The damned Ball had not even started, and James was already running late.
He strolled quickly down the palace hallway, guards behind him trying to keep up. The sounds of servants and staff working on last minute preparations echoed from every direction. Those who passed him, hurriedly carrying their burdens, gave the barest of respectful nods. He understood perfectly, his own acknowledgment not much better.
Why had he agreed to all this?
The dance itself would probably be fine. An excuse for him to hold at least two dozen young women as they moved and twirled over the course of the evening. A rare chance to enjoy the more immoral side of power. Not that he'd be taking advantage of the women, placing his hands in inappropriate places. However, he fully expected some of them to be doing their best to do some last minute lobbying for the job of his Queen. By the time the evening was over, he'd probably be, as the saying went, as hard as Chinese Algebra.
Nothing about what was down the hall would have that effect.
He paused before the closed door to his office, composing himself. Adamczyk stiffened to attention beside the doorway, his pike coming up to the proper position.
"Your Grace. The Kikker Chief and his daughter are inside."
"Thank you. You're relieved."
"Thank you, Your Grace." The soldier saluted, stepping aside as Duda and Nowak took their positions on either side of the door. As the man quickly moved to his next assignment, James entered his office.
Chief Ajani rose from the cushioned chair against the wall, a smile on his large face. The Kikker leader wore a toga of golden rope, thick strands braided in intricate patterns but still covering relatively little. He met James in the center of the room, right hand outstretched.
"King James! Greetings!"
James could not help but smile. His Polish was getting better. He took the Chief's hand, giving and getting a firm squeeze.
"Greetings, Chief Ajani. Thank you for coming."
"You think I would not come, and miss the party? You Polish throw such good parties!"
The image of the large frog man dancing at his coronation, empty wine glass in his hand, brought another smile to the King. He'd already assigned one of his men to keep an eye on the Chief.
"While you ARE here for the Ball, that's not why we need to talk now." James glanced over at Ola's desk. Adanya and Bogdi stood beside it, nervous. Ajani most likely thought Bogdi was there simply as an escort. He nodded to them.
"I know something is up," Chief Ajani said, voice now serious. "There is much movement, rumor."
"Too much." James motioned to a chair. "Sit." Grabbing a different one, he pulled it out, turning it to face the Kikker. James sat with a sigh. Ajani leaned forward, webbed hands on his knees.
"What is going on, my friend?"
"We have, my friend, a situation. One I did not imagine possible, and which both our peoples may react violently to."
"That does not sound good."
"No, it does not." He motioned to Bogdi and Adanya. Her father's eyes widened as the two approached.
"Adanya?"
"Father." She smiled a nervous smile. James saw the hulking Bogdi take her hand. The soldier took a half step forward.
"Sir. I love your daughter. We have... mated."
The Chief blinked. Then blinked again. His face became one of confusion.
"Adanya... I do not disapprove, naturally. You know I love you, and whatever your heart tells you I will allow. You have not shown much interest in those who pursued you, but frankly I did not think much of them either..."
"There are EGGS, Father."
Another blink.
"Eggs."
"Yes."
Silence fell on the room.
James honestly did not know how the man would react. And he did think of him as a man. One had to. It was the only way to mentally cope. Plus, he liked Ajani. The Kikker was just a nice guy.
The Chief's brown splotchy body sagged in his chair, head bowed. His voice was barely over a whisper.
"Where are they?"
"In the hot spring, Father."
"Are they..."
Releasing Bogdi's hand, Adanya moved to Ajani's side, dropping down onto both knees beside him. She placed a hand on his.
"They are well. They may hatch in a few days."
"HOW?" The Chief raised his gaze to James, disbelief on his face. "You Poles don't even have eggs!"
"Actually," James corrected, a tired laugh in his voice, "we do. Women release one egg a month, and if it is fertilized it 'hatches' and grows for nine months inside her before coming out." Now Bogdi had a look of surprised disbelief. James ignored him. "That's not important, though. This is beyond anything I'm used to. I know how my people feel about this kind of thing. What do we do?"
"Do?" Ajani straightened. Reaching out, he placed a hand on his daughter's head. "I do what any father would do. My people will accept my grandchildren. We will raise them in our village."
A wave of relief flowed throughout James. He released a breath he didn't realize he had held.
