It was a warm afternoon, and Kieran had been duly informed that the people to help him and Elena with the engagement dance would be Alistair and his 'ladyfriend', Olivia.

He met Alistair at the terrace of Rivera manor house, and greeted him. The latter had been seated at a table, and the moment he saw Kieran walk up the steps, he'd stood up and welcomed him with a grin. The two held each other's fore arms for a firm shake.

"Seems you will be staying here a while, then," Kieran said, genuinely pleased to see him.

"Of course, future brother-in-law," came the reply, "I have to make sure your dance dazzles everyone. Olivia isn't here yet, and we can't start without her. Maybe you can be with Elena as we wait?"

"Definitely." Kieran was quick to agree, already feeling a sweet sensation at the thought of being alone with her for a while.

Alistair led him inside the house and directed him to the chamber used as a dance room, in which Elena was. He walked through the corridors on the ground floor and reached the door he presumed to be the right one, and it was half-open, the door inclining inwards.

Peeking inside, he saw it was a wide bare room with a counter protruding from the wall adjacent to the door, to his left, and a seetee infront of it. Unlike all other rooms, this one was fully carpeted, so one had to take off one's shoes before stepping onto the carpet.

In the middle of the room stood Elena. He could only view her from the side. Her back faced the ceiling to floor mirrors, her countenance directed to the mural on the opposite wall. As he took of his boots,he heard her speak,

"You all know it."

His head snapped back up. She was wearing a smile, her gaze on the mural, and her gestures indicated she was talking to someone.

Yet there was no one.
A feeling of deja vu swooshed over him as he watched her pace slowly, and recite what seemed like a poem.

"The leaves are turning golden
The wind stirs up a cold and,
Falling from the trees
All throughout the town,
They settle down in seas
Of beautiful brown."

Suddenly, she changed her posture and altered her voice to resemble that of a young child as she asked,

"But Autumn fairy,
What can we do without the sun so high,
And the fall so nigh?"

Kieran at once knew that she was performing one of the plays for the Autumn festival. Alyssa used to read the story to him and his siblings when they were young children, until he took up the role (mostly for Aira.)

He smiled as he watched Elena assume the character of the Autumn fairy and reply,

"You may run, ruffle and roll in the leaves,
And pick pretty pine cones to pelt pests."

Amused, Kieran stepped onto the carpet with his bare feet and inched his way to an oblivious Elena, who was moving back and forth between characters. The first time she had done this had been with her own imagination, and now she was performing a real play; and she'd memorized the lines perfectly. He thought she must have really liked to perform.

In the story, the autumn fairy danced around in the musical interludes, so Elena made to perform a splendid spin, done with one leg raised and bent back at the knee. In the process of this stunt, she came face to face with Kieran and needless to say, she was startled out of her wits.

She let out a squeak and stumbled back, and this was his cue to bend forward and wrap an arm round her waist and secure her before she fell. Her eyes were wide, her lips slightly parted in shock.

Then, he smirked.

He drew her up and close to himself and her chest collided with his, her hands flying to hold on to his shoulders. The sudden proximity of their bodies alerted her heart up to speed, and then slowly, she looked up into his face. He was still smirking, and regarding her as if she was the most interesting thing he had ever seen.

He lifted his free hand, and still gazing into her eyes, used his index finger to trace a strand of hair that had fallen over her face, brushing it away. Her eyes fluttered as she felt that familiar tingle, from his finger grazing her cheek. It felt like goosebumps, but the pleasant kind.

Why did his touch make her feel so?

"Nice performance," he said, and his words snapped her back from her reverie.

She freed herself from his hold and stepped back, her face horror-struck.
"Y-you s-s-saw?"

"It seemed like you were rehearsing to perform in the Autumn Fairy play for the festival. Are you participating?"

In Rievelt, festivities occurred with each season. There were the Summer, Autumn, Winter and Spring festivals to celebrate the start of a new season. The main attraction was the city square in the central, where all sorts of games, performances and other interesting activities were held for all kinds of people who wished to attend.

