Page 37 of The Marked Princess

The younger man beside him coughed loudly, as if to cover his laughter. “Too blunt, father,” he murmured, then stepped forward and presented them with a low bow. His light brown hair fell over his eyes as he bent his head in their direction. “We are honored to have you grace our home, Your Highness.”

Josselyn grinned, dipping her head in response. “We're most grateful for your hospitality. Mr. Banri, was it?”

The older man's eyes widened at her youthful voice, while the younger man grinned, his eyes dancing with humor. “Yes, Your Highness. I'm David Banri, and this is my father, Jonathan Banri.”

Josselyn's eyes lit up, and she shot a glance in Dahlia's direction. “It's so nice to finally meet you, David. You don't mind if I call you David, do you? I've heard so much about you, I feel as if I already know you.”

Alex raised his eyebrows, watching as Dahlia's face grew bright red while her sisters' shoulders shook with barely restrained laughter. David's grin grew even wider, as he, too, turned to look at Dahlia. “Have you now?”

Jonathan Banri sputtered, oblivious to the younger people's teasing. “I'm afraid I don't really understand what's going on. Hiram? Could you please explain to this old man what these kids are going on about? They're not making a lick of sense.”

Hiram chuckled. “Young folks never do, do they? Have a seat, old friend, we've much to discuss.”

Jonathan sank into a chair beside Hiram's, with his son settling onto the floor in front of Dahlia, much to her sisters' amusement. They spent the next two hours filling the two newcomers in on the events of the past few days and discussing what needed to be done to defend Tallis from potential invasions.

Afterwards, they were all lead off to various guestrooms, of which the large home boasted several, where they found baths had been prepared for them all. Due to the number of guests, Alex's was a simple metal washtub of hot water. The young maid who had brought him soap and a large towel was quite effusive in her apologies, but he waved her off, happy just to be able to wash off some of the sweat and grime from traveling. There was a change of clothing set out on the bed, and he was grateful to find they actually fit him quite well. As grateful as he'd been for the clothes Hiram had lent him, they'd been rather short in the sleeves and pant legs.

There was a knock on the door, and a young, male servant entered, bowing respectfully. “The master has requested that dinner be served al fresco tonight, if I may direct you to the terrace?”

Alex ran a hand over his hair self-consciously. “Uh, sure, thank you.”

He followed the servant down the hall. A door on the opposite side of the stairs opened, and Josselyn stepped out, smiling as she said something to the maid following just behind her. She looked up and caught Alex's eye, and he felt all the air leave his lungs with a whoosh, as if someone had punched him in the stomach.

The stage makeup had been washed off, and her cheeks were still rosy from the bath. Her hair fell loose around her shoulders, and she wore a long, swirling skirt in varying shades of green, complimented by a loose, white peasant blouse with a wide neckline that slipped off one of her lightly tanned shoulders. She wore thin, gold tinted sandals on her feet and a bunch of gold bangles jingled on her wrist.

Everything about her was Kalo, and Alex had to physically restrain himself from running over and sweeping her up into his arms. As it was, he stood frozen at the top of the stairs like a mute idiot as she approached, his mouth agape as he stared.

“Well met, Alex. Shall we go down to dinner together?” She smiled up at him, and he tried to find words to respond, but his brain refused to cooperate. Her smile slipped at his silence, growing forced around the edges. “Alex...?”

He gave his head a slight shake, scolding himself for his idiocy. “Yes, of course, Your Highness.” He offered her his arm, and her face lightened as she slipped her hand into the crook. He trained his gaze straight ahead, following the servant as he led them out onto a large, walled-in terrace. A long table was set on one end, and several benches and potted plants lined the walls. Torches were attached to the high walls at regular intervals, ready to be lit as the sun began it's final descent.

Mr. Banri stood at the head of the table, with his son, David, alongside him. They both bowed as Josselyn came out, but she waved her hand dismissively. “Please, let's not be formal tonight. After everything that's happened, I'd much rather enjoy a simple dinner among friends.”

“As you wish, Your Highness,” Mr. Banri replied, moving to pull a chair out for her.

“I'd prefer you call me Josselyn, at least in the privacy of your home.” She took the seat he offered, and he grinned.

“Then I must insist you call me Jonathan. Ah, here comes the lovely Delaney sisters and their decrepit, old father.”

“Not nearly as decrepit as you, old man,” Hiram called out as he and his family joined them all at the table. “Now, enough of your hot air. Let's eat!”

Everyone laughed as they pulled out chairs, ignoring convention and sitting wherever they wanted. Alex felt some of the tension leave his shoulders, and he joined them. David leaned across the table, a curious smile on his face.

“You're Kalo, aren't you?” At Alex's look, David hurried to continue. “I only ask because I've spent a lot of time with the Kalo, studying their music. I find it incredibly fascinating. It's just so... alive, you know? Unlike the stiff arrangements preferred by the 'upper class'.”

“I'm Kalo by birth, but I was raised in the capital. I'm afraid I'm unfamiliar with their music.”

“A Kalo with no music?” David shook his head. “Positively tragic.” His eyes lit up, his grin returning in full force. “We'll just have to enlighten you, then.” He raised his voice so that everyone at the table would hear. “Shall we have music and dancing after dinner?”

There was a round of cheers, and Jonathan raised a glass in his son's direction. “An excellent idea, David!”

“That's not necessary, really... this hardly seems like an appropriate time, given our current situation...” Alex looked around the table, searching for someone to back him up, but they were already chatting excitedly about which songs they wanted to play. Josselyn caught his eye, a playful smirk on her lips. She was clearly enjoying his discomfort.

He focused his attention on his food, ignoring the chatter that surrounded him. Before he knew it, servants were coming around and clearing away the plates. Instruments were brought out, and David led the music off with a lively jig played on his mandolin. The women moved to the center of the floor, dancing together in a loose circle, their skirts swirling around their ankles. They were all wearing similar skirts, each in a different color. Red, yellow, green, blue and purple fabrics flared out in a rainbow of spinning skirts as the women twirled around with the rhythm of the song.

They continued to play and dance, changing out musicians and singers with each song. It seemed just about everyone there was a proficient musician. Alex found himself being drawn into the music, as if it had some sort of magical hold over him. His feet tapped against the stone floor as he watched the dancing from one of the benches on the side. David came over and dropped down onto the bench beside him.

“The next dance is meant to be done with a partner. Seeing as we're a bit short on gentlemen, I'm going to have to insist you join us.”