(by various authors)

While Piedro was walzing with Ivan, Eliadha took the opportunity to take a look around the ball room. It had been decorated beautifully.

A smile crossed her face as she remembered the reactions of the Guards at the gate. When she had shown him her invitation, he had looked her up and down approvingly, but also a bit astonished. Obviously he hadn't expected a Renunciate to be able to look so stunningly feminine.

She had been about to put him in his place for looking at her in that way, when Jaelle had stepped up to show him her invitation. While he had almost been drooling at the sight of Eliadha, as his gaze fell on Jaelle, the Guard's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.

He had started stammering: "Uh..eh..Good.. Good evening mestra. Welcome to Comyn Castle. I see your invitation is .. in order. You can walk right on through."

Without even looking at the Guard, Jaelle had walked on by him. The Guard had been so distracted by the swaying of her hips, that he had signaled Daimary, Marjo and Ivan to walk on through, without even looking at their invitations or who they were.

The four women had walked out of the Guard's hearing and turned to each other.

"If that's a sample of the reactions you two are going to get tonight, we're going to be in for a lot of fun this evening," Daimary had remarked. "He didn't even look at me and Marjo. And I think he didn't even notice poor Ivan."

"Don't worry, breda. While he was drooling all over Jaelle and me, I happened to see that the Guard on the other side of the gate had his eye more on you and Marjo than on the invitations he was supposed to be checking," Eliadha had reassured her.

Grinning, Jaelle had said: "I noticed the same thing. The four of us sure won't have any lack of attention tonight. Come on, let's get inside and start having fun."

Eliadha's train of thought was suddenly cut off as she became aware of a dark head of hair on the other side of the room. She changed her position a little bit to see if she could catch a glimpse of the man's face.

She managed to do so, and she immediately turned her gaze elsewhere. It was HIM! HE was here! And looking even more handsome than she remembered. Her heart started pounding and she was sure everyone around her could hear it as well. She desperately wanted to look again, but she restrained herself. She politely laughed at something Jaelle said to her, even though she hadn't even heard what it was.

Rafe became aware of someone's emotions weakly butting against the shields around his mind. He lowered his shields a little to get a better idea of who was projecting to him. He didn't recognise the mind but it was obvious from the transmitted emotions, that the sender was a woman.

He looked around the room to see if he could spot her. He didn't see any possible candidate until his gaze fell on Congratulatia Elhalyn.

"Could it be her?" he wondered, but immediately dismissed the idea. That woman would never be able to have such a discrete and gentle mental touch. It had to be someone else.

He continued his search of the room, until ....

His heart skipped a beat. He was absolutely certain he'd finally found the woman was looking for.

"OH MY!!" Rafe couldn't believe his eyes, and only the strange look on Regis' face made him realize that he was pouring all of his shallan on Regis' boots.

SHE was here. He couldn't believe his luck. Oh that gown suited her so perfectly...she was even more beautiful than he remembered, now that she wasn't wearing her Renunciate outfit. Wait...was that the dorilys that she had pinned onto her dress? Did this mean that she understood its symbolism?

Rafe desperately and passionately wanted to take her into his arms and dance with her.

Regis was looking around, still quite agitated because of appearance of renunciates and their terrible manners. Suddenly his boots started to get wet. Rafi was looking across the room and didn't notice he was spilling drink from his glass. Regis rose his eyebrows and looked to same direction as Rafi, and noticed one of the renunciates.

"Yes, it is absolutely outrageous they are letting those in here. Where is the world coming to, I ask..."

Coming back to his senses, he started apologizing profusely to Regis. He even offered him his handkerchief to wipe away the shallan from his boots.

Rafael's gaze turned again to the woman that had haunted his thoughts and dreams for the last few days.

"Oh no, where had she gone?!?" He craned his neck to look over the crowd, but he couldn't see her anywhere. "Where could she have gone?" He simply had to find her, for he knew that his life would not be complete unless he could at least talk to her one more time. He apologized to Regis again and took his leave. He planned to scour the room for as long as it would take to find the renunciate again.

The room was becoming crowded with all the new arrivals, so it was hard for Rafe to make his way around the room. Besides that, it seemed as if everyone wanted to talk to him. Apparently they were all curious about the new regents of the Aldaran domain. Every few steps he was stopped by someone who had something to say to him. He tried to remain polite to all of them, and so answered all their questions as briefly and quickly as he could, without coming across as rude or arrogant.