But the nobles usually preferred to celebrate in the comfort of their spacious homes since the city was always crowded, and they opted to have private shows. The royals, however, normally graced the occasions and visited a few stalls and tents, but only stayed for a short while.

"I am not." said Elena, her eyes searching the ground.

Keiran's eyebrows met in confusion. "So...you were just doing it here for leisure?"

Elena nodded, and unable to take the embarrassment, buried her face in her hands.
"I am so embarrased!" she whined, "you p-probably think it is silly..."

He walked closer to her and saw that the tips of her ears had reddened. Chuckling, he held her wrists and tried to move her hands from her face.

They didn't budge. He tried again, but she kept her hands firm.

"Lady Elena."

"No!" came the curt reply, accompanied with a violent shake of her head.

Kieran sighed. "I do not think it is silly."

After a while, she parted her fingers and peered at him. "Really?"

Mischief gleamed in his eyes. "I was joking. I do think it is silly."

She glared at him, but before she could cover her face once more, he held her wrists and lowered them to her sides, holding them there. She struggled to free herself from his grasp while 'glaring' at him, and he smirked at the futility of her attempt.

"But that does not mean it is something to be embarrassed about," he said, "moreso if it is something you like to do."

She stilled, her 'glare' softening.

"You're not hurting anybody or yourself. You are just being happy." He added, then tilted his head his head to the side, a small smile replacing his smirk, "And I much prefer to see you happy."

She blinked, her whole self now mushy by his words. He released her and instinctively, her fingers met in their fidgety twiddling, her eyes unable to hold his gaze anymore.

"But why are you not participating?" he inquired, "I mean, you clearly memorized all the lines, and the dances too, I bet. Your act is absolutely convincing. Why don't you perform on stage?"

Elena smiled sheepishly. "Well, I want to.."

"But?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "I am not confident."

He scoffed. "That's ridiculous. I've seen you on stage enough times."

"Yes but that is only dancing. With acting comes speech. And speech is a problem for me."

"Ah. Right," he thought, "her stutter."

"My stage fright disappears when I dance for a while, but if I start with speaking right off the bat, it would be a disaster."

She sighed, and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Actually, I've always wanted to celebrate the festivals in the city just once."

Now Kieran was surprised.
"Have you not been there for the festivities before?"

She shook her head no. "We usually celebrate with other nobles and family members." She said, "it's sacred time for family, I guess. And everyone is always so excited to see my aunts, uncles and cousins, and I cannot bring myself to ask to leave."

Kieran nodded, understanding her predicament.

"But I have always heard stories of what it is like in the city!" Elena chirped in a brighter tone, "the games and the performances, and singing with everyone around the bonfire! It sounds so lovely that all kinds of people get to bond, even when when they are not friends or family or of the same class. I wanted to be part of that!" Her eyes shone with wonder as she said this, but it was replaced by hopelessness as she added, "but I cannot."

"Then I will have to take you there."

Elena looked up at him, surprise etched on her face. "General, what do you mean?"

Kieran smiled. "You seem to forget, lady Elena, that by the time autumn comes around, you and I shall already be married," he said, "and you will be spending the festival with my family."

"Well yes, but...won't you be celebrating at home?"

Kieran shook his head.
"Normally we escort the royals," he replied, "And when they leave, we end up spending the festival in the city with mother. Sometimes Lukas stays as well."

A flicker of hope lit in Elena's eyes. "Are you saying I will be able to celebrate in the city?" She asked eagerly, "will you really take me there?"

He nodded sincerely.

Elena jumped and squealed for joy, her hands flying to cup her mouth. He watched in amusement as she giggled behind her hands, evident excitement dancing in her eyes.

"Are you that happy?" he asked.

She nodded vigorously, and he relished in seeing her like this; all merry and enthusiastic when he was the cause of it.

