There was an unexpected comfort in throwing herself into the deep end of the Dofec social life on her arrival. She took the plunge willingly because one, it couldn’t be helped, her extended family would make sure that it was nothing less than a spectacle, and two, she’d learned to pick out the sharks. A result of both Valkom’s teachings and her own experiences. 

As she predicted, her brother made his displeasure of seeing both Valkom and Lior known immediately. Nikome was a busy man, given his line of work, but Nikase was familiar with all of his assistants well enough. They would show up to sweep Nikase away to ‘forgotten’ prearranged appointments during every one of their excursions. It was quite impressive. 

Valkom had made a bit of a game out of it, too, finding his own ways to weasel himself back into her life where he could, much to Nikome’s annoyance. 

Through her flats, Nikase felt the vibrations of the bass pedal hitting the drum. It’s pattern shifting from hitting on the first and third beat, to hitting all four beats. The smooth double bass entered on the third count with a note on the higher end of its range. Arco, with the bow. Unusual for the genre. 

The draw of the bow pulled her in closer, she really wanted to dance before the night’s end. 

“Do you want to dance?” asked Valkom, appearing beside her. 

Her surprise wasn’t at his finding her, rather his escaping her brother’s preventive measures.  

She glanced around for a sign of either of her siblings. Her sister Onixe had warmed up to the prince, but her loyalty was to Nikome as the future family patriarch. 

 “I don’t think that’s a good idea. At all.” She smiled at him despite the rejection. 

His eager expression didn’t waver, he was in a jovial mood.“Oh c’mon, let us dance with Liorit then. As throuple.” He waved Lior over and away from whomever conquest that wasn’t the girl she traveled with. 

The music worked against her, it taunted her, ’Come, enjoy me like you once did.’

The song was lively, a classic, and people were so caught up in their dance they wouldn’t notice her dancing with her friends. At least that is what she was counting on. She took Lior’s held out hand, and let herself be pulled onto the floor.

Valkom found the rhythm easily, and to his credit was a good dancer. That alone wasn’t anything to write home about. It was his knowledge of the Dofec dances and how they corresponded to their respective songs. He’d spend a lot of time in Dofev. 

And she knew that was the case because his visits were the sole topic of conversation when he was around. 

Usually, Nikase made a point not to be around. Not from lack of interest, but her greater interests elsewhere. 

She enjoyed celebrations, she enjoyed dancing, and she enjoyed spending time with her friends. Privately.  She preferred her extended family’s private parties over those of the upper Dofec social scene. 

The people around them murmured their enlightenment and approval. Commenting in Dofec amongst themselves, “The small fae prince can dance!” 

On average, the people of Dofev were taller and broader in stature compared to those from Bevij. It was common, in their tongue, to refer to visitors from Bevij as ‘fae’s, regardless of whether they were small. While Nikase didn’t see the term as derogatory in nature, she wondered if it was something worth asking Val or Lior about later. 

Lior herself proved to be a skilled dancer. At times even mouthing the words to the music, thoroughly enjoying herself. And unlike Val – who made the wise and cautious decision to avoid touching either Lior or Nikase – would sweep Nikase into a spin or a dip occasionally. 

Through them, Nikase felt herself sinking further into the music, letting the tension from her neck and shoulders melt into the collective wave of energy. Reveling in the faint memory of entangling herself in the net music created, and dancing in its echo. 

A light tap on her shoulder brought her back to reality. 

Her sister.

Onixe playfully joined their group. As to not sour the mood outright, she danced half a song with the three, before politely “borrowing” her sister for some preconceived situation via their brother. 

“Sorry, I told him you weren’t doing anything wrong, but you know how Niko is.” Onixe apologized to Nikase once the two walked into one of the empty side rooms. 

“It’s alright,” Nikase grinned, following her sister further into the dimly lit room. “I know I’ve been testing his patience.”

As they neared the window, the violet moonlight gave her a better idea of where they were: behind the second ballroom stage, where a number of instruments were stored.

 She recognized Bahar, a family friend, sitting at the grand piano delightedly tapping away at the keys. The second stage was far enough from the main stage that the music was audible, and the festivities outside were non the wiser to their little secret concert. 

Bahar played a lovely, popular children’s jig, adding her own decorations and flourishes at her leisure. Some worked, some less so, but she didn’t appear to care. She was in a place Nikase no longer had entry to. She still felt music.

“Nika!” Bahar landed on a light chord. “You look lovely! Did you purchase that in Bevij? The color of the gown is gorgeous.”

“Torelen. Thank you, I quite fancied it when I set eyes on it. Although, I wasn’t sure if the cut would be the slightest bit flattering.” Nikase took a seat next to her on the opal piano bench, and felt the fabric of the pianist’s scarlet skirts. “This is a wonderful fabric, though. The color is stunning as well.”

“Thank you, it was a gift from your sister. Expensive, but she wouldn’t take it back.”  She smiled across the piano at Onixe, meeting her light green eyes. 

She pressed her right hand down in a chord. Her fingers were so thin and dexterous, compared to Nikase’s own calloused childlike ones. The harpist hovered her fingers over the piano and felt the power of Bahar’s chord travel in tingles up her arm.  She copied the placement of Bahar’s fingers further down the keys and pressed down in the same way. The notes chimed an E minor, and she rather liked the sound of it. 

“That dress was made for you, Baha. No way was I returning it,” said Onixe, taking a seat on the closed lid of the piano. 

Bahar slid out of her seat and walked around to her, wrapping her arms around Onixe’s waist and interlocking her fingers together at the small of her back. 

“Onixe, that’s not good for the piano,” she mused, tugging her gently off the instrument.

Onixe grinned at her close friend and draped her arms on the woman’s shoulders, brushing aside Bahar’s long black hair. “Remember that time we put on that production of ’The Green Capped Messenger 'as children? This reminds me of the dance we put on.”

“Where I had to play Sergio because your brother couldn’t perform the lift?”  Bahar glanced away from Onixe’s brazenness. 

“He was so upset about that,” Onixe snickered. 

“Because he wanted you to be Olive, but you were taller than the rest of us then.” Nikase noted. 

“Nika, play us something.” Onixe said, turning to her sister. 

She did know a tune or two on the piano, at a very rudimentary level. “Alright, just know that I don’t know anything from ‘The Green Capped Messenger’.”

Her sister didn’t care to answer her, sliding off the piano, tying up her short light brown hair, and holding her arm out to Bahar.

Bahar shook her head disapprovingly, taking her hand and leading her through the dance from their childhood. Her reluctance made it seem as if Onixe was the one leading, because in a way she was. Onixe had always been the deviant between the two, and Nikase at times wondered if she took it too far. Onixe was always the one pulling the strings for her own amusement, whereas Bahar went along with it with love. In the way she did everything. With love. 

She thought about what Valkom had confided in her, in regard to love, and understood the sentiment. A love beyond rationality. In the face of it, she was hesitant to say that she’d ever truly had that. She’d loved Junas… rationally. The fact that she wouldn’t give up music for him further proved that. There were lengths that she had gone to protect that love, none that had extended beyond the physical line drawn on the sand. 

Bahar danced with Onixe, in spite of what she knew was rational. She would forgo music for Onixe, maybe more. 

And while Nikase now understood the appeal of that sort of love… she wasn’t sure if she wanted it, or if Valkom was right in wanting it. Surely it could be wonderful… and surely it could be ear-shattering.