After what seemed like an eternity, he finally caught sight again of the woman of his dreams.

But before he could do anything, disaster struck again. Just as he was about to cross the room, walk up to her and ask her to dance with him, he was accosted by that irritating woman, Congratulatia Elhalyn.

"Dom Rafael. You look perfectly handsome in that outfit. Are those the Aldaran colours? They suit you perfectly. They make you look so handsome and .. sexy." That last word was spoken in a husky sexy voice, or at least that's what Rafe thought she had meant to sound like.

"Remember, you promised me you'd dance with me. That time has come now.Take me in your arms and sweep me off my feet," Congra said while firmly pushing her bosom against his arm. She smiled at him in what he supposed was a sexy pout.

Seeing no way to avoid dancing with her, he led her to the dance floor. While dancing with her, he made sure to keep a good distance between them.

Rafe decided that this should be the one and only dance he would have with the platinum blond Elhalyn...though he should admit that she was wonderfully light, and a very skilled dancer. He was surprised to discover that after all he was enjoying the situation more than he could have thought before.

Anyway, he didn't pay almost any attention to the meaningless chat of Tula, and carefully checked the room, every now and again, to see where Eliadha could be.

He caught a flash of a blue dress, in the arms of Jorik Hastur, and resigned himself to wait a little bit more.

Finally, he managed to lead Tula to the refreshment table, and politely muttered some excuses, about the hot air in the room, and so on. He was about to go and search for his favoutirte Amazon, when a little hand laid on his wrist.

He turned, and Mabry was there, a delightful pout on her beautiful face:

"I thought we would dance together, at least one single time, Rafe..."

Rafe smiled to her (he couldn't deceive Mabry) "I was looking for you, indeed", and took her in his arms, while the music was playing again, sweetly.

But where was Eliadha again?

"...and I talked to him. Rafe, why aren't you listening to me?" Mabry seemed annoyed.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Mabry! I don't know what's happening to me" said Rafe, although he knew, indeed, too well "Would you mind repeating, please?"

"I told you that Leisha introduced me that kinsman of mine, Cormel Rockraven...you should know him, if I'm not mistaken"

"Yes, I met him, during the Council. Actually, _I_ should have introduced him to you, but it seems that your friend Leisha was quicker" said Rafe.

Mabry chatted again a little about Cormel, and Rafe tried to pay attention, his thoughts directed to the woman he hadn't succeeded yet in dancing with.

See Leisha's ballfor Mabry and Cormel meeting

Eliadha became aware of someone looking at her. Wondering if it could be Dom Rafael, she looked up just in time to see his head disappear into the crowd again.

"Phew. He didn't see. What would I do if he did? How should I act if he tries to talk to me?"

Eliadha didn't know what to do with herself. She had come here to dance and to have fun, but so far non of the men had asked her to dance and the only fun she had had was when Ivan came jumping out of Piedro's birthday cake.

She looked around her, but she didn't see anyone that she knew and she thought that it probably wouln't be wise to ask a stranger to dance with her.

She watched the dancing couples and noticed a handsome man dancing with what looked to be a girl of about sixteen. He was a magnificient dancer. Eliadha wouldn't mind him asking her to dance. She loved dancing and standing around, looking like a wallflower, wasn't doing her ego any good.

She was desperately hoping for someone, anyone, to ask her to dance. Maybe that would take her mind of the handsome Dom Rafael.

Jorik was looking for Daimary: that banshee thing had to finish. Suddenly he saw a nice looking woman he had never seen before. She was not a comyn girl, but she was surely laran-gifted... Jorik caught himself thinking: "Why my grandfather did not present me a girl like that? Is she yet bethroted?"

The girl was staring at him and Jorik recalled where he saw her! She was the same renunciate that was looking for a job as bodyguard some weeks ago!

"She should know where Daimary is." Thought Jorik by approaching the woman.

But when Jorik was near her, he was not able to say something different from:

"Vai mestra, can I ask for a dance with you? After all we are at a ball, are not we?"

"Vai dom," Eliadha answered. "I'd be more than happy to dance with you, only I have a policy of not dancing with strange men."

