#laendler

You were barely hiding your smile as you caught sight of the petulant looking Lohen who stood with his arms crossed just beside the stage. Tapping his foot impatiently and at odds with the excited audience.

But there really wasn’t much he could do about the situation. When Varka had talked to Adorno, now in very poor health, that Lohen would be punished for his transgressions, Adorno had simply smiled and said he never had gotten to see Lohen perform the dance he’d claimed to have learned after joining the Knights of Favonius. And that had apparently been an opportunity too good for Varka to pass up.

Which was how you’d gotten involved. Lohen had, in actuality, never learned to dance the Laendler like he’d claimed too. That had been a lie, which was something you figured both Varka and Adorno already knew.

So, in the midst of his probation, Lohen had been forced to quickly learn to perform a dance he supposedly already knew and you had gotten roped in. And honestly, you were only doing it for Adorno’s sake.

You walked over, all but grinning as Lohen glanced over. His eyes rolling towards you as he let out a lengthy sigh, “Good, you’re here. Let’s just get this over with.”

To say the least, Lohen did not care for dancing. He presumably found it boring and, to be fair, the Laendler wasn’t exactly a challenge. 

But it was a dance Adorno himself particularly liked.

You hummed, taking the gloved hand he held out and letting him lead you out and onto the stage as the audience cheered. Though several knights, including Varka himself, were outright laughing.

But then Varka, much like Adorno who sat next to him, knew exactly what this was. A punishment.

“You're lucky you’re getting off this lightly,” Your words muttered as you bobbed your head. Genuinely delighted to see that Adorno had made it. You’d honestly doubted he would be here just because of his health.

But then, Varka probably made sure that so long as Adorno felt up to it, he would have a spot. After all, everyone knew it wouldn’t be long now. That was why Lohen was pasting on such a nice smile.

“You don’t even know what I did.” Lohen’s snarky response came the moment you pivoted to face him. Your motions matching the lilting music perfectly as the two of you stepped forward together.

But that was where Lohen had gotten lucky. Not only was the Laendler not a challenging dance. It was a traditional walking dance, which meant learning it wasn’t overly difficult. Or at least not compared to some other dances.

You matched his gaze, your pleasant smile that you wore for each pivot toward the crowd shifting to an unimpressed frown every time you faced him, “I know it was bad enough to get you removed from an honor ceremony, denied a promotion, and put on a lengthy probation that even Adorno wasn’t willing to fish you out of which tells me everything I really need to know.”

You twisted with Lohen, moving in the opposite direction, now with your hands in his as you continued. Half-amused by the fact he had to keep his polite mask on since he was the one facing the audience. “Besides, this is you we’re talking about Lohen. Even arson, overzealous torture of a hostage for information, and sundry other crimes aren’t off the list for you.”

He snorted as you both spun, your motions mirroring each other until you came to a stop. Both of you posed with one arm raised to form and arch over your heads while your other hand rested against your waist. Ready to start twirling the moment he started to walk forward. He paused though, leaning forward slightly with a distinctly foreboding gleam to his eyes, “You do know me well.”

He stepped forward before you could retort, instead having to twirl for the sake of the dance that he was now using to his advantage. As if this were some form of challenge or something. And knowing him, it probably was.

It was on your third spin that he reached over and locked your hands back together. Stopping so that you were side by side and looking toward each other as you lightly promenaded back in the other direction. And now you were the one having to keep a polite mask on your face even as you responded, “Please, Lohen. You’re infamous.”

You’d barely made it two steps before he was lifting one arm, twirling you lightly until you were facing him. Both your hands still wrapped in his though they were held in between the two of you like some form of barrier. 

His eyebrows arched as you both paused with music, “That doesn’t mean everyone knows me well enough to know my list of crimes committed in service of the knights.”

You both started the next part of the Laendler’s footwork, each with a perfect smile pasted onto your face. As if nothing were amiss and you weren’t trading barbed remarks.

“Perhaps not, but I have been helping out Adorno when he’s been on his outings and he’s told me lots of things about you. Though not all seem to match with your personality.”

Lohen lifted his chin slightly, a strangely triumphant flicker going through his eyes, as he spun you so briefly faced away from him before he turned you back to look at him again, “My personality that you know through our interactions. Not rumors. Like I said, you know me well.”

You both swung your arms out in a wide downward arch, rotating with one another, and your careful mask almost faltered causing him to tilt his head slightly, “Careful, they’re all still watching.”

“I’m aware, Sir Lohen,” There was an annoyed flicker in your voice and he snickered, almost causing you to half roll your eyes. 

The conversation lapsed between the two of you as you continued the dance though. Promenading forward and backward. But his mood had considerably lifted and you almost sighed.

Because if you really knew Lohen as well as he claimed, you might know why he always emphasized how well you knew him. Almost like he was always pushing for the idea of the two of you being close.

And while you had known Lohen for a while, it wasn’t like the two of you were best friends. 

He was the wild, slightly insane one who joined the knights and had served them well despite also being a perfect menace while you were the one who helped Adorno hand out candy to kids while Theodore had taken care of his medicine.

You knew each other, but you hadn’t spent that much time together.

And yet Lohen seemed to get great joy out of pestering you and had even tried to rope you into being his partner-in-crime a few times.

Still, there was no denying how oddly pleased with himself he looked as the dance came to the traditional end with you dipping into a curtsey while he placed a light kiss on the back of your hand. His gaze flickering back up to meet yours as you could feel his smile spread along the back of your hand before he lifted his hand and, at the same time as you, turned to face your audience.

If you would like to read more:

Previous