It took a while for her to calm down, and when she did, she looked like she had just remembered something very important, as her gasp echoed throughout the room.

"That's right! General, could you please wait here a while? I will be right back."

Before he could reply, she hurried off the carpet, slipped into her sandals and rushed out of the room.

*****
She took quite a long while, and by the time she came back, she found Kieran sitting on the carpet with his ankles crossed, and his baldric laid down next to him. His attention was on the mural, studying the ocean waves clashing against a wavering ship under a dark sky. He did not notice her presence until she sat infront of him, and placed a plate in between them.

"These are for you." she said, and smiled at him.

His gaze lowered to the plate, which had a napkin on the side, and studied the round pastries that had been fried to an inviting light brown, and glistened with honey. The aroma of vanilla invaded his nose and jolted a precious memory.

"Crispels..." he said softly, and looked at them, his eyes wide as if it was his first time to see them.

"You looked so happy reminiscing about them from the other day," said Elena, "I wanted you to be able to eat them again, since you liked them so much that you could not forget them."

He looked up at her. With her ankles crossed as well, she was leaning forward on her hands, her bright eyes darting back and forth in anticipation between him and the plate.

"Well, go on then, have a taste!" she urged, an open lipped smile on her face.

He was at a loss for words. He hadn't expected this; that she would think about his feelings and do this for him. It was true that he had missed crispels quite a lot since leaving Novoa, but he'd never imagined he would be eating them again in Rievelt.

He fetched the small napkin and used it to pick up one of the crispels, and took a bite. It tasted like his childhood- the satisfaction of a hard day's work, and the strength and victories he had achieved. It was a blend of nostalgia, the sweetness of the actual taste, and the care of his future wife.

It was exquisite.

"So how is it?" she asked expectantly.

Kieran popped the rest of it in his mouth and replied, "Delicious."

"Thank goodness!" she exclaimed, beaming, "I thought I had not made them right."

He froze upon hearing that.
"Did you make these yourself?"

Elena nodded.
"I know someone in Rievelt with knowledge on many foods and recipes, so I asked her yesterday," she replied, "she sent the recipe today, so I did not have time to make a trial batch since you were coming soon. I made them prior to your arrival, and just now, I had only gone to glaze them in warm honey."

Kieran looked at her like she was ghost.

There were emotions bubbling up inside of him, but they felt unfamiliar. They made his heart swell, and his brain forget he needed air to breathe.

When he finally did remember, he only succeeded in nearly choking on a bit of crispel, and erupted into a coughing fit.

"General!" Elena jumped to his rescue, and in no time, she was kneeling at his side, patting his back a little more harshly than was necessary, as he coughed.

"By stars, eat slowly, will you!" she scolded, but her tone carried great concern.

Kieran soon got a hold of himself and pushed his hair back from his face.

"Are you alright now?"" she inquired, peering at him with her worried blue eyes, her hand now smoothly rubbing circles on his back.

He looked into her eyes, and couldn't help but ask, "Why did you make them?"

"Huh?"

"I mean...you could have asked for them to be made," he clarified, "it's the norm within nobility."

"Ah." Elena said, and sat back on her heels. Her hands rested on her laps, and she looked at her fingers as she toyed with them. "I just wanted to."

He arched an eyebrow.

"I j-j-just felt like... I wanted to make them," she said, "just for you."

She didn't look at him as she said this, but he noticed her nervousness, as well as the slight pink that painted her cheeks, just below her thick lashes.

And it took all his willpower to restrain himself from pulling her close by the side of her neck, and kissing her lips.

     *****     *****     *****    ******

Olivia finally arrived at Rivera Manor. She was tall, her blonde hair long and straight, her eyes a leafy green. She was the daughter of an influential wealthy merchant, Sir Gregory Hale, and she'd met Alistair a year back on one of her father's auctions. It hadn't taken long for her to become acquainted with Alistair's family, and the rest of the Riveras.