<SLAP> Jorik hit himself on the forehead.

"How stupid of me, mestra. Please forgive me," he said grinning from ear to ear.

He executed a perfect, graceful bow, offered his hand to the renunciate and with twinkling eyes said: "Dom Jorik Hastur y Ridenow, z'par servu. Jorik to you, my lovely lady. Would you do me the greatest honour of dancing with me?"

Eliadha replied in turn by giving him the deepest curtsey she had ever given any man and smiling broadly as she said: "Vai dom, I would be honoured to dance with the heir of Hastur. I am Eliadha n'ha Ardana, 'Renunciate Extraordinare'. But please, call me Eliadha." Her eyes were twinkling with the same amount of amusement as his were. She accepted his hand and he led her to the dance floor.

Immediately the handsome couple started dancing and swept across the floor in perfect unison.

One would think that they'd executed those steps together numerous times before ...

She was dancing very well and Jorik felt drawn by the passion and the sensuality of the dance. After a while, when the music calmed a little Jorik stared deeply in Eliadha's blue eyes and said:

"Eliadha, you are a superb dancer. If your value as a bodyguard is a half your value as a dancer I'll regret forever for having not insisted when you was looking for a job weeks ago!"

Surprised, she reacted: "Job, what job? Have we met before? I don'tthink so or did we? ... Ah now I remember, you were the one offering that insignificant job to me, weren't you."

Grinning again, he feigned a wound to the heart, and exclaimed: "Mestra, you have dealt me a death blow. Not to be remembered by one such as lovely as you! Of course it was I. How could you forget?"

Getting into the game, Eliadha replied with a shocked face: "Oh, please forgive me, kind sir! I didn't mean to be so insensitive. How can I make it up to you? I know, how about another twirl around the dance floor."

Flirtingly she batted her lashes at him and continued: "Please say you'll forgive me. If you don't forgive me, I'll surely die right here on the spot!"

Jorik said, winking: "I'll forgive you if you promise me to think again about that job. Together, of course, with the next dance."

"Vai dom, you are full of requests!"

"I am... I will be very envied with a bodyguard like you!"

Eliadha thought for a while he was serious, but the smile in Jorik's face convinced her he was joking.

"Will the Heir of Hastur accept a woman as a bodyguard? What would the Regent think?"

"He will think that his rapscallion nephew did manage to seduce another poor little renunciate once more."

"Well. In this case I fear he had to think his nephew was seduced by a little poor renunciate..." Said Eliadha with an arch light in the eyes.

"This would indeed be the case, but I think you are not feeling like doing it tonight!... You are projecting your feelings and they are not for me! Are you trying to make someone jealous?"

Eliadha's step faltered, but immediately she corrected herself. She felt the heat rise to her face. Silently she started cursing to herself: "That darn laran. I wish I could shut it off. What must he be thinking of me? Why isn't that matrix working? Or can he just sense what I'm feeling because he's so close .. or because we're touching each other?"

Aloud she said innocently: "Why sir, whatever do you mean? I don't know anyone that would be jealous of you dancing with me. The other way around I could understand. Who wouldn't be jealous of a woman lucky enough to dance with the heir of Hastur. And not just once, but twice." Trying to change the subject, she continued: "Speaking of which, shouldn't you be dancing with all the eligible COMYN ladies present here?"

Slightly panicked, she tried to disengage herself from his strong arms, but they didn't move an inch....

The music stopped for a while, and Rafe caught the occasion to accompany Mabry to Regis, said that he needed some fresh air, and decided that he would definetely have Eliadha in his arms, as soon as possible.

Was she still dancing with Jorik? He thought that Jorik wouldn't mind to be interrupted...Where was she?? He crossed the Ballroom, trying to avoid all the dancing couples, but stepping on someone's feet anyway...

..and finally, there she was. Eliadha was laughing at something that looked extremely funny, said by a young Guardman, in his green and black uniform, and Rafe felt the bits of envy. He wanted to be the one at whose words Eliadha would laugh.

He headed decisely towards the amused couple, and politely interrupted them.

"Excuse me, vai dom... May I steal you this beautiful lady?"

