When she accepted, I didn't quite know where it would lead. But the Amalthians believe the Emperor works in mysterious ways, and perhaps he does at that. Had we left then and there, my life would perhaps be far different. But I do not think in idle 'what-ifs' so I will continue. She took my hand, and we began a slow dance routine we had performed in front of the others before the servitors inside began to play a different tune. It was a weird juxtaposition of both festive and romantic, with a slow albeit energetic beat accompanied by an acoustic guitar and a guest singer that sang in a language I can't quite remember. But our dancing inevitably changed, the two of us stepping apart in unison and giving extravagant bows, before we did a step by step dance that had us shaking ourselves and moving side to side, the movements keeping a smile on our faces. I had learned the dance before under cover, but where Emmaline had become a practitioner that rivaled me, I could not know. I found I wanted to find out. Minutes passed, and she gyrated herself and then spun. It gave a silhouette look to her sparkling black dress, her ponytail whipping me in the face as if she were trying to playfully throw me off, her jewelry bouncing and clinking together. I caught her raised hand and had my other on her lower back, at the ready. She stepped back and I forward, and I felt much like a schoolboy as she gave a laugh like angelic clinging bells. A few more passes, and finally she spun one last time and fell back into my arms, and the music slowed to a stop as we looked to one another beside the balustrade there on Moldar, under the light of the moon. We had only known one another, what? A fortnight? Dammit, I didn't care. My heart thudding in my ears, I leaned in and kissed her.