Kian came to the Coronation Ball, unwantingly alone. Despite his and his wife's new arrangement, she had declined to come to the ball, though she did say that she might attend later in the evening if she felt up to it. So for now, Kian was alone. He had not heard from either of his siblings since...well, since Kian became assured that his entire family line would be walking the broad way to hell.

Kian took a glass of wine and downed it all in one gulp. As he brought the glass down, he saw a familiar face standing in a corner. Kian set his glass down and headed toward the back of the hall where his sister stood. Despite all the circumstances that surrounded her and his family, he thought that she looked radiant this evening.

Kian walked up to her and smiled at the other ladies that he passed before coming to his sister. "I must say sister, the wall flower was hardly your role," he said as he extended his hand to her to lead her out to the dance floor.

Aoife was not hiding, not really… she just still felt as though everyone was staring at her. Although they had been spending most of their time away from the courts, and with each other, they had still heard a few of the rumors that had swept through Benthey. She tried not to think about it. She was happy with Kit, and they were settling in quite nicely… but still it was hard to deal with sometimes.


It did not help that she missed her family. Kit did not think much of her family as a whole, but Aoife could not so easily burn them out of her heart. Her love for them, and of course her need to have children someday, had been the force that kept her from running off with Ewan when he had begged her to. It had been her brother Kian who had made her see beyond a shadow of a doubt that she was doing the right thing in leaving Ewan for good. She knew her family loved her, and wanted her to be happy, just as she wished for nothing but the best for them.


She blinked back the tears she had refused to let fall, and took a sip of the rich wine her goblet held. She swirled the wine, watching the dark red color coat the inside of the silver goblet before dripping back down to join the rest of the liquid. Her contemplation was not long-lived however, as it was broken by the arrival of one of the few people she had actually wanted to see. She smiled up at him and laughed. “Tis good to see you Kian, you are looking less haggard from the last time we spoke. Is Lucy treating you better?”

Kian smiled as he came closer to his sister. A tear almost came to his face because he knew that the eyes that looked upon him now had once shed tears of such pain not so long ago. He swore if he saw Ewan here he would not be sure what to do with himself.


Kian drained his goblet and placed it on a passing tray that a servant was carrying. He made eye contact with a couple of ladies of the court and cast them flirtatious grins.


"Let's just say that my wife and I have come to a mutual understanding. Fortunately, she feels unable to come to the ball tonight," Kian noticed he said 'fortunately' instead of 'unfortunately', oh well, his sister may not forgive his slip of the tongue, but she would have no ill will about it.


Kian heard the band take a slightly upbeat tune as everyone began to descend upon the dance floor for a waltz. Kian remembered he and his younger siblings watching the balls from afar. Kian remembered the innocence that his sister once held watching with wonder at the couples dancing on the floor.


"May I have the honor of this dance, fair maiden," Kian smiled as he extended his hand to his sister's.

“It’s good to hear that the two of you have come to an understanding. However, I will not say I’m sorry that she decided not to come to the ball. I have never thought she was good enough for you Kian. She’s never made you happy, and for that I’m sorry.”


The song changed and a waltz began to play. She smiled as Kian held out his hand to her. “Of course My good sir, I would be honored.” She could recall watching the dances as a child. She had watched along with Kian and Ewan, before they had both left her for court, and then she had watched them until she was old enough to join them all. They had always seemed so magical, but they had lost some of their allure now that she understood the court better. A part of her still wished for those simpler times before everything had exploded, and she wondered if he did as well.


So much had changed over the years. The world had seemed so much simpler then. The future had been so bright for them all, and they had dreamed, such lovely dreams. However those dreams could not last, reality reared its ugly head and swept away everything they had once dreamed. With Kit she had the chance to dream again, and those dreams had a chance of coming true.


Kian swept her into the dance and she laughed, allowing the joy of the dance to descend upon her. It was reminiscent of the times when she had first learned to dance, standing on his feet as he twirled her around the ballroom at home, or over the grass as Ewan laughed and teased them both. Some of her most cherished memories involved dancing with him, memories that shone in her dark eyes as they met his blue ones.

Kian swept Aoife into his arms as they descended upon the dance floor. The smile to his face matched that of his sister's as he thought of the times that Ewan and he would argue over the fact that Aoife needed to be trained as a lady and not as a knight as Kian would call Ewan's interactions with her. Dancing was one thing that Kian and Kian alone had shared with his baby sister that his brother could never have over him. Kian lost himself in the music, somewhat missing the pressure of Aoife's feet on his own.

"Well, I suppose that's as close to concern for my wife that I'm going to get from you. But what about you, I trust your betrothed is going well. I'd hate to have to kill the man after our father has welcomed him to the family and all," Kian said with a grin.

