#adristo

Through her lashes, she could see the princess staring down at her. Her dress was a majesty––a deep royal blue with embroidered patterns all over––but it was only her face that Calisto had eyes for. The outline of her father was carved in her square jaw, high cheekbones, and oak-brown eyes, features that might’ve been more suited for a son. Her dark hair had been tied and braided into an elaborate bun, silver pins and glittering jewels shining through it like the night sky. Cal had never met Adriana’s mother, and neither had Adriana herself. Still, she couldn’t imagine another person with as keen a gaze and as careful a smile, much less a woman to inherit it from. 

“Cal,” Adriana said, with patience, not moving a finger towards Cal’s outstretched hand. “I do mean it.” 

“Your father’s trying to intimidate Pallas.” She tilted her head in mock contemplation. “And I reckon we have about two more minutes before people staring and pitying the cramp in my neck from standing like this.”

Adriana didn’t turn to see if what Calisto said was true. Cal had seen her watching them herself, waiting with her ever-sharp gaze. Still, she gave Cal her first real smile of the night. “Did you plan this?” “Your father’s been eyeing Pallas like a hawk all dinner, and I thought, why not?” Cal shrugged. “You’re going to marry him anyway.” With a careful gaze and a purposeful movement, she took Cal’s hand. “I suppose I am.”

Cal straightened, felt the strain in her back loosen. Melodramatics aside, she was almost starting to think that she’d get a hunch in her back sixty years too early, standing like that. Still, she made no indication of that as she sent Adriana a winning smile. Adriana merely rolled her eyes as she led Calisto onto the dance floor. It took the crowd about five minutes to realise they were dancing, and by then, it was five minutes too late. They both knew the dance well––six years at court, and it was still the only part of court courtesy that she happily took part in. 

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the emperor scowl as he glanced towards them, away from Pallas. Calisto let a wicked grin split over her face. Your insult, my pleasure, you old bastard. 

“Are you going to sway there looking smug,” Adriana said, though her own smile was dripping in amusement as well, “Or are you going to dance with me?”

Cal’s grin only grew wider. 

The first dance was always a cheerful one, meant to get young ladies and lords on their feet as fast as possible. As such, it was usually the least formal. (though, Cal thought wryly, that was equivalent to calling someone the ‘tallest dwarf.’) Adriana took the lead, and though the steps were more unfamiliar to her, she’d been at enough of these damned things to know the basics. Cal took the ladies role with ease, putting her own flair into the steps whenever things got too slow or repetitive. Her quick feet made quick footwork, and her one-sided cloak––short and the same color as Adriana’s dress––was a colorful flag in the wind as she twirled, skipped, leaned into Adriana’s steady weight.

She was breathing hard, beads of sweat starting to form on the base of her collar, but that didn’t stop her from sending Adriana an exaggerated pout. “I thought we were supposed to be dancing.”

Adriana rolled her eyes, and started going faster.

Cal felt the ripples around them. The partners around the, realising that their steps were out of time with the princess. The moment of panic: did I step wrong on that last phrase? She felt it spread around them like a tidal wave. The musicians began to speed up as well, not wanting to be out of time with the princess of all people, and everyone else was simply dragged along. This whole time, Calisto never took her eyes off Adriana, a genuine smile working its way onto her face as she kept up with Adriana’s pace. “You are horrible,” she said, no doubt noticing the same things that Cal did. Still, this wasn’t their first time at these damned court celebrations. “You adore it,” Cal shot back. With a hint of satisfaction, she noted that Adriana didn’t deny it. “If their old creaking legs get tired, they can always go sit down.”

“Your creaking legs, you mean?” Adriana replied innocently.

Cal flashed a grin. The next sequence was a twirl, and when Adriana pulled Cal’s back close to her chest, she leaned a little closer than absolutely necessary. In the breath space between, she whispered, “Was that a challenge?” “Maybe,” was Adriana’s smooth reply, right as she pulled Cal into the next sequence. 

