Volle (38 page)

“The windows were done by Farrish—you know him?” Volle shook his head. “He did the staircase sculptures in the palace—well, all but the Wolf one—and a lot of religious icons for the nobility. Wonderful work.”

“The Wolf stair used to be the Fox stair, didn’t it?”

Tish nodded. “You figured that out, did you? Good thinking. Yes, they destroyed the fox heads, more’s the pity. The wolf ones are nice, but there’s nobody alive today who can sculpt like Farrish could.”

Volle indicated the large table with his muzzle. “That’s where we’re sitting?”

“Yes. Others should be arriving soon. I see the musicians are here.”

Volle looked at the wooden platform again, where the marmots were unpacking instruments and setting up chairs and music stands. The raccoon was still inspecting the platform.

He walked with Tish over to the large table once the mouse and goat had finished setting it. Their names were marked on the place settings, next to each other, for which Volle felt profoundly grateful. Ilyana was seated to his left, and Tika to Tish’s right.

He and Tish talked quietly while the musicians finished setting up, and then listened while they warmed up. The two marmots had violins, and the raccoon played cello. They played a couple snatches of airs that Volle didn’t recognize, and then launched into one that he did, a classic piece that was making the rounds of the palace.

As if on cue, the guests began to trickle in. Volle didn’t know most of them, because few were from the palace. Mostly they were upper class canids, although there were a few mustelids and ursids thrown in. “We only invited the bears because ursids make for a classy occasion now that it’s their turn,” Tish confided to Volle as the bear couple entered. “To be honest, I called in a favor on them. They don’t really know Ilyana’s family at all.”

“Why aren’t there more lords here?”

“I thought Tika told you that. Ilyana’s not in that circle yet, and you’re not courting her yet, so she has to be introduced to the appropriate level of society first. When you get married, the palace nobles will be there.”

Married. Volle chewed over that for a couple minutes and then decided to let it go. A few of the guests were venturing out onto the dance floor—until Ilyana arrived, it was fair game, but after that, she had to have the first dance. For the next half hour, the room filled steadily until some seventy people were sitting at tables, talking, dancing, and wandering around the room. At the large table, Volle found himself seated across from two elderly foxes whom he guessed to be Ilyana’s aunt and uncle even before they introduced themselves. He made polite small talk until Tish nudged him and pointed him to a shy young vixen who was looking his way.

“Go on, dance with her.” He grinned. “It would give her a thrill, and besides, you’re only single for another half hour or so.”

“Will you dance with me afterwards if it would give me a thrill?” Volle muttered with a grin as he got up.

“I’m not single,” Tish replied with a wink, and pushed him towards the vixen.

Her name was Mariana, and she was a graceful dancer, but after saying, “I’m Mariana” in a near whisper, she didn’t speak the whole time they were dancing. Volle was concentrating on remembering the steps he’d been taught, and so didn’t initiate any conversation. Mariana seemed uncertain about how closely to hold on to him; her paw rested on his hip, then wavered uncertainly and moved up, only to slide slowly back down. He held her across her back, and held her other paw in his own.

By the end of the dance, Volle was happy that he’d remembered the steps and thought he’d acquitted himself well. They stepped back from each other, and Mariana looked up with a bright smile. “Thank you, Lord Vinton,” she said in a soft whisper.

“Thank you, Mariana.” He bowed to her and tried to make his way back to Tish, but another vixen stepped in front of him, and so he asked her to dance as well.

Two more vixens and a lithe young bobcat later, he was still trying to make his way over to Tish when he felt a tap beneath his shoulder blade, and a familiar voice cooed, “Oh, could I have the next dance, great Lord Vinton?”

He turned and saw Helfer grinning at him. For a moment he just stood stunned, then he laughed and swept the weasel up into a big hug, tail wagging. “Hef! What in Gaia’s name are you doing here?”

“You think I’d miss this?” The weasel hugged back and then smoothed out the wrinkles in Volle’s clothes. “I postponed my trip for a bit. Lousy weather for it anyway.” He winked.