"Thank you. Ask for anything you may need. It is yours."
"Thank you, my friend." The Kikker Chief rose. "Now, I think I need some of your Polish drink."
****
"Wow! You're beautiful, Lady Shanna!"
Young Ruta's exclamation confirmed what Shanna could already tell. While she was a jeans and t-shirt kind of woman, she DID look great in a dress. More, the woman who had talked her into this one was a genius. It simply flowed down her curves, not hugging her body so much as teasing at what lay beneath. The neckline was not too low, but then she was not hunting that evening. She turned, watching the fabric move in the full length mirror.
"Green is my color, I think."
"I should say so," Ewa replied. Stepping closer, the blonde adjusted the yellow rope belt. "There. Are you sure you don't want to do something with your hair?"
Shanna laughed, a hand going up to her dense curls.
"I do not think your fashions take Afros into account. No, I'm good." She looked across the room. "How about you, Anelie?"
A young maid was braiding ribbons into the redhead's hair as she sat at Ewa's vanity. Anelie looked at Shanna via the mirror, clearly afraid to move lest she ruin whatever styling was in the works.
"I'm good. Thank you for this, Lady Ewa!"
"Oh, you are welcome! We women must stick together!" Shanna watched the girl as she crossed the room, stopping by Ruta to check the girl's makeup. The non-Queen was clearly enjoying herself, playing the part of mother to them. And, she had to admit, Shanna was enjoying being doted on. Not since Prom had she dressed up.
There was a knock on the door. It opened a moment later, a female page stepping inside the Royal Chambers. She gave a brief bow.
"Lady Shanna. Lieutenant Piotr Kosciuszko of the Royal Hussars sends his greetings, and wishes to know when he will have the pleasure of seeing you and Lady Anelie."
She could not help but grin. Today was a day for silly formality. Shanna glanced at Ewa. Ewa considered, eyes giving Anelie a searching look.
"Another half hour, I think," Ewa said. "There is no reason for any of us to be early."
****
The look on Piotr's face made the entire rest of the evening superfluous.
Shanna curtsied, hands lifting the hem of her dress. She did not lower her eyes, though. No shy maiden she. No, she kept her gaze on the dashing soldier before her. His eyes were almost popping out of his head, hand clenching the hilt of the sword belted to his waist. Rising, she chuckled.
"You like, I take it?"
"Oh, yes!" He shook his head, as if to clear it. "You're beautiful IN armor, but out of it! Wow!"
Several comments came to her mind, but she discarded all of them. Anelie was beside her, and Shanna had forbidden herself from any extreme flirting with EITHER of them. Tonight, they would just be friends.
Piotr, to her surprise, took a step towards Anelie, bowing to her.
"You look amazing too, Lady Anelie. Your hair is exquisite."
The redhead blushed, eyes down on the floor. Obviously, he had not made any such promise. Well, that was not Shanna's problem. She reached out, touching the girl's arm.
"I think we should enter, now. Dazzle the nobles with our unobtainable beauty."
"Agreed," Piotr said. Turning, he extended an arm towards her. Shanna took it. Looking at Anelie, he offered his other arm to her. A determined, yet mirthful, look came over her eyes. Ignoring Piotr, Anelie walked around them and took Shanna's free arm. Shanna laughed.
"Oh ho! So, it's scandal among our betters, is it?"
"You don't mind, do you?" Anelie asked, voice soft. Shanna shook her head.
"Naw. Compared to everything else going on, what's a little lesbianism thrown in? Hell, it will be amusing to see which other women look jealous." She reached up with her right hand, disentangling from Piotr so she could adjust her glasses. She took his arm again. "OK. Let's go."
****
James danced.
The music was polka-ish, not yet that style but obviously its precursor. A dozen other influences seemed mixed in as well, some recognizably human, some not. The dancing, too, seemed a strange mix. It was not ballroom, which did not surprise him. That was probably much more modern than movies would have you believe. The one which seemed the most popular was a form of line dance, males and females facing each other. The two lines would come together, then part, with much clapping and laughing. At seemingly random intervals you grabbed your partner and spun around together, finally releasing them only to find the men and women had switched sides of the room. Often one couple would get the timing wrong, ending up on the wrong side to the amusement of all.
