Chapter Text
Welcome , read the lovingly crafted banner hanging above the entry-way, To The Annual Brighton Celebration of High Sun Day .
Kent smiled, his hands on his hips as he surveyed the room. The tables were laid out, the decorations were up, the menu chosen and the food beginning to be set out exactly as he had requested. This High Sun Day was truly going to be one of his best yet. He made a circuit of the room, listening both for the chime of the clocktower to indicate the hour and for the heralds to announce the first guest.
The first few were as he would have expected, family members arriving a little too fashionably early and social climbers looking to stake out their conquests. Kent greeted them warmly, making a slow round of the room and trying not to make it too obvious that he was keeping a keen eye on the door.
“Presenting Signet, paladin of the glorious Belgard, and Tender Sky,” said the herald.
Kent moved to greet them, ignoring how people craned their necks to get a glimpse of the reclusive paladin. Signet was dressed in her customary shimmering robes, the edges heavy with glittering metal fragments that were said to come from the goddess’s body itself and her hair bound into a complicated series of plats and twists. Beside her, Tender was an almost muted figure until she stepped into the light, her pale dress turning into a sheer covering of crystals, her vibrant purple hair tumbling in loose waves over her shoulders.
“They Marked Scars Of Light In Pitch; Born In Fiercest Purpose, And Beheld As The Signet Sealed Upon Our Pact,” said Kent, bowing to Signet.
“Please, just Signet is fine-”
“And Miss Sky,” said Kent, “So wonderful that you were both able to make it!”
“Of course, we wouldn’t miss this!” said Tender, “Oh, here, I brought something for you-”
“Oh, Miss Sky, you shouldn’t have!”
Tender held out a bottle made of twisted glass The opaque liquid glittered in the light.
“Now, this isn’t for everyone, this is just for you, so don’t put it out for the party-”
“Might make for a fun party,” muttered Signet.
Tender shot her a look, continuing. “It’s a little something I brewed up.”
“Oh?” said Kent, taking the bottle as carefully as possible while trying to make his motions appear casual. “What… effects does it have?”
“I mean, you know, with this kind of thing it always depends on the person,” said Tender, “but it should propel you into a dreamscape where you can explore your deepest desires.”
Kent felt himself flush slightly. “Oh! Well! That sounds- thank you Miss Sky, I’ll be sure to put that somewhere… somewhere safe.”
Tender grinned at him. “Good idea. It also goes pretty well with orange-poppy seed friands, if you ask me.”
Kent blinked. “I… I’ll certainly take that under advisement.”
Tender nodded, offering her arm to Signet. A smile hovered at the corners of Signet’s mouth for a moment before her expression melted back into her still, tranquell expression. She took Tender’s arm, her face turning towards Tender’s as the two walked into the midst of the party.
Kent took the tea brew directly to his chambers, carefully setting inside his small personal safe before quickly returning to the party. He entered just as Even was arriving. Although he no longer wore the Golden Lance uniform, he still carried himself tall, his clothing crisp and neat. Kent rushed forward to greet him.
“Commander Gardner!” said Kent. “Wonderful to see you! Delightful!”
He blinked. A smaller man stood slightly behind Even, his clothes as neat as those of Even’s but he boots speaking of someone who had taken slightly more care in dressing than Even had. He also was not someone Kent recognised, a rarity for his High Sun Day party.
“Oh! And you’ve brought a guest?”
“Is that… The uh, invitation said it was okay to bring a plus one, so I-”
“Of course it is!” said Kent, extending a hand, “Delighted to make your acquaintance, Mr…”
The man shook his hand, calluses betraying a lifetime of hand work. “Just Cascabel is fine.”
“Cascabel is Marielda’s most talented weaponsmiths,” said Even, “He’s in the process of refining the weaponry for Cascara’s new regiment.”
“Well! It is wonderful to make your acquaintance Cascabel,” said Kent, “I do hope that you avail yourself of the refreshments, and do let me know if you’d like me to assist in making any introductions, although I am certain that Commander Gardner will do an admirable job of taking care of you during the night.”
Cascabel grinned. “He always does.”
Even cleared his throat. “Uh. I- Oh, look, Signet’s already here, let’s go say hello.”
“Nice to meet,” said Cascabel, as Even steered him away.
“I have an invitation,” said a voice behind Kent.
Kent turned, peering around the guards to glimpse who they were speaking to. It was a strange grouping. A weaver, limbs waving in the breeze, stood in front of a person in a brightly-coloured shirt and distinctive black pants, and a slightly scruffy man in a garishly coloured suit.
“Ah,” said Kent, “my friends, welcome!”
