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Description
"You have got to be kidding!"

Lord Uther of Ostia looked calmly at his fuming younger brother. "You may not like it, but you are next in line for the throne of Ostia, and you are expected to make some appearances. It's only one night and you don't even need to stay the entire time."

"I'm fine with attending a few gatherings and ceremonies, but a ball?!"
"You're a noble."

"I can't dance and you know it."

"You don't have to dance, you just have to attend."

Their gazes locked and slowly Hector's fury diminished. "...Fine." He turned to storm out of the room.

"Oh, and be sure to bring a partner."

Hector paced in his room, wracking his brain for an idea. The ball was in a three days, barely enough to get a letter to any of the few female acquaintences he would even consider bringing to such an affair. He was at a complete loss.

At that moment there was a soft tapping at his window. Hector looked up to see a familiar thief perched on the window sill, smiling and waving at him from the other side of glass, unafraid despite it being the third story.

Hector smiled back and motioned him in, watching as his finest spy carefully unlocked the window from without and swung it open, hopping lightly inside. "Greetings my lord."

"Hello Matthew. Just visiting?"

"I wanted to see if you'd heard the news yet?"

"About the ball? Yes, I have. And my brother insists I attend."

"One ball isn't so bad."

Hector scowled at him. "I'm not good at dancing."

Matthew looked surprised. "Really? You move quickly enough in battle. Dancing isn't so different."

"And what would you know about dancing?"

Matthew grinned and executed a flawless pirouette ending in a bow with a flourish. "Something I picked up."

Hector clapped a little. "Not bad. I don't suppose you can teach me?"

"I can try, my lord."

The next several hours were spent with Matthew carefully demonstrating steps and correcting his lord when he messed them up horribly. It took more control not to laugh at him than it did to remain patient with the lessons. Finally when neither of them could take it any longer, he called an end to the practice.

"You're doing well, my lord. I think tomorrow you should try practicing with a partner. By the way, have you found an escort yet?"

"No. That's going to be the hardest."

"Best of luck with that." With that the thief took his leave, going back out through the window.

Hector was back to thinking. He had to find a girl he knew and trusted, someone who wouldn't mock his poor dancing skills. And for the sake of appearances she would have to be pretty.

By the time Matthew stopped by to continue their lessons, Hector had decided. The hard part was actually asking.

"I know this is asking a lot of you, but... Will you be my escort?"

Matthew stared in shock. "Me, my lord? What will people think if you invite a man to the ball with you?"

"They won't think anything because they won't know."

"Even for one of your jokes this isn't funny."

"I'm serious. It will just be for the evening and I'll pay you whatever you want for it."

Matthew considered it quietly. "...Alright. But on one condition."

"Name it."

"I'm picking out my own dress."

On the night of the ball everyone was shocked to see Lord Hector with an unfamiliar radiant beauty. Her gown hung perfectly from her slender figure and long blonde hair cascaded down to her shoulders. Her ruby-painted lips were almost constantly held in a coy smile and her honey-gold eyes filled with vitality.

If that surprise hadn't been enough, the two proved to dance wonderfully together. If the lady just happened to the one leading, no one bothered to comment on it. Everyone agreed they made a perfect couple.

Near the end of the night the two sat sipping wine, Matthew holding his lord's hand and resting his head on his shoulder so he could speak softly to him. "I have to admit, this worked well."

"Better than I expected. You make a very convincing woman."

"Why thank you. I'll keep that in mind next time I need a disguise."

Hector chuckled, slipping an arm around him. "Why do I get the feeling this isn't your first time in a dress?"

"It's the first in such an elegant one."

"You can keep it if you want."

Matthew smiled and scanned the room. "We're still being watched. People might start to get suspicious if we don't kiss soon."

Hector obliged, slipping a hand under his companion's chin to tilt it upward so he could kiss his lips softly. He watched the thief's eyes slip closed, one of his hands gripping the fabric of the lord's shirt. Slowly they parted and Hector smirked playfully at him. "If I didn't know better I'd say you enjoyed it."

Matthew's eyes sparkled with mischief. "You can find out later when you pay me back for this."

