"Ouch!"
"Ah! Sorry, sorry!"
It was late in the afternoon. The light of the setting sun streamed through the almost empty training hall's windows, illuminating its sole occupants as if a spotlight gifted by the heavens.
Medrauta grimaced as she stepped backward, removing her foot from Viviane's. The two of them had been practicing for the better part of an hour already, but the knight still hadn't made any progress at all.
"Geez! You're not even trying, Medrauta!" Viviane complained, puffing out her cheeks cutely.
"I am! I'm totally trying!" Medrauta protested as Viviane urged them to return to the starting position.
Truth be told, Medrauta never would have expected that she'd have to do something like this when she became a knight. She was an expert at footwork when it came to combat, but as it turns out, she was absolutely dismal when it came to dancing.
"Hm... Alright then. Let's try again. We still have a couple of hours before the Summer Gala!"
The Summer Gala. It had been Viviane's sole motivation for the two grueling weeks that she'd spent training with Sakura, and it was also the reason why the training hall was empty despite the sun still being up.
The gala was the first dance of the year which made it an unfathomably important event for the nobles of the academy. Not only was it a chance for them to show off their knight, but it also served as a noble's best chance to make a good first impression to their peers, especially if they were in their first year.
For that reason, the knights and nobles were all sequestered in their chambers or frequenting the town's many shops in the hopes of coordinating the perfect outfit before their debut in the evening. There was no need for them to practice dancing. After all, nobles were trained to dance from birth, and knights were trained to dance while they were studying as pages.
However, as someone who entered knightly society as a squire, Medrauta never had the chance to learn the finer arts of etiquette like dancing. Padraig had given her a rather detailed lesson in chivalry, and that had been it.
Despite Medrauta's galumphing attempts as dancing and utterly inexplicable mistakes, Viviane didn't really mind one bit. Instead, she smiled as she tugged her knight along.
As the better dancer, she had no choice but to take the role of the lead. While she was no expert herself, Viviane was still rather confident in her steps.
She was simply grateful for the chance to dance with Medrauta at all.
"Ow!" Viviane cried as Medrauta inadvertently stepped on her foot once more after a particularly complex turn.
"Sorry," Medrauta said with a sigh. She removed her hands from Viviane, stepping back. "Maybe we should just give it a rest for today. I don't think I'm going to get any better before the gala, and I'd rather avoid embarrassing you there. Besides, there's always the Winter Gala."
"H-Huh...? Are you perhaps suggesting that we skip the gala...?"
Medrauta shrugged. "No, it's just... I mean, we could go for a stroll instead. See the stars. Have a picnic. That sort of thing, y'know? I was never really into dancing, anyway."
Viviane's heart sank. We've only been practicing for a little over an hour, but she's giving up already...? She must really hate this...
"I... I really wanted to do this with you, Medrauta. You know, I trained so hard every day for the past two weeks just so we could have this chance, but..." Viviane's gaze dropped to the ground. "I'm sorry. It was selfish of me. I was deciding things on my own, just like the princess."
Medrauta's eyes widened. She shook her head quickly, her hands hastening to grab hold of Viviane's as if she feared the noblewoman would slip away. "N-No! You misunderstand me, Viviane! It's just that I've heard the first dance is somewhat similar to a noble's social debut of the year, isn't it? I simply can't bring myself to embarrass you at an event like that."
"You're the one that's misunderstanding, Medrauta! Even if you stepped on me a hundred times, I wouldn't be embarrassed in the slightest!"
"E-Eh!? Seriously!?"
Viviane nodded. "Yeah. O-Only if it's you, though!"
Gah! Medrauta stepped back, covering her mouth as she felt her cheeks grow hot. She didn't trust herself to speak, else she might embarrass herself instead.
"So... Dance with me?" Viviane held out her hands hopefully.
It took a moment for Medrauta to recover, but she soon calmed her heart and joined her hands with Viviane's, allowing the noblewoman to lead her steps once more. It was an unfamiliar position for Medrauta as she was used to taking the lead both in combat and in social matters.
There were few among her peers who would speak out against her, and those who did were quickly cowed by the sheer force of her presence. Among the knights, she was someone who was respected despite her mannerisms sometimes bordering on crass.
In combat, she was always the one who set the tempo. Duels were no more than games to her, and even though she had lost over two-hundred matches, she always won the exchanges with her opponent until their noble activated their Crest.
To surrender her body to the whims of someone else would normally be unthinkable for her, yet she was fine with allowing Viviane to lead her. More than that, she wanted Viviane to do so.
The two circled the training hall as Medrauta placed every iota of focus she possessed into properly performing the steps that Viviane had taught her earlier. She observed Viviane's movements closely, not even missing a single one of the noblewoman's breaths.
It was partway through their dance that Medrauta had realized the truth behind her dismal dancing skill. She was terrible at dancing. That much was true. However, that lack of skill had been compounded by the years of training and habit that she'd developed.
Her body had been conditioned to move a certain way. A quick and efficient way that allowed for no wasted motion. And therein laid the problem.
Her body was utterly unsuited to the large, flowing movements of the empire's traditional form of ballroom dance. While the movements looked elegant and showy, they were far from efficient and even ran counterintuitive to how Medrauta conducted herself in everyday life.