The weaver glared at the guards, adjusting their glasses. “Mr Brighton.”
“Mx Fifteen!” said Kent, grasping their hands in greeting.
It was, perhaps, a little showier of a greeting than he normally would have given them, but sometimes such behaviour was needed to impress upon others that certain people were welcome. Fourteen Fifteen had done him many great favours and the great house of Brighton always remembered those who helped them, especially if they would most likely call on them again for favours in the future.
“And Mx Reverie and Mr Magnificent, wonderful to see you, just wonderful!”
“It’s Grand Magnificent.”
“Yes,” said Kent, a little distracted as he glanced towards the empty entry gate, “It is a grand occasion, I’m so delighted you could make it.”
“Gig’s not with us,” said Echo.
Kent flinched, feeling his cheeks heat. “I, ah. No. Yes. I can see that, I- my apologies for my distraction, what a terrible host! Please, come in, avail yourself of the refreshments. I believe the band will soon be beginning their first performance if you wish to dance.”
Grand glanced at Echo and then quickly looked away, his cheeks flushing a deep pink.
“Is, ah, has Tender arrived?” asked Fourteen quietly.
“Miss Sky was one of the first to arrive,” said Kent, “I believe she is by the fountain, if you were so inclined.”
Fourteen’s cheeks coloured a little. “I- thank you Mr Brighton, that is much appreciated.”
“Of course, of course!” said Kent, stepping back for them to enter. “Please, do come in!”
He noted, with some interest, that Grand almost moved to offer his arm to Echo before stepping back and allowing them to enter ahead of him. Echo rolled their eyes, leading the others through into the party.
Kent glanced towards the gate entry again only to find it just as empty of guests as before. He pressed his lips together, tamping down on his disappointment. Mr Kephart was a tremendously busy individual, even on a day such as today. There were surely more urgent things that required his attention than something as frivolous as a party. He would, most likely, visit in a few days, with apologies and tales of his exploits.
There were positives to that, of course, in that he would have Gig’s attention solely to himself, but still… Kent sighed, attempting to school his expression into something more appropriate for a host. He had so been hoping to dance with Gig. Just once .
He stepped back into the room, making a slow circuit through the people. The atmosphere was joyous, especially now that the band had begun to play. Couples twirled around the dance floor, spilling out into the courtyard. Kent smiled, delight bubbling up inside him despite Gig’s absence.
He felt a hand at his elbow, and turned, blinking in surprise at Echo. Their expression was clouded, their lips pressed together in a thin line.
“Mx Reverie? I hope you are-”
“Kent, would you like to dance with me?” said Echo.
“I, ah- of course, I would be delighted-” said Kent.
“Good,” said Echo, “let’s go.”
They pulled him towards the dancefloor, taking the lead as they guided him through a dance. It was a simple one, although Kent suspected that was more for his benefit rather than due to a lack of expertise, their movements graceful. Their expression remained fixed, not exactly grim , but hardly the expression of someone having a pleasant experience, their eyes darting occasionally towards the edge of the crowd. Kent followed their gaze. Grand magnificent stood towards the edge of the dancefloor, his expression mirroring Echo’s.
Kent waited until the first song was over, taking a deep breath as the second song began, a little slower-paced than the first. Echo easily adjusted their steps to match.
“Mx Reverie…” said Kent, “It is not that I am not honoured by your request, and you are a truly wonderful dance partner, but I… Is there not someone else who would wish to dance with you?”
“No one else asked,” said Echo, their voice clipped.
“Not to intrude,” said Kent, “But, perhaps, there was someone who would have wanted to?”
Echo shrugged, the motion as graceful as their dance steps. “How should I know, I’m not a mind-reader.”
“I just wouldn’t want to cause a rift of any sort,” continued Kent, “Especially not on so joyous a day-”
“If he wanted to dance with me, he could have asked,” snapped Echo.
Kent looked away, stumbling over his feet on the next step. “My apologies.”
Echo sighed. “It’s fine, I shouldn’t take it out on you I guess, I just… I don’t want to talk about it. When I want to stop dancing, I’ll tell you, okay?”
“Very well Mx Reverie,” said Kent. The song changed again into one Kent knew well. “Oh! Perhaps I could lead for this round?”
“Sure,” said Echo, “Why not?”
“Although I am not quite a dancer of your caliber, I am quite good at this one I think,” said Kent, “Let’s see-”
They span together across the dance floor. Kent had always loved this dance. It reminded him of the rolling waves of the ocean, of the ships of old circling each other, clashing against one another in a storm. Echo matched his pace easily, their face coming alive with the movement of it, laughing as he twirled them a little more dramatically than the dance truly called for. Kent smiled, glad that they had recovered from their earlier upset.
