When Penelope answered his question, Crow turned to her with a shrug. From what he remembered, dancing in the outer villages was quite informal, so he would have been surprised if it was even remotely similar to the way nobles danced in the castle. Additionally, he didn’t know much to begin with. When he’d been living on his own, he’d found it fun to join in the local festivities whenever dances were put on in the villages, but he didn’t consider himself skilled at the practice by any means. [i]Then again, is anyone really “good” at peasant dancing?[/i] He smirked to himself. Usually, everyone was drunk during the dances anyway, so he was probably no worse than the rest of the villagers.

As the knight went on to tell him about the proper posture for the dance, Crow took a couple steps away from the bed. He watched her curiously while she demonstrated the stance, finding the rigidity of it interesting. It seemed like everything nobles did had to be performed in an elegant and well-ordered fashion, even when they were having fun. The thought made him want to snort but, being mindful of the room, he kept his opinion to himself.

 “I think I’ve got it,” Crow said when Penelope asked if he had any questions. He casted her a lopsided grin, “It’s definitely not like the dancing I’m familiar with though. In the outer villages, the music is fast paced and everyone has a mug in their hands. This is a lot more orderly.”

“Sounds like fun,” Naida spoke up from where she was sitting by the table she’d moved for them. “But this sort of dance has its own charm too, and it’s a great way to get men and women to mingle at a party.” She shot him a wry wink.

Crow rolled his eyes and turned back to Penelope, looking over her posture once more before he moved to copy it. He held his left arm up and rested his right arm behind his back in the same manner that she did. Stepping closer to press his hand against hers, he blinked as it occurred to him that they were now facing opposite directions.

“This is weird,” he mused, turning his head to meet her gaze. “How do we dance together if we’re facing the wrong way?”