"And where is he, I had hoped to extend my own welcome to him. I have not gotten a chance to properly introduce myself to him and I need to determine if he is worthy of my sister," said Kian as he twirled Aoife around the floor. Kian kept his eyes pealed for Ewan, the last thing he needed was for Ewan to glare at him while he tried to reconnect with his sister.

Aoife laughed, it was nice to see Kian acting more like the brother she recalled from her childhood then the man he had become since his marriage. She did not think he quite understood why she had taken such a dislike to Lucy. She loved Kian, but once he had married that woman he had changed so much that she had barely recognized him from the smiling and jovial brother she had been used to all her life. Ewan had always been the broody one, and Kian more carefree, and then it had changed.


Kian had become cold, and seemed angry all the time. He was pressing marriages for her and for Ewan, when all the two of them had wanted was to be left alone. It had been a hard change to take, and she like many other children had blamed the one thing that was different… Lucy. But now, as he smiled down at her and turned her around in the measures of the dance she could see the glimmer of light come back to his eyes… there seemed to be some hope that Kian, the Kian she knew and loved would return completely.


“He’s around somewhere.” She said with a grin. “Of course you can speak to him, as soon as the dance is over we can find him.” Her eyes rose to meet Kian’s blue ones and she giggled softly. He is wonderful, and he has been so kind to me, so none of your scowling looks allowed… agreed?”

Kian's eyes misted for a moment as he gave her another turn in the waltz and saw that little girl he used to play with outside the Grand Halls of their house. The innocent little girl seemed almost tangible in front of him as she came back to face him. The sparkle in her eyes that had seemed so distant since his marriage seemed to return, along with his own carefree nature.

"Lucy and I had to come to a single solid conclusion. Neither of us wants the other, but neither can live without the other," Kian said as he gave Aoife another turn then immediately brought her back to him so that only she could hear her. "Lucy discovered that a little philandering can be forgiven alot easier than blasphemy. I must say, I feel more free than I have ever felt. No longer having father pressure me to marry someone rich, free to pursue passion without strings or remorse. I daresay it's rather...liberating," Kian said, choosing the best word for what he felt.

Kian scowled as she mentioned that Ewan would be there. Kian wished beyond comprehension that he had finished what he started in the Inn so many weeks ago. That bastard deserved to be run through.

"I make no promises, Aoife. I'm only human," Kian said as the waltz began to turn to a faster beat.

“I’m glad you have come to some kind of understanding.” She did not quite understand exactly how they had reached it, or even if it was a good thing, for all that he seemed to believe it was. Some things did not exactly add up for her, but it had taken her this long to realize that her family had more problems then she had once been able to admit. Kit had helped her more then he realized, in that respect.


She did however understand how liberating going and doing your own thing could be. Living with Kit had given her that same feeling, and she looked forward to the day they would be married, and then there was nothing anyone could say against them. It was odd though how this lack only became an issue around others. When they were alone, it was hard for her to recall that they were not already married… perhaps it was the comfort level they each seemed to have with the other.


"I make no promises, Aoife. I'm only human,"


“Christopher is not going to try and eat you Kian, I just do not want you to get all scowly with him. He’s been good to, and for me, and he has had to deal with enough from Ewan.” Her eyes entreated her brother to be the man she knew he could be, and not get caught up in things that could not be changed. She knew he felt guilty for not seeing and stopping the relationship between her and Ewan… and she did not want him to dwell on it any more. It was over, and her life was with Kit, and that in her opinion was how it was meant to be. Perhaps all the things that had happened were to give her the one thing that was worth it all.

Kian smiled as his sister seemed rather confused by the arrangement between he and his wife. Whether she understood it or not, she would see her older brother the way he was before he married Lucy.

Kian gave a somewhat harsh look at Aoife for a brief second as she stated that Christopher had had to deal with Ewan. "You mean to tell me that he knows?" Kian was almost fit to be tied at this revelation, "Do you know the kind of leverage he has over you now? You have not been in court long sister, it is all about the leverage you have." Kian found himself saying all of this without realizing what she had said at the very beginning. He was good to her, and Kian smiled at the thought. "Just be careful, please. I would hate to be known as the brother who tried to run any male member of his family through with a sword, whether by blood or by law," Kian grinned as the music sped up.

Kian gave her another turn and began taking her across the floor in full sweeps as the music sped up to allow him the rhythm to do so. Kian found himself laughing out loud as he carried his sister across the floor in his fury of freedom.

Kian finally came to a stop in the middle of the floor as the song made a snappy end and the crowd applauded the maestro and his orchestra. Kian kissed her hand and led her across the floor to where wine was being served.

"I have not danced since my wedding, and I have not danced like that since long before that," Kian said as he got two goblets of wine and handed one to his sister.