders. They were part of what is known as the Four Orders of Valour. A title given only to the best of the best. The other two orders are apparently the Scarlet Dragons and the Amber Wolves.

What’s more the Knight Orders have thus far only committed their experienced knights to the fray in the hopes that they don’t squander their younger more experienced members. Although judging by the casualties of the first Rift I’m not sure how long this arrangement can last. Afterall I know all too well what happens when nations start running out of soldiers…

I then spotted the group turn as they looked over at me, Charlotte had a slightly conflicted look in her eyes and I knew something was wrong. The group began to walk over, the nobles parting ways as they approached.

As they got close I rose to my feet to greet them. Jerome approached first hand extended.

“Onaga Katsuro, it is good to see you.” Jerome said with a smile as I took his hand.

“Always a pleasure Sir Jerome, I trust the clean up after the battle wasn’t too troublesome?” I reply.

“Grim work, but not an issue.” Jerome said with a grim nod.

“When are these things not grim?” I reply with a small smile.

“I suppose so.” Jerome said with a light hollow laugh.

“You look good, Sir Jerome. You clean up nicely, I didn’t even recognise you at first.” I say as I let go of his hand.

“I could say the same for you Onaga Katsuro.” Jerome replied with a smile.

“Really? I’m a little underdressed for this occasion.” I say with a raised eyebrow.

“I would much rather be in armor, believe me. I may be a noble but one grows accustomed to wargear after a time. It feels strange without it honestly, I normally don’t attend such events, usually leaving it to my sister to handle such matters. I believe the last ball I attended was almost five years ago. I must confess not having my sword makes me a little uneasy.” Jerome said with another light laugh.

“Oh I can relate to that trust me.” I say as I lift my coat slightly revealing the fact that I had Danse Macabre strapped to my right thigh.

“Ah, if only my sword was easier to hide then.” Jerome said with a chuckle.

“Brother, are you going to introduce me?” I hear a female voice say from behind.

“Ah my apologies sister, where are my manners.” Jerome said as he stepped aside to reveal a woman. She looked to be about my age, with the same blonde hair and green eyes that Jerome had.

“Onaga Katsuro, this is my dear sister, Ophelia of the house Orien. Our house rules the territory east of the capitol from the great city of Marineburg.” Jerome said as he gestured to her.

“A pleasure my lady.” I said politely.

“The pleasure is mine, Dark Hero. My brother has told me much about you.” Ophelia said with a sweet smile. Unsurprisingly she was quite beautiful, this world has a lot of pretty women, the women here seemed to be blessed by the gods. As for the guys well… let’s just say the guys had to roll the dice…

“Hopefully good things.” I reply with a smile.

“Oh certainly, the tales he utters when he speaks of you. He makes you out to be this dashing rogue in black. If memory serves he said…” Ophelia said.

“Sister, please.” Jerome said sheepishly.

“What’s wrong brother? Are a knight's words not always honest and true?” Ophelia teased with a playful smirk.

“Well…” Jerome muttered in reply as he looked just a little embarrassed. It was honestly quite cute to see the stern and brave knight act like just another big brother, I couldn’t help but feel a small smile appear on my lips.

“Ah yes, he said you were a brave and capable soldier beyond compare. Never hesitating and always doing what is necessary.” Ophelia said with a light laugh.

“You honour me Sir Jerome.” I say with a smirk.

“A knight's words are always honest and true.” Jerome replied with a smile.

“That’s high praise coming from my dear brother, he barely praises anyone. Even me.” Ophelia said with another laugh.

“Then I must thank him for his kind words.” I reply with a smile.

“Actually there is something I wanted to request.” Ophelia said.

“Oh what is it?” I ask, a little surprised at the sudden change in topic.

“I was wondering if you would honour me with a dance.” Ophelia said, her face going a little pink.

“Oh err. Won’t that be a problem?” I ask tentatively. If she was seen dancing with me in the court, it would draw a lot of attention. Which I assume would cause some problems for Ophelia and the house of Orien.

“My sister… has a bit of a reputation amongst the court already. It wouldn’t be that out of place.” Jerome said dryly.

“Brother, you make it sound like I’m a troublemaker. I am a prim and proper lady.” Ophelia said with a playful smirk.

“Father’s heart would beg to differ.” Jerome replied with a roll of his eyes.

“Reputation?” Charlotte asked in a slightly clipped tone.

The change in her voice was almost indiscernible, I only noticed because I spend a lot of time with her, well probably that and my high [Perception] stat. I looked over to her and I saw the barest hint of jealousy in her eyes.

“My sister enjoys certain activities that aren’t… usual for a lady of the court.” Jerome replied with a small sigh.