The youngster had a sort of annoyed reaction, and haughty shook his red head, saying "Would you mind to come back later, _vai dom_? Actually, we were about to dance, weren't we, mestra E..?" as he turned to hear Eliadha's opinion, he ran off words. Eliadha was everything but paying attention to him.

Her blue eyes were bright, just as if something (the young Guardman thought *I'd better say 'someone'*) had lit a fire in her.

The young man took a brief look to Rafael, and saw that the Comyn Lord was nearly in the same situation. He decided that he was useless to say anything more, and slid away, silently.

Rafe and Eliadha look into each other eyes, smiling. Was the music playing? None of the two was able to hear it, at the moment...

After a few moments, Rafe managed to take a breath, and said:

"I've been waiting for this moment since I saw you...shall we dance, Eliadha?"

Too stunned to reply, she nodded her consent.

Rafe took her gently, but firmly into his arms and started leading her across the dance floor.

Eliadha felt slightly disorientated. She had never felt like this about any man. Rafe's hand on her back was sending all kind of tingling sensations across her back.

A bit confused she looked up into his face and immediately drowned in his dark brooding eyes ...

... The world around them dissappeared. They were simply two people floating around in a universe all of their own. As Rafe slowly pulled Eliadha closer to him, she was pressed against his muscled torso and became aware of his strong solid heartbeat. Her own racing heartbeat slowed down, until both hearts were beating in complete unison.

Eliadha let her mind reach out to his, at the same moment that his mind reached out to her. As their minds met, they started intertwining and what once were two seperate beings, Comyn Lord and Renunciate, man and woman, slowly melted into one ...

After what seemed like eons, Eliadha slowly became aware again of the world around her. Apparently the music has stopped, for they werestanding still, instead of dancing. But instead of letting her go, Rafael pulled her even closer into his embrace.

As the music started again, they danced again, but this time Eliadha managed to remain aware of her surroundings.

The music stopped again. Eliadha saw a handsome guardsman walk over to them. It was evident from the look on his face, that he intended to ask Eliadha for a dance, but he never got the chance. In the same instant that the music started again, Rafe sweeped Eliadha off her feet again, completely ignoring the young man.

In this way, they danced and danced. Everytime someone tried to cut in on them, Rafe either ignored the request, or stared at the man in question in such a cold way that they backed off without hesitation.

All this time, neither one of them ever let go off the other…

Rafe had forgotten everything else but the feeling of Eliadha soft body against his.

He desperately felt the need to kiss those red lips, to touch that blond hair...to embrace her even more tightly than he was already doing...

But the little part of his mind that was still able to think clearly, advised him to avoid Mabry and Regis to see more about the wonderful Amazon and him.

So he forced his eyes away from Eliadha's eyes, and cast a quick glance on the Ball room.

Then he bowed towards Eliadha and murmured in her hear:

"Would you mind to stop for a while, preciosa?"

Eliadha thought that any word she could ever hear might have a sweeter sound, and again, she wasn't able to answer but with a nod.

Rafe insinuated his fingers in Eliadha's one, and led her to one of the dark corridors on the left of the Ball room.

None of the two said a word, and none of the two felt the need to talk.

When Rafe was sure that almost noone could see them, at that point of the corridor, he gently pushed Eliadha against the wall, left her hand and took her beautiful face in his hands.

"And this is the second thing I have been desperately wishing to do, since I saw you" he said, just a second before kissing her.

The passion grew, and nor Rafe nor Eliadha could think of anything else...

The hot part is coming!!! Read what happens to Rafe & Eliadha. Warning: X-rated

Mabry was getting tired. The ball was getting boring. Her feet were getting sore. In short, the situation was getting worse and worse.

She decided to say her good nights, and go up to my room for a little chocolate and some sleep. Mabry went to find Rafe, but he was busy dancing with the renunciate in blue. She went find Jorik, but he was dancing with Congratulatia. Finally, she went to find Regis, and he wasn't busy.

Mabry told him she was going to leave the ball, and to tell Rafe.

She had never been so glad to leave a place in her life.

"Well, if you want to leave then leave. I will tell Rafi."

After that Regis saw Rafi dancing with Eliadha ("Hmpf") and seeked Myria to ask her to dance.

Regis was getting really tired and thought he might follow Mabry's example. He looked for Rafi but could not see him anywhere (and since I am not telepath I won't receive any "noise" from certain persons...). "Oh well, maybe I will get to pester him, and several others, in the morning when I have slept well and all the others are having hangover..."