Although she flirted a bit with Kieran, he was able to read between the lines to see that there was something going on between her and Alistair, and her flirtatious remarks meant nothing.

"Okay so here is what we're going to do," Alistair said as he and Olivia faced Kieran and Elena, "Liv and I know your whole routine by heart, so all you have to do is do what we do, and we'll correct you where you go wrong. Is that okay?"

Kieran and Elena nodded.

"Fine with me too, since I'll get to touch those fine arms of yours, General." Olivia stated, her eyes raking over said arms (he was wearing a sleeveless tunic) as a playful smile crossed her thin lips.

Kieran chuckled in response, and Alistair was quick to add, "I will be correcting General Kieran while you-" he looked pointedly to his side at Olivia, "correct Elena."

Olivia pouted. "Where's the fun in that?" she asked, "Besides, I don't even think Elena will mess up. She's a natural."

Alistair ignored her and turned back to the other two.

"And just to give you a little heads up, your routine is almost like Anne and Luther's, except with some tweaks here and there," he said, "it's the standard Rivera engagement dance, but we change it up a bit with subsequent ceremonies."

"So are you ready?" Olivia asked.

Kieran did not know why he was nervous. It was just practice. They weren't performing in front of a number of people.

"We are ready." Elena on the other hand, was as perky as a puppy, all fired up and ready to go, her smiling from ear to ear.

"Alright! Let's start with the footwork!" Alistair announced, "it's the hardest part, so you have to get a hang of it first."

Of course since Elena was talented, Kieran was lagging behind in the steps, and where he faltered, she directed him. He had been awkward at first, but as Elena had said, he got more comfortable as they practised.

There were parts where they had to move (dance) separately, and those where they had to hold each other as presented by Alistair and Olivia.

It wasn't all work and no play, though. Amidst it all, there was always shared laughter at a blunder or a joke, and somewhere along the way, they got sidetracked into memories. And Alistair, with Elena, ended up showing off an old routine from when they were younger, along with a back story.

The sun started to set, its rays climbing in through the window, and Alistair suggested they piece up the moves and make a continuous performance to what they had just learnt.

"Okay. Assume the side by side position, and let's start from there."

Kieran and Elena complied. One faced north and the other south as they stood side by side, and Kieran slid an arm round her waist from the front.

"Don't forget the eye contact, guys." Olivia reminded, and blue eyes met cyan.

"It's the most important part of the dance, so you can't look away from each other, unless you're shifting positions." Alistair informed them.

"Well, she beat me at a staring competition once, and this time I won't lose." Kieran replied with a smirk, causing Elena to laugh lightly.

Just then, they were disturbed by three urgent knocks at the door. Everyone turned and saw a man of average height standing by the door way, dressed partly in armor, with silver vambraces and a silver breastplate. His sword was at his belt.
Kieran recognised him as Everest, one of the guards from the castle, particularly assigned to Prince Luke's chambers.

He walked over, curious as to why he was at Rivera Manor.

"General," Everest bowed before Kieran, "I have a message from His Royal Higness Crown Prince Lukas."

"What is it?" He inquired, his tone attaining a wary edge.

"General Kieran Hammedatha must come to the castle and meet His Higness Crown Prince Lukas with immediate effect," Everest relayed, "an emergency situation has come up, and he requires your urgent intervention."

"It sounds serious." Elena, who had somehow materialised at Kieran's side, spoke up, causing the latter to flinch and wonder when it was she'd got there.

"You must go at once." she said to Kieran, who nodded solemnly.

"I'm sorry, I have to leave before practice ends." he apologised, looking between the three of them.

"It's quite alright, General," Alistair replied, "When duty calls, duty calls."

Kieran nodded and turned to leave, but hesitated, and looked back at Elena. She gave him a quizzical look, wondering if he had forgotten something.

"And..." he said, "thank you again, for the crispels."

Elena's lips curved upwards.
"I can always make them for you if you ask." she simply said, and he returned the smile.

A/N

Crud, I cringed when writing most of the first half.