“Really? Like what?” I ask curiously as I examine her.

She looks for all intents and purposes like your typical noble lady. Perfect skin, lush silky blonde hair, a slim and well proportioned body… As I looked at her exposed shoulder I noticed her shoulder looked to be slightly more muscular than your usual noble lady.

“You like to exercise?” I ask as I shift my gaze back to her face.

“Observant aren’t you.” Ophelia said with a giggle.

“Well [Perception] is my highest stat.” I reply.

“I like archery and I am quite the equestrian.” Ophelia said.

“Really? Your skin is so fair.” I say, a little surprised.

“There are potions for protecting your complexion from the sun.” Ophelia replied.

“Which are quite expensive.” Jerome said.

“Still more affordable than jewels dear brother.” Ophelia replied calmly.

“I suppose…” Jerome said with another sigh.

“Is liking outdoor activities so out of place for a noble lady? I mean if you still maintain your appearance what's the problem?” I ask as I furrow my brows.

“Thank you, see brother? He agrees with me.” Ophelia said as she turned and gazed triumphantly at Jerome.

“It’s more than just the activities, what you do in your daily life can be seen as an indication of your character. Usually liking a bit of horseback riding and archery isn’t that much of a problem. The issue is, you are participating in such activities as you turn down the past nine suitors.” Jerome said as he turned his gaze to Ophelia.

“Those pigs want a trophy not a wife. They don’t care about me, all they want is a woman at their beck and call. They just want someone to serve them, spread my legs at their command and bounce on their rods when asked to.” Ophelia replied with a huff as she crossed her arms.

“Well that would be unfortunate but you could at least turn them down politely without humiliating them.” Jerome said crossly as he narrowed his eyes at Ophelia.

This conversation was slowly devolving into just a pair of siblings bickering…

“The worst thing I did was outpace one of those pigs on a horse.” Ophelia replied defiantly.

“You shot an arrow at one of them.” Jerome said dryly.

“How did you…” Ophelia sputtered in response.

“Father sent a letter.” Jerome replied with a sigh, cutting her off mid sentence.

“Treasonous old toad…” Ophelia grumbled as she looked down.

At those words I let out a small chuckle. Honestly thus far I quite like Ophelia, she seemed like the type of person I could get along with. I don’t mean romantically, after all I only have eyes for Charlotte but we could definitely be friends.

My laughter seemed to stop the brewing argument that was starting to appear between the pair of siblings.

“So what type of suitor would you prefer?” I ask with a smirk.

“Oh someone strong, intelligent but soft on the inside. Someone like brother here.” Ophelia said as she gestured to Jerome.

“Well I am a firm believer in the right of everyone to be able to choose their own fate.” I say.

“So would you be willing to give me that dance? I have already broken protocol by asking you as a woman.” Ophelia said.

I look over at Charlotte and she looks away for a moment. I am subtly asking for her permission, I don’t want this decision to cause any problems with us down the line.

“Fear not Lady Charlotte, I am aware of you and Sir Katsuro’s relationship. I am also aware of Princess Filianoreh’s agreement with him.

The house of Orien is afterall one of the greatest supporters of her claim to the throne. Marineberg is the heart of commerce in Regus, the Golden Mile may make the coins but Marineburg ensures those coins change hands.

Powerful men often have several wives I have no issue being the third or fourth wife. I afterall do not have the status to contend with you and Princess Filianoreh.” Ophelia said with a sweet smile.

Her tone sounded like someone was describing the weather and not at all like someone saying they were willing to have a minor role in a polygamous relationship.

I looked over at Princess Filianoreh who was quietly standing at the side and she gave me a sly smile.

“You will need to make alliances my dear Katsuro. What better place to start than a noble lady that is already considered slightly out of place. If you want this world to be saved, if you want to prevent the fabric of this civilization from unraveling like a fraying thread you will need to make alliances. Luckily for you, you are a man, that means you can cement alliances with something stronger than a piece of paper. You can tie the alliance by blood, houses that share your blood through your children will become your stalwart allies.

As for you Lady Charlotte, I can tell all of you heroes disapprove of anyone having multiple partners. But Katsuro here is the clear leader of the heroes. As all the Dark Heroes have been in the past. His position gives him power so the number of powerful and influential houses that wish for his child will only grow.

In truth you are lucky Lady Charlotte.” Filianoreh said.

“Lucky?” Charlotte replied her voice betraying the fact she was now very annoyed.

“Did you know there was once a leader of the Heroes that was a woman. She was the Water Hero, in order to hold the realm together she had to wed many men. Usually that won’t be the case for it is considered inappropriate for a woman to have many husbands. However, the political situation demanded it, so she had to do so regardless. Believe me it is better to share a man with many women than to be shared by many men.” Filianoreh said.

