Chapter Text
The court danced in defiance of their dread; though no announcement had been made, they knew it was the last formal dinner until their monarchs had returned from the war–if they returned. If there was somewhere to return to.
Though the music was bright, Heiro’s feet rested silently still on the tiles. She had already danced with the king, early in the evening. He had complimented her earrings, smiled at her thanks, and remained silent for the remainder of the dance. The king’s movements were as deliberate and elegant as always, but she had seen the distance in his eyes. At the end of the dance, he’d smiled again–this time, it had reached his eyes–and thanked her, kissing her hand. So the dance had been a gift for both of them, then.
She was watching the king as he danced with the queen of Eddis, trying to practice her lip-reading, so she did not notice the woman coming up behind her shoulder, though her sandals softly slapped the tile. When she felt the touch on her shoulder, Heiro flinched, and cursed herself for it. She smiled as she turned and rose, letting her jewelry ring quietly as she brushed a hand over her skirts. It would have been enough for her father–for most of the court; she had been improving–but the lady before her had noticed, she was sure.
Eddisian, smiling gently, hands clasped unthreateningly in front of her. And looking up to study Heiro with a steady, sharp-eyed gaze. Heiro knew when she was outranked.
Somehow, her tongue had become stuck to the roof of her mouth; when she offered her chair to the Eddisian, she was only able to gesture silently, feeling gangly and awkward. The lady laughed–not meanly, and without covering her mouth–and waved her off in return. Her eyes crinkled when she smiled, Heiro noticed. Like the king.
“I’ve not come to drive you from your territory,” said the Eddisian. “Merely to talk. I am Agape, cousin to the Queen of Eddis and the King of Attolia. You are Heiro.” It was not a question.
“And how do you know that? Do ladies of the court run the archives in Eddis?” Heiro bit her tongue, too late, but Agape was smiling again–had in fact not stopped smiling since Heiro had risen.
“The king of Attolia writes to me about you, when he can be bothered to correspond. He said you have beautiful earrings.”
Heiro blushed. “Thank you, Lady Agape”.
“Don’t thank me yet! Now that they are revealed to me, you may not have them once the night is over. Will you walk with me?” This time, it was a question, and somehow, Heiro judged, a true one.
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Agape settled on the couch, leaving plenty of room for Heiro to sit. Heiro’s gaze followed the crowd across the room, catching on her father (speaking with Susa) and her sister (hanging off Lamion’s arm again). They were both absorbed in their conversations; Heiro returned her attention to Agape, who was resting her arm along the back of the sofa. She tipped her head into her hand, looking at Heiro. A smile was playing around her lips again.
Heiro let her shoulders fall back and her legs cross at the ankle.“How do you find Attolia, Lady Agape? Have you been here before?”
“Oh, no need for ‘lady’. Agape will do. I did not come for the wedding; I only visited when I was quite small–but I thought I met a girl from the barony of Themis then…?” Both eyebrows arched upwards, gently.
“That would’ve been my older sister, Chryseis”. Heiro’s hand tightened on her skirts, then carefully relaxed to smooth them out.
“So, so, so, we are both younger daughters. I remember now; your older sister has lost two husbands? How difficult, to love and lose and love and lose again.”
“Yes, it was…difficult for her.” Heiro hoped her turned head and bitten lip would be taken as sadness; she had struggled already to contain the instinctive snort at love. “But I am of course lucky to have her here with me again, to guide me. You must know that from your sisters, how wonderful it is to have a companion.”
Agape’s eyebrows raised. “Oh yes, my sisters and I get along perfectly well too. They always taught me well, were models of good behavior, shaped me into the woman I am today.”
“Exactly,” said Heiro, trying to appreciate the opportunity to practice smiling.
“For instance,” continued Agape, her eyebrows continuing to rise, “my sisters would never have tied all my yarn together when I was twelve, and I certainly would never have mixed all their favorite perfumes with garlic in response.” Her face remained perfectly serious.
The gods were testing Heiro; the king had not given advice for keeping her composure in the face of this. “Ah. No, you could not do such a thing. They would be furious.”
“Precisely”. Agape stayed serene, hands clasped perfectly in her lap. Heiro let go of the bracelet she had been twisting around her wrist.
“Did you knit, then? It is not in fashion in the Attolian court–that is, are there different traditions surrounding fiber arts in Eddis? I embroider, you see. It is not so common here.”
“I used to, quite often. Less frequently now, though I still enjoy it. It was very difficult to learn–I used to be frustrated all the time.”
“Learning is suffering,” Heiro murmured, not quite able to stop herself.
“The roots of education are bitter, but the fruit is sweet,” replied Agape, eyebrow raised and mouth twitching.
“Well…what is easy?”
“To advise another,” Agape completed the phrase and laughed outright, covering her mouth.
“Now I see the real reason Gen wanted me to meet you! I wanted to talk about the new plays and poets and philosophers with him, but I pestered him too much, and he snapped at me. You will be a much better companion on that front.”
“No one could snap at you.”
Agape laughed, quietly.
“The Thief of Eddis once said much the same thing”. Heiro thought she saw bitterness cross her face, so quickly she would’ve thought she imagined it, but for the wrinkles that remained in Agape’s dress where her hands had, briefly, clenched. Agape followed her gaze, lifting her hands as if to smooth the cloth, and then paused. Slowly, she returned her hands to her lap, hiding but not smoothing the crumpled cloth. Heiro smiled, turning her head back to the dance. Her earrings jingled slightly as she did, and she thought she felt Agape’s eyes on them.