Elena looked had never heard of House Valierre or Tirine, but it would be rather impolite to say as much. She suppressed a smile. The duchess did not seem very at ease in court. As a princess, Elena had been present at these kinds of functions for many years now. Attending elegant parties and conversing with highborn strangers was natural to her.

She was beginning to wonder why the duchess had approached her in the first place when she asked Elena to dance. Elena looked at her guest, slightly surprised. Still, she did rather enjoy dancing and the duchess seemed to be quite an interesting lady, especially when compared to most nobles she had met. So, Elena smiled, handing the mostly full glass of champagne to a passing servant.

“I would love to dance,” she said, gently grabbing the hand of the duchess and walking towards the center of the room where the noble men and women danced elegantly to the music. “I hope you are enjoying your time in Mera, Lady Jacquelyn. Has everything been to your liking thus far?”