Charlotte looked away as she heard those words, her eyes now downcast as she bit her lip.

“What happened to her in the end? The water hero?” Charlotte asked softly.

“She bore twelve children to five husbands. She spent a decade and a half either with a child in her belly or at her breast. A great Hero reduced to a broodmare for the good of the realm.” Filianoreh said.

Charlotte didn’t reply; she just stood there quietly, her gaze lowered.

“Could we have a moment?” I ask as I look at Charlotte who is starting to look very depressed.

I take her to a nearby balcony and I turn to see Jerome and Filianoreh shut the door to the balcony behind us. I look back at Charlotte whose head was still down. I walk over and pull her into my chest. I hear her let out a small sniffle and I gently rub her back.

Charlotte looks up at me, her eyes wet with tears and I gently cup her cheek.

“I can turn her down.” I say softly.

“You shouldn’t… I’m sorry, it’s just me being selfish.” Charlotte said softly.

“We’re allowed to be a little selfish every now and then. Believe me when I saw you dancing with the prince I wasn’t that happy either.” I say with a smile.

“He’s repulsive. He was ogling me for the whole dance. If this happened back home I would have slapped him.” Charlotte said crossly.

Charlotte then took a deep breath as she shut her eyes. When she opened them again her eyes seemed clearer.

“You can accept the dance, Jerome is a good man. It wouldn’t hurt to make alliances.” Charlotte said, her tone returning to its usual calm state.

“Don’t worry I only have eyes for you.” I say as I pull Charlotte close. I could see the pink flush on her cheeks as she looked up at me.

“Ophelia seems nice, there could be worse choices for an arranged marriage.” Charlotte said. I feel those words were more for herself than for me.

“Yeah I can think of one person in particular.” I reply sarcastically..

“White hair?” Charlotte said with a smile of her own.

“Yeah she loves red lipstick too.” I reply with a small laugh. Charlotte joins and we laugh lightly.

In truth this whole multiple wives thing bothered me a great deal. I can’t imagine being able to love multiple women, so this whole thing makes me very uncomfortable. I know Charlotte feels the same, in fact I bet she feels worse. My predicament is having quite a few beautiful women around me, her predicament is having to share me with quite a few beautiful women.

Yeah she definitely gets the short end of the stick in this arrangement...

“We should go back inside, don’t want to arouse any suspicion. Well more than we already have. I guess our whole plan of making the court think you’re an outcast just went down the drain.” Charlotte said with a grimace.

“I guess you could keep looking a little upset, make it look like we had an argument.” I suggest.

“That might work.” Charlotte said with a nod.

“Should we go then?” Charlotte asked as she looked up at me.

I nod as we turn and reenter the ballroom. As soon as we opened the door I saw Jerome and Ophelia turn to face us. Ophelia’s eyes looked a little unsure as she gazed at me. I think she thought that she may have caused an argument.

I smile as I walk up to the pair and as Opehlia approached she stood silent for a moment as she looked at me.

“Would you like to dance Lady Ophelia?” I ask as I offer her my hand.

“Yes of course.” Ophelia said as her face seemed to relax in relief.

“Then Lady Charlotte would you like to dance? It might keep some of the vultures away for a bit. I did fight alongside you and I am already married so it would be seen as courtesy among comrades.” Jerome offered.

“Certainly Sir Jerome.” Charlotte said with a smile as she took his hand.

Then I heard the music change as if on que and the nobles began moving back onto the dance floor. I spot Filianoreh asking Jacob to dance and one of the attendants that usually tend to my room standing by the musicians. I notice Ivan is headed to the dance floor with… Lady Scilla.

As I walked forward with Ophelia hand in mine, I noticed that the other nobles who were looking to dance paused as they saw who was about to step onto the dance floor. One by one the nobles left the dance floor until only the four heroes and their partners were in the centre of the ballroom.

I spot the prince glaring darkly at Filianoreh and I start to understand. This is her way of showing she has the heroes’s favour. The prince had to manipulate the musicians to get Charlotte close to him, even then he could only manage to get one hero onto the dance floor. Now Filianoreh was showing the court she could get all four to dance with those in her camp.

This was a clear message as any, with this dance the court now knows without a doubt the Heroes supported her claim to the throne.

As I took my position on the dance floor and placed my hand on Ophelia’s slender waist I saw her smiling up at me slightly pink in the face.

“Quite a show we are putting up aren’t we?” Ophelia said with a smirk.

Step lightly Onaga Katsuro

For this dance floor is now sacred ground

The eyes of all who hold power are now upon us...