Going faster. 

The dancing had Cal’s heart beating fast, but it was the playful spark in Adriana’s eyes and the teasing edge to her tone that made her heart flutter. For a moment, she thought back to how it had been before. They’d been too young for anyone to consider them anything other than friends. The times when Adriana wasn’t too worried or too tense to truly relax had never been common, but they used to come around more often. A simpler time. No talks of marriage, at least, even if everything else was still the same.

But as the steps went faster, and Cal’s breaths came just a hair quicker, she knew time waited for no one. Mourning what had been would get her nothing, and in truth, there was nothing to mourn about the person in front of her right now. Adriana had grown into her full height, standing as tall as her to-be-fiance, though she was still built like a bird. Her strong jaw had filled out, her gaze sharpened, her hands more sure, and though she still held her heart guarded as ever, Calisto knew her spot right beside it better than she knew herself. 

Neither of them faltered in their steps, even once, though Calisto moved as quick and sure as outstretched flames, and Adriana as smooth as the dark ocean’s currents. Dancers around them peeled away one by one to rest their legs, or simply wanting nothing in the insanity of the musicians’ quickening pace, to match their princess’ feet. 

“Tired, Riana?” Cal said, chest heaving now. “Thinking of that glass of wine you left on the table, perhaps?”

“Not at all.” Adriana said, but Cal could see her running out of breath as well, perhaps more so than Calisto. Though she had less steps and longer legs, Cal was made of lean muscle and years of physical training, while Adriana was built as if she had a bird’s hollow bones, a pallor made from spending late nights in the library. “Well, I am,” said Calisto cheerfully. Adriana let out a breathless laugh, surprised by the sudden honesty, the strain in her chest momentarily forgotten.

There were only a few couples left on the center of the floor, and Cal knew the musicians wouldn’t be dragging this song any longer, what with everyone’s unamused looks and the emperor’s patience being pushed to the limit. She saw Adriana’s gaze flicker to them, a moment of guilt in that ever-sharp gaze, but Cal pulled her back to attention with a small squeeze of her hand in Riana’s.

To hell with them, she thought, but didn’t say, This is ours. They’ll have the rest of forever to dance with partners that don’t even matter to them. “Just one dance, for us,” was what she said out loud, barely loud enough to hear over their steps on the floor. But Adriana nodded, and didn’t take her eyes off Cal. It was just them, now. She could see the sweat on Adriana’s brow, the warm breath from her lips. It only made the heat in Cal’s chest burn, feeling it all the way from her flushed cheeks to the tips of her fingers. Adriana’s piercing gaze only made her feel more bold, more sure. The rest of the room was a blur; only the feeling of Adriana’s hand in hers and their movements in perfect sync were present in her mind’s eye.

And then, with a final twirl and dip, the music ended. 

Cal could’ve spent eons in that moment. Adriana’s flushed cheeks, stained red lips, their foreheads inches from touching. Silence.

No one clapped. 

So Calisto stepped out of their embrace and bowed anyway, though her head brushed nowhere close to the floor. Adriana remained standing and sighed, but held onto one of her hands. 

---

“How are your legs?” Adriana asked cooly, pulling them away from the center of the floor as people began to drift back there in pairs. 

Cal smirked. It had been nowhere near a workout, though Cal’s legs still strained slightly from a dance well enjoyed. “I’d worry more about yourself, Riana. You looked like you were about to faint when they ended the song. I would’ve had to catch you, and put your dearest Pallas to shame!”

“Thanks to you, I’m not going to have enough breath left to last me two steps into the next dance,” Adriana said, but the traces of her smile had yet to disappear from her voice and her face. “You’re the princess, Riana,” she said, in a silver-sweet tone she used only when teasing, “I’m sure no one would judge if your creaky legs were giving you tr–– hey!” Cal said, pulling her hand away as she felt the sting of Adriana pinching it.