There was also a couple's dance. The music here was somewhat slower, depending. You could actually pay attention to your partner in these, your hands usually on their waist, or bare arms. Much more romantic, sexual.
Which of the eligible young ladies presented themselves to James before each dance told him quite a bit about where they stood on the issue of Queenship. Freed from the immediate presence of their mothers, a number merely acted friendly, polite, to the King. These tried to be picked for the fast line dances. Afterwards, more often than not, they made a beeline to some well dressed young male who was obviously their real target for the evening. One, a rather small, pixie of a girl, went so far as to shove a far larger woman away from a startled noble's son. She grabbed his hand, pulling him into the crowd to the laughter of those around them. James guessed she firmly intended to get knocked up and married, in that order, and wanted to get an early start on the first part.
On the other side of things, there were definitely women who felt they still had a shot. They chose the couples dances, letting their hands move over him as much as they thought they could get away with. Some tried to impress him with their brain, but that was in addition to, not instead of, the unspoken seductive promises. The most brazen was a brown haired beauty who, while reaching up to brush aside a strand of hair on his forehead, slid a finger past his nose. James caught the distinctive smell of female sex. Exactly HOW she had placed that odor there while wearing that dress, and when, distracted him from the more sexual side of the act. She stomped off after the dance, clearly frustrated.
"Your Grace."
He turned from the drink table, a smile already on his face. Lusia stood before him, dress a light blue surprisingly similar to Ewa's. He wondered if they had conspired. Her blonde hair was up, braided and wound together in an incredibly complicated manner. She stood quietly as he just took her in, a slight smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. Grinning, he gave a small bow of his head.
"Lady. It is an honor."
"Thank you for inviting us." Looking behind her, he saw both her mother and younger sister. The girl was glancing around, clearly bored.
"It was the least I could do." A frown crossed his face, noticing an absence. "Where is your father?"
"Over by the far wall." Craning his neck, James saw Ludoslaw, deep in conversation with a dozen others. He nodded. The faster the newcomers integrated, the easier the winter would go.
The music changed, moving from a slow background tempo to the start of a dance. James saw three women start towards him, only to back away at the sight of Lusia. Smiling, he offered his arm to her.
"May I have this dance, Lady Lusia?"
"Certainly, Your Grace."
Her smile was genuine. Whatever doubts she had about the future, she seemed happy in the moment. Moving towards the center of the dance floor, they took their places.
****
"They keep asking me to dance!"
Anelie fumed next to the long table, Shanna trying not to laugh. She obviously did not succeed. Anelie stamped her foot.
"It's not funny! I don't like it!"
"You're the one who wanted to come to the dance, and that's what happens to beautiful women at things like this. It's the cross we bear." Shanna turned to the table, eyes once again going over the heaping plates of food. The pig and duck population must have been decimated to provide this much meat. Maybe that was part of the reason for autumn festivals, so there would be less livestock to feed over the winter. Deciding it wasn't her problem, she grabbed a rolled up slice of ham. "At least enjoy the food."
"Oh, I am." Anelie grabbed a chicken wing from a platter, pausing to dip it into a bowl which was not QUITE blue cheese, but close enough. The almost orgasmic expression that appeared on Anelie's face as she bit into the wing brought out another laugh from Shanna.
"So, you like Wings?"
"Oh, God yes! You said where you came from invented these?"
"Yup. Often copied, never bettered." Looking down the table, Shanna was amused to also see a stack of what looked like beef-on-weck, thin cut roast beef on salt covered roll. James was busting out all the Buffalo classics. No pizza, though. Maybe for his wedding.
She looked around for Piotr. He was dancing with some girl, doing one of those stupid line dances. She was young, pretty. Just the sort to go for a dashing soldier like Piotr. She had told him to feel free to accept dances from others. She had already danced with one guy, although Shanna didn't think she'd do that again. She wasn't much of a dancer, for one. Plus, it had just not felt right to have his hands on her. She was a one man woman, after all.
Well, one man, one woman, woman, kinda.
"Excuse us, Ladies?"
Two men stood before them. Well dressed, if a bit gaudy in their stylings. Early twenties, she though, and thus in this world well established if they were invited to the Ball. Not military. She cocked her head at the one who had spoken.
"What can we do for you?"