Description
"You have got to be kidding!"

Lord Uther of Ostia looked calmly at his fuming younger brother. "You may not like it, but you are next in line for the throne of Ostia, and you are expected to make some appearances. It's only one night and you don't even need to stay the entire time."

"I'm fine with attending a few gatherings and ceremonies, but a ball?!"
"You're a noble."

"I can't dance and you know it."

"You don't have to dance, you just have to attend."

Their gazes locked and slowly Hector's fury diminished. "...Fine." He turned to storm out of the room.

"Oh, and be sure to bring a partner."

Hector paced in his room, wracking his brain for an idea. The ball was in a three days, barely enough to get a letter to any of the few female acquaintences he would even consider bringing to such an affair. He was at a complete loss.

At that moment there was a soft tapping at his window. Hector looked up to see a familiar thief perched on the window sill, smiling and waving at him from the other side of glass, unafraid despite it being the third story.

Hector smiled back and motioned him in, watching as his finest spy carefully unlocked the window from without and swung it open, hopping lightly inside. "Greetings my lord."

"Hello Matthew. Just visiting?"

"I wanted to see if you'd heard the news yet?"

"About the ball? Yes, I have. And my brother insists I attend."

"One ball isn't so bad."

Hector scowled at him. "I'm not good at dancing."

Matthew looked surprised. "Really? You move quickly enough in battle. Dancing isn't so different."

"And what would you know about dancing?"

Matthew grinned and executed a flawless pirouette ending in a bow with a flourish. "Something I picked up."

Hector clapped a little. "Not bad. I don't suppose you can teach me?"

"I can try, my lord."

The next several hours were spent with Matthew carefully demonstrating steps and correcting his lord when he messed them up horribly. It took more control not to laugh at him than it did to remain patient with the lessons. Finally when neither of them could take it any longer, he called an end to the practice.

"You're doing well, my lord. I think tomorrow you should try practicing with a partner. By the way, have you found an escort yet?"

"No. That's going to be the hardest."

"Best of luck with that." With that the thief took his leave, going back out through the window.

Hector was back to thinking. He had to find a girl he knew and trusted, someone who wouldn't mock his poor dancing skills. And for the sake of appearances she would have to be pretty.

By the time Matthew stopped by to continue their lessons, Hector had decided. The hard part was actually asking.

"I know this is asking a lot of you, but... Will you be my escort?"

Matthew stared in shock. "Me, my lord? What will people think if you invite a man to the ball with you?"

"They won't think anything because they won't know."

"Even for one of your jokes this isn't funny."

"I'm serious. It will just be for the evening and I'll pay you whatever you want for it."

Matthew considered it quietly. "...Alright. But on one condition."

"Name it."

"I'm picking out my own dress."

On the night of the ball everyone was shocked to see Lord Hector with an unfamiliar radiant beauty. Her gown hung perfectly from her slender figure and long blonde hair cascaded down to her shoulders. Her ruby-painted lips were almost constantly held in a coy smile and her honey-gold eyes filled with vitality.

If that surprise hadn't been enough, the two proved to dance wonderfully together. If the lady just happened to the one leading, no one bothered to comment on it. Everyone agreed they made a perfect couple.

Near the end of the night the two sat sipping wine, Matthew holding his lord's hand and resting his head on his shoulder so he could speak softly to him. "I have to admit, this worked well."

"Better than I expected. You make a very convincing woman."

"Why thank you. I'll keep that in mind next time I need a disguise."

Hector chuckled, slipping an arm around him. "Why do I get the feeling this isn't your first time in a dress?"

"It's the first in such an elegant one."

"You can keep it if you want."

Matthew smiled and scanned the room. "We're still being watched. People might start to get suspicious if we don't kiss soon."

Hector obliged, slipping a hand under his companion's chin to tilt it upward so he could kiss his lips softly. He watched the thief's eyes slip closed, one of his hands gripping the fabric of the lord's shirt. Slowly they parted and Hector smirked playfully at him. "If I didn't know better I'd say you enjoyed it."

Matthew's eyes sparkled with mischief. "You can find out later when you pay me back for this."