“Weather’s not going to get any better,” Volle said. He couldn’t stop grinning. “But I’m glad you’re here.”

“Yeah? So how about that dance?”

Volle laughed and grabbed the weasel’s paws, twirling him around the floor a few times. Helfer kept time pretty well, though Volle was taking larger steps than the short-legged weasel.

“Where did you learn to dance?” Volle asked.

“Oh, here and there.” Helfer grinned. “Tish gave me a refresher when I told him I’d be coming.”

Volle glanced over at the broadly grinning black wolf. “He knew?”

“He talked me into it. We decided to surprise you. He thought it might relax you to have a friend here.”

“I’m glad he did.” The song ended, and Volle squeezed Helfer’s paws as they slowed to a stop. “Thanks. I’m glad you’re here.”

“I am too.” Helfer patted him on the back. “Now get back to your table. I think your intended is about to come in.”

Volle watched Helfer move to a small table off to the side, where he was talking to a hare who looked familiar. Was that Reese? Volle stopped to take a closer look, but everyone was clearing off the floor as Tish stood up, and Volle hurried to get back to his side.

Tish smiled as he scrambled into place, then addressed the crowd. “Sons and daughters of Gaia, it is my pleasure to welcome you all to this happy event. We are here to witness the entrée into society of a dear friend of mine, a young vixen whose family is among the most highly regarded in Divalia. I know that all of you here will provide an appropriate welcome for her as she makes the exciting transition from her home to the greater home of our society. Sons and daughters, ladies and lords, I present to you for the first time: Madame Ilyana Rodion.”

He turned toward the door, and Volle did too. The whole room stood and followed suit. After a moment, Ilyana stepped elegantly through the doorway, showing off her light blue and lavender gown to excellent effect. It was blue across the shoulders and down the front and back, with a slightly darker blue bodice. The lavender sleeves were ruffled down the side, and the skirt of the dress was blue with lavender stripes down either side.

She walked proudly, head held high, ears up, tail arched. Behind her, her mother and father walked, looking just as proud, and Tika flanked them. All four stopped when they reached the open area in the center, and the crowd applauded appreciatively. Ilyana curtsied deeply to all sides of the room, and then walked gracefully to the large table, where she stood next to Volle. Her mother stood beside her, her father behind them, and Tika took her place beside Tish.

Tish motioned the crowd to their seats with both paws, but he, Volle, Ilyana, and her father remained standing. “We are doubly fortunate tonight in being present to witness not only the introduction of Madame Ilyana Rodion to society, but also her courtship by a recently arrived noble. He has agreed to take responsibility for Madame Rodion, and her father has acquiesced to the courtship. Sons and daughters, lords and ladies, Lord Volle of Vinton.”

Volle felt his ears flush at the polite applause. He bowed to each side of the room. Tish continued. “The lady’s father, Marcel Rodion, will officially question Lord Vinton.”

Marcel stepped forward. “Who will escort my daughter from her home into the world?”

Volle faced the older fox. “I will.”

“And who are you?”

“Lord Volle of Vinton, a fox of noble breeding and good character, true to Canis and Gaia and King Barris.”

“What is your lineage?”

“My parentage is: Lord Wiri of Vinton, whose father was Lord Taurin of Vinton, whose father was Lord Fyrin of Vinton, whose father was Lord Beri of Vinton, whose father was Lord Geri of Vinton, who was granted his title by King Telas IV, son of Gaia.”

“Do you know me?”

“You are Marcel Rodion, son of Razum and Avdotia, husband to Katiana.”

“Do you know my daughter?”

“I know Ilyana Rodion and hold her in the highest regard.”

“Will you protect her from ill, and show her beauty, guide her from the wrong path and accompany her on the right?”

“I will.”

“And who will vouch for this fox?”

Tish said, “I, Lord Marcher of Tistunish, true to Canis and Gaia and King Barris, vouch for Lord Volle of Vinton.”

