Rene smiled as Rosaria attempted to convey the meaning of the word to the Syshin. Solae was, and Rene didn't even pretend not to be biased, pathologically nice, unfailingly generous and in general everything that a noble of the Stellar Empire ought to be. She wasn't soft, no one who had been through what she had endured and survived could be called that, but neither was she afraid to be merciful when the situation required it. In theory all nobles of the Stellar Empire ought to behave that way, noblesse oblige and all that, though in practice that wasn't the case. In the Imperial Court Rene had rarely seen his fellow nobles live up to such high ideals, they were often rapacious, or decadent or both with rare exceptions, like his father and his circle, who were hard bitten campaigners, committed to the ideal of duty in the abstract. Though her dazzling beauty would certainly compete with any Handmaiden, Rene found he was glad that Solae was out here among the people where she could do the most good, certainly that would bring her the most happiness. 

The music, which had died away during Toltya's abortive challenge swelled back to its previous volume and the Kalderi couples began to take their place to dance. Rene turned and bowed formally to Solae.

"Duchess, may I have the pleasure of this dance?" Solae smiled and gratiously extended her hand. Rene took it and pressed his lips to the back of her palm before leading her out on the floor. Kalderi dance had little in common with the modes that were in fashion in Imperial society, having far more to do with group interaction than individualized performance. Solae and her party had spent a portion of the afternoon undergoing instruction, something which Rene and Solae, having been trained in the stately dances of the Cappelan Court, picked up quickly. Rosaria and the Syshin had a tougher time of it, though several young Kalderi males were already making a bee-line for the girl, who looked equal parts terrified and excited. The fact that all of Solae's party lacked wings made the dances even more challenging, but they had devised adaptions of their own to deal with the problem. Rene lay a hand on Solae's waist and the other on her shoulder, raising his elbow high, she mirrored the motion so that between the two of them they gave the impression of a single pair of wings.

"Thank you," he told her as they began the intricate steps of the dance, arcing in slow intersecting circles with the Kalderi couples.

"I'm certain that, whatever his grievance, he wouldn't have been willing to end a duel short of being maimed or killed."