Shayn was caught off guard by how much Victoria had grown and matured, so much so that he'd entirely forgotten until it was too late that he was supposed to be introducing Simone around the room.
Oh well. If she couldn't survive the time it took for him to humor Victoria, then she probably didn't belong here. In fact, she definitely didn't belong here. She belonged far away.
Beginning the steps of the dance with Victoria, which was thankfully a familiar one, Shayn glanced over his shoulder. A tall young man had taken his place next to Simone, and… was she blushing?
"Is that Gabriel?" Shayn asked, a little bewildered once more at how the little boy who used to tag along with him and his brothers had suddenly become a man. He suddenly felt like he had been gone a lifetime instead of a just few years in the wilderness.
"Yes! I suppose you haven't gotten to see him yet since he's been apprenticing with Father," Victoria beamed at him. "He's taking care of animals! It's wonderful work. Why, he just saved a horse's life, when it probably would have gotten an infection and died!"
"That's fascinating," Shayn replied a little absently. "How old is he now?"
"Eighteen. He'll be nineteen soon!" She volunteered.
Shayn frowned as Simone laughed at something Gabriel said, ignoring whatever other inane chatter Victoria was babbling. How old was Simone? He hadn't thought to ask, even if it wouldn't be an unforgivably rude question. Younger than himself, that was certain. Was she close to Gabriel's age?
The boy–the man, he amended mentally, offered his hand, and Simone smilingly took it. As they joined the dance floor, Shayn noticed that his own dance partner had fallen strangely silent.
"Who's he dancing with?" She whispered, barely loud enough for him to hear. Shayn had to lean his head closer to her to catch the words.
"Simone, A library apprentice. She's assigned to help consolidate the maps Kyler and I made into the archives." He offered.
"Then she must be very smart," Victoria's voice grew oddly uncertain.
Shayn pulled a face. "Not as smart as she thinks she is."
Victoria looked up at him with surprise that he would say something so impolite behind someone's back. He grimaced.
"Well, she's very pretty," Victoria glanced again at the pair. Shayn shrugged, knowing he shouldn't say two mean things about her in a row.
"They make a lovely couple on the dance floor." Victoria continued. The words wavered slightly, but his attention was on the fact that Gabriel was smiling, and Simone was laughing again.
Shayn didn't like the thought of Simone finding someone at a party in his honor. The utter gall!
"She'd look the same with anybody," He frowned.
The rest of the dance passed in relative quiet, though Shayn found halfway through that he had led Victoria near enough to the other couple to overhear snippets of their conversation.
"Yes, of course!" Gabriel was laughing this time as he sent Simone into a spin.
Simone darted a furtive glance at Shayn before she pressed her lips together, obviously suppressing a smile. It infuriated him. What were they talking about?
"You really think so?" She was asking next time the two couples came within earshot.
"I would never lie to my sister's favorite librarian," Gabe replied.
"Oh, hush," She was blushing–Again!
As the song ended, Shayn bowed to a perplexed Victoria as he released her. "Thank you for the dance," He said stiffly.
"Will you introduce me?" She caught his arm.
"I'm sorry?" He must have misheard her. She must know everyone in the room, and probably treat most of them as her family!
"Simone. You seem to know her. Could you introduce us?" She pressed.
"But why?" He blinked, and she seemed to search for a reason before smiling up at him.
"I love making new friends!" She replied at length.
With a sigh, he allowed her to drag him over to where Gabriel and Simone were still chatting. He'd released her from the closed dancing position, but the two were still standing slightly closer than people normally would for regular conversation.
Gabe turned and smiled easily at the newcomers, clasping Shayn's forearm in greeting.
"Wonderful to see you, Shayn!" He grinned. "I'm glad you both made it back safely from your wild adventures."
"Yes. Very wild adventures, taking precise measurements of landmarks and changes in elevation," Shayn replied with a smile.