Marcel continued. “As this fox has presented himself and been vouched for, I see no reason why he may not escort my daughter.” He turned to them and smiled. “Goodbye, Ilyana, from our home, and hello and welcome, to our society.”

He leaned forward and kissed her, and she kissed him back, then stepped aside. He shook paws with Volle, smiling at him, and then stepped aside so Volle could take Ilyana’s paws. Her eyes sparkled even in the muted afternoon light as he touched his nose to hers and kissed her.

She smelled like lavender as well as wearing the color, he noticed, and of course Welcis had applied the lavender scent to him that morning, so their scents and clothes matched. He wondered vaguely if that were proper, given the fuss over the clothes matching or not, but decided he wouldn’t worry about it. The hard part was done, and now he just had to dance, eat, and make it home.

“I’m so happy,” she whispered to him as they walked to the center to dance the first dance alone. “The snow is so beautiful, it’s just like a fairytale. I couldn’t have asked for a better setting, or a handsomer prince.”

Genuinely touched, Volle kissed her again. The music started, and he led her in slow, elegant circles around the floor. “It’s all the clothes, you know,” he said with a smile. “Really, I’m not that handsome.”

“You’re handsome inside,” she said softly. “And outside too, no matter what you say.”

“Thank you.” He smiled and nuzzled her ears. “But I know that nobody in the crowd right now is looking at
me
dance.”

She laughed. “That vixen over there is.”

“Nope,” he said without turning around. “She’s looking at you jealously and thinking that she’ll never look that good even if she had this same dress.”

“You’re so sweet,” she murmured.

He nuzzled her ears again. “I think your father wants to dance with you for the next song.” He’d spotted Marcel waiting eagerly at the edge of the floor, though the thought crossed his mind that he didn’t know for sure which one of them the older fox was waiting eagerly for.

“All right,” she said as the song faded away. The company clapped politely, and some other couples came out onto the floor with them.

Volle handed Ilyana to Marcel, and he seemed happy enough, so perhaps he really was waiting for her. “See you again in a bit,” he said as the two of them spun away. He intended to head back to the table, but found his way blocked by Tika, who grabbed his paw and shoulder.

“You didn’t really think you’d get away without giving me a dance, did you?”

“Shouldn’t you be dancing with your husband?”

“Oh, he says he’ll dance with me later, but his foot is bothering him right now.”

“Right,” Volle said, grinning. “I’ll have to remember that one.”

Tika chuckled, letting him lead her through the dance even though she was taller, heavier, and more skilled than he was. And after Tika, Ilyana came back for another dance, and then Helfer swept her off and Volle found himself with her mother. After that, he begged for a rest and wandered off the dance floor, intercepting Helfer and walking back to the table with him.

“Who was that hare I saw you with earlier?”

“Him? Oh, I think he said his name was Reese. Nothing doing, though—he’s straight. Pity, too, with a rump like that.” He scanned the room vaguely. “There he is, over there with the vixen you were dancing with earlier.”

Volle followed Helfer’s muzzle. “I was dancing with all of them earlier, I think. My paws are about to fall off.” He patted Helfer on the shoulder. “Excuse me a moment. I think I remember him from somewhere. Just want to make sure.”

“Sure,” Helfer called after him.

Volle made his way across the room and tapped Reese on the shoulder. “Excuse us, Mariana, for a moment?”

The vixen nodded and slipped away quietly. Reese frowned. “Why’d you have to do that? I was getting somewhere with her.”

“What are you doing here?”

“Seir said I could come. Thought I might enjoy it. You know, music, dancing, good food. At least, I assume there will be. Won’t there?”

Volle sighed. “Yes. Though most of the people here are carnivores, so I don’t know if they’ll have any herbivore food. She asked you to keep an eye on me, didn’t she?”

Reese shrugged. “Yeah, so? Doesn’t look like you needed anyone watching out for you. Don’t worry about it.” He looked hurt. “Don’t I even get a ‘thanks’ for coming all the way out here?”

“Thanks.” Volle grinned. “Just don’t talk to anyone.”