Beginning the Dance

Writers: Avery, Heather
Date Posted: 22nd July 2014

Characters: Chaysea, Ikalis, L'pin
Description: L'pin surprises Chaysea with a candlelit dinner.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 8, day 6 of Turn 7

L'pin had enlisted the help of Ikalis in preparing his surprise for
Chaysea. The caverns worker had concealed two heaping platters of food and
then brought them at the signal. Then she'd gone off to fetch Chaysea. He
rather hoped she wasn't telling too wild of a tale to the Headwoman. She
had seemed rather amused when she took off.

Well, there was nothing he could do now except wait. They had converted
another unused teaching room into an impromptu dining area. A small table
and carved chairs had been liberated from a nearby storeroom, then covered
with a nice tablecloth. It was lit with fresh glows in two baskets, and
two candles on the table itself. Everything looked like a Harper's tale.

"What do you mean someone has been filching things?" Chaysea said as
she grabbed her ring of keys and followed Ikalis from her office. Most
of the unused rooms were used for storage and kept locked until they
were needed again.

She thought it odd when Ikalis stopped and pointed toward the open
door of an empty classroom. Raising an eyebrow, Chaysea stepped
through the doorway, not quite sure what to expect. It certainly
wasn't the soft glow of light on a romantically set table for two, or
the handsome figure of a certain bluerider who had gone out of his way
with his appearance that night. Suddenly realizing what was happening,
Chaysea glanced over her shoulder at Ikalis, "Thank you."

The Headwoman turned back to L'pin, "Impressive." She smiled.

The caverns worker giggled and waved before scooting down the hall at top
speed.

L'pin was pleased to see her. He took her hand and pressed his lips to it,
then pulled her chair out with a flourish. "I'm glad it meets with your
approval," he said seriously. "A woman such as yourself should be courted
properly."

Chaysea couldn't stop the smile that crossed her face. She had never
been courted... Ever. Her parents had arranged her marriage to Dothran
and that had been the end of any dreams of romance. The fact that
L'pin understood... She never imagined she would find a man that was
so understand of her holdbred background.

"Thank you sir." Chaysea said, flicking her skirts out of the way with
one hand as she sat down in the offered chair.

"You look lovely today," he added. Especially since she hadn't been given
a chance to dress up, since he'd sprung this on her.

"How has your day been?"

"My day has been okay," she said as she watched him round the table,
"although I think my evening is going to be much better." Chaysea
smiled and spread her napkin in her lap.

"I don't even know what's on the menu," he confessed as he took the cover
off the tray. "Mine was spent with the weyrlings and sending little notes
back and forth to get this figured out."

Chaysea chuckled, although her nose told her that there was at least
some roasted, garlic tubers on those platters, "It will be a pleasant
surprise for both of us then."

"And I've left orders for me not to be disturbed unless something truly
drastic happens." He knew she'd understand if it did, though.

"Oh, there's wine too." He saw the chilled bottle and hoped it was
something nice. "Do you drink at all?"

Chaysea raised an eyebrow at L'pin, "I was the Headwoman of the
Vintner Hall and my husband was a Master Vintner." She grinned a
little and raised her empty glass, "I would love a drink."

"So your tastes are far more refined than mine." He poured hers first,
then his own. "I can tell you that this is red, which means it goes with
not fish. Right?"

Harpers in general might be versed in graces, but he was an archivist.
He'd never quite gotten those down.

Chaysea smiled and lifted the plate in the center of the plate to
reveal a couple of steaks, "No fish." she said with a grin as she put
one of the steaks onto L'pin's plate and the other onto her own.

Now this looked good. He sniffed appreciatively, then sighed after the
first bite. "This is amazing," he said. "Your staff is to be
complimented." Ah, but this was still work talk...

"Do you happen to enjoy listening to music?"

Chaysea nodded, taking a moment to chew and swallow the deliciously
tender bite of steak, "That is good," she agreed and began cutting up
another bite. "I do like music, I listen to the harpers in the Dining
Cavern whenever I have a chance. I especially like the flutes."

"You would have loved it when the Hall was here, then. The music filled
the Caverns at events like Hatchings and Turnover, and it was glorious,"
he said with nostalgia. "They'd even let some of us weyrfolk with training
spell them between sets."

"Do you miss it a lot then? Having free time for your craft?" Chaysea
asked as she helped herself to a heap of mashed up, buttery tubers.

He nodded. "Pre-Threadfall, we could have it all. Our dragons and our
crafts."

"I am sorry." Chaysea said with empathy. She knew what it was like to
want a craft. At least L'pin still got a little taste of it every now
and then, and he'd had those Turns before Thread.

He snapped his fingers, thinking. "Sometime when they have a concert, we
could go."

"That would be nice." Chaysea agreed, although she wondered if L'pin
was going to mention their kiss on the beach. They had not talked much
about it, and Chaysea was too polite of a lady to bring it up in
conversation. But then, she was sure L'pin had kissed plenty of
people, being a dragonrider and all, and maybe he didn't think about
it the way she did.

"I think it would be a good date idea," he said absently. Then he looked
across the table, refocusing on her. "I did mean to ask. This is the Weyr,
and you're free to decide where your affections lie. You are amenable to
me courting you?"

If he'd misread the signals, well...but he'd made this special because he
had hopes.

The Headwoman's smile brightened as she looked across the table at
L'pin, "I would be most agreeable." More than agreeable in fact, but
she supposed she didn't want to appear _too_ eager. When the truth was
that no one had ever made her feel as special as L'pin did.

"I didn't want to presume," he said, then admitted to what he was
thinking. "Though I suppose it would have been a bit awkward if I had?"

She shook her head, "What is your next move then? Now that we are
courting." The corners of her mouth twitched upwards.

"To be honest with you, it's Turns since I've done this. But I recall
romantic dinners, long walks in nature, and kissing like teenagers in
private to be part of it."

Chaysea smiled. She really wasn't sure what courting involved since
she had never been properly courted. What L'pin described sounded
divine, "I especially like that last part, I think."

"Well, after the meal, we can certainly do that. Assuming you don't mind
the implications of being alone in the storeroom with a bluerider. We
have quite the scandalous reputation."

"I don't mind getting a scandalous reputation, as long as it is with
you. I wouldn't make out with just _anyone_ in the storeroom after
all." Chaysea suddenly found the meal less and less interesting.

"It won't be so bad." He shifted his chair closer to hers and took her
hand. "In fact, I rather hope you'll enjoy it."

She looked into his eyes and said with certainty, "Oh, I think I will."

Last updated on the July 28th 2014

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Beginning the Dance