In the many rituals of the presentation balls, learning how to dance was one rite of passage that both men and women had to suffer. But what happens when there are only men showing up to the lessons, will the rigid roles of society prevent the class. And what if an unexpected man appears to throw everything in chaos?
At Galadin's dance lessons, he meets up with his friend, Kalir. Kalir's older brother, Benard, joins them but Kalir is cold toward his sibling. Benard reveals that he is gay and an embarrassment to his family but he saved a ship and therefore is being rewarded with attendance at the ball.
> At the presentation, every step is planned. The choices of dance speak of the politics of the day. The order of the suitors is reflected in the ebb and flow of power. --- Renard Robins-Grace, *Musings of a Failed Society*
Dame Dorin's School of Dance was a small studio on the corner of Apple and Oak. It used to have a reputation of being a great school but time and scandal had whittled away at its reputation to nothing more than an old building with too much paint and creaking floors. However, Dorin's lessons were still cherished and her price low enough for those seeking to enter High Society.
Galadin had been training for a month now. Dame Dorin's teaching style was brusque but effective. She had precise ideas of where the hands, feet, and hips all went to ensure a courtly dance in synchrony with everyone else on the floor.
His mother stopped at the entrance. She looked up at a nearby clock tower and hissed between her teeth. "I'm late to arrange for a carriage. Go inside and behave."
Galadin watched her until a trio of mechanical vehicles roared pass, obscuring everything in a cloud of sharp-tasting steam. He turned and headed up the stairs.
He turned as Kalir, one of his new friends, bounded up the stairs. He wore a leather jacket with an embossed symbol of the Tarsan Navy. Unlike Galadin who was to marry up into High Society, Kalir had already gotten his foot past the threshold with a letter of commission as a junior officer. He had to be married before he gained more than a few ranks and the presentation balls were the best place to find a wife.
Galadin smiled brightly. Dance lessons next to Kalir were one of the highlights of his day. The young man was handsome and attractive. He had a beautiful smile though his interests were focused directly on the ladies of their dance lessons.
He couldn't explain that he had no interest in either of the girls that took classes with them. They were nice and friendly, but he didn't find his eyes drifting toward them when they weren't looking. Nor did he want to talk about their bodies as often as Kalir did.
A surge of guilt rose inside Galadin and he looked away. He knew he was supposed to be flirting with the girls. He spent his time watching Kalir instead. When his cheeks began to grow flushed, he cleared his throat to distract himself. "Usually you beat me here" before he realized he had already said that.
The newcomer was just over six feet tall. He had a hunch to his movements, magnified by his hands buried deep inside a pair of plain, functional trousers. His deep tan possessed a hint of red; he appeared to be someone who had spent much of their days out in the open. He wasn't quite slender nor was he fat, just thick with the flex of muscles with every step he took to join them. He also wore a Navy jacket, though this one also had a First Lieutenant insignia.
Galadin stared at him for a moment, a strange fluttering growing in his stomach. The second man had much of Kalir's handsome features, but they were refined with age and a sense of grace. "Um, I'm Galadin."
Benard grinned. "I'm afraid my younger brother doesn't care for me. Whenever I'm around, he's sour toward everyone else. Don't take it personally. I think he doesn't want to be seen with me."
"Probably the same reason most of my family hates me: I prefer the company of men in my bed instead of women." Benard waved his hand nonchalantly.
Galadin froze when he heard words that reflected his own thoughts only moments ago. Love between men was forbidden which is why Galadin kept his own desires hidden.
To hear it spoken casually and openly shocked him. Whatever Benard had done to be a hero obviously gave him the confidence to be open with his forbidden interests.
Inside the studio, Dame Dorin paced back and forth. Her neat bun of light brown hair had a few strands peeking out like a fan. "Three, only three? I can't work with only three gentlemen. Why couldn't at least some of the ladies come? They can't all be indisposed."
Dorin grumbled for a moment. "They aren't coming, Besire Kalir. They appear to have a case of... bad food and are too sick to learn how to dance. Damn the Couple, I can't reschedule this. There are far too many lessons before the balls."
Benard stepped up next to Galadin. His body heat and scent washed over Galadin again, sending little flutters from their closeness. "Then you be one of the partners."
Benard interrupted her with a grin. "Blame me then. That's how I got here, isn't it? By the way, how are your brothers? I heard they just got out of hospital."
She took a deep breath and let it out, her body shaking with the effort to calm down. When she spoke, her voice was calmer. "You don't have to remind me how you earned that commission, Besire. Or that you saved them."
"Not more than a few minutes at a time, I don't want you giving them any foul ideas." She pointed accusingly at him. "And no touching where you aren't supposed to."
She almost lost her temper. "Fine, you dance with me." She pointed at Benard. "Start with Galadin and switch roles. I'll give directions to all three of you."
Galadin's heart beat faster. He turned to his new partner. His throat felt dry and constricted. He wanted to reach out and touch him, to feel the rough skin on his fingertips. No girl had ever made him feel that way and he felt foolish for not realizing it.
Benard smiled warmly and gave a little bow. His smile was hard to look away from. He seemed more comfortable with himself than anyone Galadin had known, as if he had chosen his body and wore it like a well-tailored suit.
Galadin felt a little jealousy. He didn't feel the same about his body. It was wrong, it didn't fit. He couldn't say why, only that he was uncomfortable inside his own skin.
"Now, the first dance we're going to do the Fox Square," announced Dorin. "Start with Galadin and Kalir in the lead. Lift your right hand up, palm up...."