“Mind if I cut in?” said Grand, putting a hand on Kent’s shoulder.
“Yes,” said Echo.
“Not at all,” said Kent, at the same time, stepping back to let Grand take his place.
Echo immediately switched their positions. “If I’m dancing with you, I’m leading.”
“Good,” said Grand, “Because I don’t know what I’m doing.”
“Then why ask me to dance in the first place?”
“Because I wanted to…”
Kent stepped away leaving them to the conversation. He quickly freshened up the washroom, leaving his jacket in the cloakroom before he stepped back into the party. Grand and Echo were dancing slowly towards the courtyard, their faces close together as they spoke. Behind them, he could see Tender and Fourteen seated by the fountain, curled around each other in a way only made non-scandalous by the nature of Fourteen’s weaver limbs. Even and Cascabel were still inside, dancing together in the quick-paced nature of the song, faces beaming.
He moved towards the bar, settling on a sparkling juice he’d become quite fond of. Signet slid into a seat beside him.
“Good party,” said Signet.
“Thank you, They Marked- Thank you Signet ,” said Kent, “I’m so glad that you’re enjoying yourself.” he paused. “Would you like to dance, I’m sure-”
“No,” said Signet, “I dance enough at home.”
“Ah, yes, I see,” said Kent, even though he absolutely did not see.
Signet swirled her glass, considering him for a moment. “Gig’s on his way.”
Kent almost dropped his glass. “He is? I mean, I-” Kent cleared his throat. “I did, of course, send an invitation to Mr Kephart, but his presence is not required , I merely… I had hoped that he would come and enjoy himself, as I do for any of those that I invite.”
“Uh huh,” said Signet slowly. “Well, I have it on good authority that he’s running late and will be here sometime soon.”
“That’s-” Kent swallowed. “It is good to hear that he will be able to attend after all. Would you excuse me, for a moment?”
Kent rushed back to the washroom, glad that it was empty this time. He paced back and forth for a few moments before splashing water on his face. He patted it dry, trying to soothe his sudden nerves. He heard the sound of the washroom door opening and took a breath in, preparing to slide back into being the party’s host. He turned dropping to towel in shock.
“Mr Kephart?”
“Kent!” said Gig, grinning widely at him, “There you are! I’m so sorry I’m late, there was this thing at the printers and then of course no one’s working today so- whatever, doesn’t matter! I’m here!”
He stepped forward, wrapping his arms around Kent. Kent let out an undignified squeak, trying to get over his shock fast enough to return Gig’s embrace. Gig stepped back, keeping his hands on Kent’s waist. Gig grinned, and Kent felt himself smile back, warmed by Gig’s presence.
“So how’s the party going?” said Gig.
“Very well!” said Kent, “Everyone seems to be having a lovely time and the band is truly excellent this year, I will simply have to hire them again for my more private functions-”
“No, I mean like, how are you?” said Gig. “Are you having a good time?”
“I- well, yes,” said Kent. He searched for an example. “I had a very enjoyable dance with Mx Reverie earlier.”
“Oh?” said Gig, “Oh, hey, we should dance!”
Kent inhaled sharply. “We should?”
Gig’s face fell, and he stepping back, his hands falling from Kent’s sides. “I mean, you don’t have to, we-”
“No, Mr Kephart, I-” Kent caught Gig’s hands. “I would love nothing more than to dance with you. In truth,” he added shly, “I have been quite looking forward to your arrival to ask you this very thing.”
Gig’s face lit up. “That’s- wow! Okay! Then we definitely should, come on-”
He tangled their fingers together, leading Kent out towards the dance floor. Kent felt as though he floated after him. Gig turned as they got closer to the band, stepping close to Kent and sliding his arms around Kent.
“I-” Kent swallowed. “Would you like to lead, or shall I?”
Gig smiled, his sweet face so close to Kent’s it took his breath away.
“You can,” said Gig, “If you get tired of it, we can always swap for the next song.”
“The next song?” said Kent.
“Oh yeah,” said Gig, “I hope there wasn’t anyone else on your dance card tonight.”
“Not at all Mr Kephart,” said Kent, “I have it entirely clear for you.”
Gig beamed at him. “What a coincidence, mine’s clear too. I guess we’ll just have to dance the whole evening together.”
Kent felt Gig’s hand on him flex, drawing Kent slightly closer. Kent inhaled sharply, feeling his face flush. Kent swallowed, bracing himself.
“I… That sounds perfectly amenable to me Mr Kephart,” said Kent, “in fact I think I would rather like that.”
“Another coincidence!” said Gig, “So would I.”