"I'm Victoria," The young lady stuck out her hand to shake Simone's, apparently unwilling to wait any longer for the promised introduction.
"Simone. It's nice to meet you." The librarian said kindly. "Forgive my ignorance, how do you fit into all... this?" She asked after a moment.
"Oh! Of course, you wouldn't be familiar with the family!" Victoria gushed, wedging herself between Simone and Gabriel, who tolerantly moved aside. "You've met Gabe, Shayn and Kyler's stepbrother. Gabe's sister Finn is married to my brother Roland, so we're all practically family!"
"I see," Simone's eyes widened, and Shayn almost chuckled. Had she not realized she was dancing with the queen's brother? Was she starstruck to be talking to the king's sister now?
"Riley's over there, you'll know him as the General," Victoria chattered on for several minutes, naming everyone in the room and their relations to each other, which was quite a feat.
Shayn watched Simone's head begin to spin as the names of Riley's children were rattled off, though he paid more attention than he would later admit. A refresher on all these people was incredibly helpful after so long away.
"... and that's about it," Victoria beamed.
"Let me get you some punch, Victoria. Your throat must be parched after your speech." Gabriel teased.
"Did I talk too much?" The young woman turned worried eyes on her involuntary audience.
"Not at all," Simone assured her. "That was extremely kind of you to point out everyone to me, though I'll have a hard time remembering it all!"
With a sigh of relief, Victoria turned to Gabriel and took his arm. "Some punch does sound nice, but then I'd like to get back to dancing!"
"Are they…" Simone began to ask the question, but stopped short.
"Don't ask those questions in a room like this," Shayn warned her sharply, and she dropped her gaze.
"I'm sorry. I'll contain my burning curiosity for your comfort," She replied. Shayn narrowed his eyes at the sarcasm, but as long as she behaved, he didn't care that much about the jab.
He pursed his lips and a stilted silence fell between them. It stretched into the next song as he avoided looking at her, and she sighed.
"It is truly not my desire to make you not enjoy your own party," She said quietly. "Please, pretend as if I'm not here… unless that's what you were already doing."
He cut his eyes over to her, and she wore a faint smile. "And if it was?"
"Then I'll make my escape and see you tomorrow." She paused, sniffing the air, "But not until I try whatever it is that smells so good."
Shayn inhaled through his nose as his stomach rumbled. They had worked through lunch without eating. He hadn't realized it until this moment. Simone snickered at the volume of his hunger.
"Fine, let's eat," He said, gesturing towards the food. "Tomorrow, it's your job to remember lunch exists."
"Why is that delegated to me, when your stomach announces it so… profoundly?" She asked.
"Excellent point, for once," He eyed her slim frame. "You'd let me starve to death, given the opportunity."
"Tempting," She admitted.
"What's tempting?" A newcomer from behind made Shayn grimace. Mayra was the last person he wanted to meet Simone.
"All this delicious-looking food!" Simone's brief glance dared Shayn to contradict her. He didn't. "It smells amazing, and I'm excited to try some."
"Ashley arranged it all personally with the chef, I'm certain," Mayra smiled. "Shayn, dear brother of mine, are you going to introduce me to your beautiful friend?"
Mayra's pregnancy certainly wasn't slowing down her nosiness.
"This is Simone," He gestured to the woman carelessly. He wanted to deny being friends, but denial would bring more attention to the subject than he wanted. "Simone, this is my sister Mayra."
Mayra's eyes darted between the two of them. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched Simone smile and try not to flinch under the scrutiny.
"What a lovely gown!" She said after a moment.
"You're sweet to say so," Mayra turned the compliment back on the guest, "but I must say, that color on you is enchanting. I was watching you dance with Gabe, and it was wonderful. I wish I were up to dancing, but alas, I will have to defer the pleasure until this child is born. I must content myself with watching. I expect to see you two take the floor after you eat a little! It would disappoint me to be deprived of the pleasure."