Damn it! Medrauta cursed silently as she nearly faltered on the latest step. Though such a misstep might've fueled her inclination to give up earlier, it only strengthened her resolve now. She had already decided to make Viviane happy tonight no matter what.
Medrauta fought against herself as Viviane began that intricate pivot once more, forcing herself to emulate the steps she'd been taught when they first started practicing. She could do nothing but try her best, relaxing as Viviane pulled her into a rapid twirl, ending with a rather snappy flourish that nearly caused their chests to touch.
"We did it!" Viviane gushed, suddenly pulling Medrauta into a hug.
"Bwuh!? W-We did!?" Medrauta blinked. She was too shocked to even be flustered by the sudden embrace.
"Mhm! That twirl was the final step of the dance! Congratulations, Medrauta! You didn't step on me even once!"
Medrauta breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank Aluvsha. Now I won't have to do that ever again."
"Huh? What do you mean, Medrauta? This isn't the ball, you know?"
"Guh!" Medrauta recoiled as if she'd been hit by a battering ram. Completing that dance had taken all her willpower, and now she remembered that it was nothing more than a practice run. "I was so caught up in the battle that I failed to see the war in front of me..."
Viviane giggled, her laughter brighter than the noonday sun. "C'mon, let's do it again!"
Medrauta grimaced, but as reluctant as she appeared, she gladly joined hands with Viviane once more. She would never admit it, but she was slowly beginning to grow an appreciation for dance.
With the steps performed properly, there was a sense of intimacy between them that she hadn't even been able to experience in the arena. It was a gentle sort of closeness unlike the adrenaline-fueled synchronicity that ran through Medrauta's body during combat.
Almost like the difference between a passionate kiss and a hug... As the thought ran through her head, Medrauta was suddenly reminded of something.
"Hey, Viviane?"
"Hm?" Viviane looked up at her knight as she slowly began the starting steps of the dance once again. It had felt strange to lead someone taller than her at first, but now she had gotten used to it.
"In the prep room before the match... You were going to say something, weren't you?"
Viviane was silent for a while, her brow furrowing in concentration as she tried to recall the conversation. For a moment, Medrauta thought that Viviane had forgotten about the whole thing and was willing to let it drop, but Viviane's cheeks suddenly burst into the most beautiful shade of pink.
"I d-d-don't remember a t-thing!" Viviane's eyes spun as she attempted to continue the dance.
Despite her skill, Viviane's embarrassment-ridden mind served as a powerful distraction. She floundered on a step and then stumbled, causing her to begin tumbling to the ground.
Her eyes wrenched shut in reflex and her hands separated from Medrauta's as she sought to shield herself from the fall. Yet, no matter how long she waited, she would never reach the ground.
"U-Uwaah!" Viviane exclaimed as she opened her eyes. Gazing right into her golden eyes were Medrauta's blue. She couldn't help but think that they were like radiant sapphires as they caught the light of the sun.
Medrauta leaned over Viviane, holding her by the hip. Her other hand was wrapped around Viviane's upper back, supporting her as the two of them locked eyes with one another. The knight had no doubt that she was blushing just as hard as her lady was, but she didn't care.
There was something far more important to address.
"Aren't you going to finish what you were saying?"
"I-I said I d-don't remember! At all!"
Medrauta leaned in close, only stoking the already-blazing flames of Viviane's embarrassment. Their soft chests pressed against one another, both girls feeling the intensity of the other's heartbeat.
"It isn't good to lie, Viviane. Now then, tell me. What did you want me to do back then?"
Viviane's lips parted. Medrauta was leaning in closer by the second, and if she continued, then their lips would inevitably touch. Impossibly, her heart sped up. She knew what she wanted, and she knew that she would receive it if only she had the courage to say it.
"I... I want you to..."
"Yes? What do you want me to do?" Medrauta asked, unable to hide the eagerness in her voice this time. The period of time she'd spent apart from Viviane had only strengthened her feelings toward the noblewoman. They'd made her realize what that tightness in her chest meant and why her heartbeat sped up whenever she was in Viviane's presence.
Though Medrauta had no prior experience with love, she knew that whatever she felt for Viviane had to be it. She wanted to protect her, to cherish her, and to fight for her. But most of all, Medrauta knew that she wanted to be by her side. Being forcefully separated from Viviane had made her understand that very well.
"I want you to ki..."
Medrauta's face drew nearer to Viviane's, their noses nearly touching now. All she needed was Viviane to say that one word, and she would give her lady the world and more.
"...kick off our reunion by trying on a few dresses I selected for you! They'll look great at the gala, I promise!" Viviane laughed nervously as she somehow managed to slip free of Medrauta's grasp. "W-Well, I'm gonna go get them so just wait here, okay!? Yep! Seeya! I'll be back really soon! Awesome! Yay!"
Viviane immediately booked it, enhancing herself with ki as she dashed out of the training hall and to her room at top speed, covering her fantastically flushed face all the while.
Medrauta stood alone in the room, staring at the door in shock. She had been ready to give her everything to Viviane. She knew—or at least thought she knew—how the other woman felt, and she believed that now had been the perfect moment to seal the deal after their first successful dance together.
Yet, Viviane had avoided it again at the last moment.
Medrauta shook her head bitterly.
...How foolish I was. Am I... hoping for too much?