The unladylike nature of her question seemed to throw them for a loop. From the corner of her eye, Shanna saw Anelie trying not to grin. She also saw the dance had ended, Piotr rebuffing the slut's attempt to stay in his company. That lightened her mood. Possibly seeing that, the man regained his composure.
"Um, well, I'm Norbert, this is Achym."
Shanna nodded, still smiling. She did not offer their names. Another nervous look passed between the two men.
"Um... well, we were wondering if you two would like the next dance."
"That's rather forward, without even knowing our names. Wouldn't you agree, Anelie?"
"I agree, Lady Shanna."
"Yes. I must say, I'm insulted."
"What?!" The man took a step back, shock on his face. From his movements, Shanna guessed both were well into that evening's drinking. She saw Piotr approach.
"Lieutenant!" She raised her arm. "These boorish men are bothering us. Could you help?"
"What?!" Now the other man stepped back. Their eyes went to Piotr, and the officer's uniform. Grabbing each other's arm, they moved away, vanishing into the crowd.
"I can see," Piotr said as he came up to them, "that you two are having fun." He grabbed one of the wings, biting into it without first using the faux blue cheese. His eyes immediately widened. "Damn!" He winced, eyes watering. "This is spicy!"
"Wimp." Anelie took another bite out of her wing, already covered in the whitish cheese. "You're obviously," she said, mouth full, "not man enough for her."
****
"They're staring at us."
"Good." James smiled at the Kikker woman, adjusting his hand on her bare waist as they moved across the dance floor. The rope of her skirt had felt uncomfortable under his palm.
"Good?" Adanya looked up at him, both amused and confused. "They're going to think I'm a prospective bride!"
"And given you and Bogdi, we have to get them used to the concept." His eyes swept the dance floor. Yes, they were drawing attention. So, too, were the two Kikker couples dancing among the humans. The rest of Chief Ajani's party were against the wall, conversing with a few humans. Another pair of dancers caught his eye. "Besides, it will distract from Shanna and Anelie dancing together."
"Oh!" Adanya followed his gaze. "They do make a good couple."
"Oh, I'm not disagreeing, or disapproving. Everything in its time, though." The music changed tempo. Raising their joined hands, she twirled before him, James standing still. After three rotations their arms lowered, feet moving again. "You've practiced this, I see."
"Human dances are now the thing with us. The other girls can't get enough of them."
"The attraction of the foreign."
"Yes."
He felt her hand shift on his waist. Why was it the more human looking Elf girl disturbed him so much, yet he was now coming to actually like the creature before him? Was it simply familiarity? Should he bring the Queen to his Palace? After he had his own Queen, naturally. Those were rumors he wanted to have no basis in reality.
Something seemed to change in the Kikker woman's expression. Her touch felt different, how exactly he could not explain.
"What is it?" he asked.
"Nothing," she said. "Nothing..."
****
Shanna pulled Anelie to the punch table, the girl's face beet red. She could only grin at her friend's embarrassment.
"I said I'm sorry!" Anelie ducked her head down. Shanna gave her a light rap of her knuckles on her skull.
"You also said you had practiced! That was horrible!"
"I only stepped on your feet twice!"
"That's two times too many! Even Piotr doesn't do that!"
The face that rose to look at her was no longer embarrassed. Jealousy and competitive fire had replaced it. Much better, in Shanna's opinion. She looked around.
"Speaking of Piotr, he said he wanted the..."
She stopped as her gaze found him. Piotr was moving swiftly through the crowd, cutting a path towards her. His expression was one she had only seen on him when in armor. Grabbing Anelie's hand, she pulled the girl as she made her way towards him.
"What's up?" she asked as they met. Piotr took her arm, directing the two of them towards one of the exits.
"One of the guards overheard something about the Elf Queen. He didn't catch all of it, just the word 'tonight'."
"Fuck." Her gaze went towards the far end of the room. James was conversing with the engineer Tadeusz.
"Yes." One of Piotr's men was running up, a thin blonde woman trying to keep up. Piotr paused as the man came close. "Gather the men. Stay close to the King. Tell the guards to stay alert, but don't panic the people. I'm escorting Shanna back to the Fort, then I'll come back."
"Yes Sir!"
Tugging on Piotr, Shanna led both her lovers out of the ballroom.
"Let this be nothing," she whispered.