"Well, i was just planning to leave but of course I would love to dance with you."

"Leave? But night is still young!" Congratulatia said as they moved to the floor.

"Oh yes, but I am not that young myself...I leave dancing till sunrise to you younger people. But if you see Rafael would you inform him that I and Mabry leave?"

"I will do that gladly, unfortunately I fear the dear regent has gone hiding himself in the company of that tawdry Renunciate... you know, the grossest of the bunch..." Congratulatia's facial expression was showing all her disgust and Regis could easily empathize with that. Congratulatia went on:

"You are not that old, dom Di Asturien and, above all, you are young at heart: a lion!"

"Rafael and that renunciate left? Together? Hmm...looks like I have something to discuss with him soon...And about my heart, it feels younger than my feet, but then again, everything but the moons feels younger than my feet. No, I will leave dancing till sunrise to you young people."

"Oh, what a pity!" Congratulatia exclaimed with sorrow. "Where do you currently live? I will send you my personal masseur: he works wonders."

"I still live in my town house, quite close the castle when I am in Thendara."

Lowering her voice, she continued: "I would massage your feet myself if we were in a more intimate setting. Foot massage has something inherently erotic, do you not concur?" A knowing smile concluded Congratulatia's last sentence.

Regis remained silent. And since it would be impolite to ask why she was so agitated if she will not tell it herself, Regis asked:

"You were just talking with Dom Jorik?"

"Polite as always, are you not, dom Di Asturien? What you kindly defined 'talk' was actually a 'scene' as unfortunately quite everybody could see...Putting aside Jorik and my different point of view on our relationship status, I must say that I could never ever have imagined Jorik could act in such a boorish way! He offended me! He dared, yes he *dared* to tell me that my behaviour is prostitute-like and that if I showed myself less 'available' I would be more appreciated! Can you believe it?"

Regis rose his eyebrows.

"Of course, at that point I just had to retort that it was not *I* the one showing off a prostitute-like behaviour, rather it was *he* the one who could be accused of holding such a despicable behaviour. As everybody in this hallroom can attest, I was seen dancing only with men of power and relevance: you, your nephew and Jorik himself. I would have loved to dance with Grandaddy Danvan, but I fear for his health condition (he is recovering from a heartstroke as you are aware, I am sure), and with dom Aidan Aldaran y Ridenow the new Keeper of Tramontana. In brief, I am trying to do what *he* should do, that is to say public relations with interesting people. The only distraction I granted myself was a dance with the embodiment of delight, dom Gabriel Alton. Can my behaviour be defined 'prostitute-like' in your opinion? I would say it is more 'future queen-like', do you agree?"

"I certainly have not seen any prostitute-like behaviour." (Future queen? What is she planning to do to Clara?)

"Of course, as it is my custom, I never entertain myself with someone who is not of my liking. Had I not liked you, I would have not danced with you. Had I not trusted you, I would have never confided what I just have. Aldaran is more than merely lucky to have you as co-regent. I am aware the dear regent is your nephew, but going to hide with a tawdry Renunciate...! To finish my story, I in turned accused Jorik of chasing every single gown, Renunciates' included, which of course says it all."

"Yes, with sorrow I must say that Dom Jorik seems to be more interested in pretty young maidens than political work. Quite unlike you. It has often worried me what will happen when Dom Danvan no longer rules these domains."

Self-confident, Congratulatia stated: "*I* will. When I am Jorik's wife, I will be queen of Darkover, and while he pursues tasteless gowns *discreetly* I will hold the regency and rule the planet, of course. That is the reason why I am organizing our dinner, dom Di Asturien."

"Umm..." a pause, bit too long, "oh, really? That sounds like interesting plan...I think Jorik could easily become puppet ruler."

(Zandru's hells, what is she planning? I must talk to Dom Danvan tomorrow...)

"Ahhh, I am already feeling better, dom Di Asturien. I thank you for your courtesy, for having danced with me and let me free myself of this poison I was holding within me. I cannot wait to meet you again at our planned dinner!"

"I am happy if you feel better. And I also look forward to our meeting."

After this, if he saw Myria anxiously wanting to dance he goes and asked her.

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