“Would Your Benevolence care to dance?” Lenaris asked, her smile slightly mocking.
Ruarnon grinned and took her hands, deciding to set their worries aside for the night. They raised conjoined hands in a series of graceful motions, shuffling sideways periodically. Other couples shuffled around them, some women dancing with women, some men dancing with men, midluns dancing with any of the three genders. The merriment, public displays of affection, and some gender pairings would have been a scandal to the rigid conventions of the Zaldeaan Realm, but not here. This was home, where every Tarlahn generation save Ruarnon’s had fought for its freedom, and in return, everyone let everyone be as they were.
Beside the dancers, Arlian kissed a serving girl passionately, and smiles around Ruarnon bec
