Delphi stood and accepted Alton's offered hand.
He led her to an open space alongside their table-for-two, romantically lit by hooded wall lights embedded in the waist height wall that ran around the edge of the rooftop.
Alton lead the dance. Not unexpectedly for a prince, he was a very skilled dancer. Delphi was almost expert level herself. Singing and dancing were considered feminine arts, so for the Emperor's pleasure, they were taught to all of the women in the harem.
As Alton spun her and drew her back in to his chest, Delphi had to admit to herself that it was a joyful pleasure, wearing a pretty dress and dancing with a handsome young man under a starlit sky.
She felt almost wistful for the sliding doors moment of that other young woman she could have been. One with a carefree life, a boyfriend, romance, freedom, living a happy, simple, pre-War life.
But that was not her fate. Hers was to lead a Rebellion against an evil Emperor and either win, or die, a hopefully glorious death, trying. She felt the enormous weight of that responsibility. The hopes and dreams of the women at the palace who had entrusted her with their futures, and the futures of their children.
That was where Delphi's mind had wandered off to when the song drew to an end; "I know I've loved you from the start".
Alton had pulled her back into his chest and was gazing at her with a look that she now thought might be adoration, rather than sadness. It reminded her of the puppy dog gaze of Chief Consort Tang's Pekinese, Baxian, when he looked at his mistress.
He also seemed to be looking at her expectantly. Unfortunately, she didn't have a clue what he was expecting from her. She decided silence was safer than putting her foot in it with him. It was a delicate time tonight, after all.
What was this inscrutable woman thinking about? Alton watched the myriad of expressions cross her face, none of which was the look he was hunting for.
You would have to go and choose such a complex, fiery, intelligent woman to fall for, wouldn't you, you dolt? he thought. How many beautiful, gentle, kind, feminine women had his mother name-dropped in the vain hope that he returned their interest? They were countless. It had become a little joke between them…
Now here he was tongue-tied and struggling to express what he wanted to to this little minx, because he was afraid she didn't return his intense feelings.
"Delphi," he began, "I need to know how you feel about me".
Uh oh, she thought. This was the hard stuff she was always very bad at in class. She wracked her brains for the correct answer to this question from a man you were honey trapping.
"Very… positive?" she replied haltingly.
He looked slightly shocked, and she blushed in his arms. Dammit! That wasn't it was it! Ruby and Winter were always the masters at this stuff because they lived with their noses in romance novels.
"Positive? This is not a survey response Delphi," he said with frustration.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Let me try again?"
"It's not a test Delphi. You're not getting a score out of ten."
But it was a test, and she was getting a score, and she had just struck out. It looked awfully like it was one strike and you're out…
He let her go and stepped back, looking down into her eyes.
"I know it's not Alton," she said quickly, trying to recover him. "I'm sorry. I'm not very good at this stuff." She sounded very upset with herself.
Come on Delphi, you're muffing this up. This is important! Remember to ask him about himself and show interest in him, she thought.
"How do you feel about me?" she asked him hopefully.
This seemed safe. He would tell her the answer that she needed to give back to him!
His eyes softened and she knew she had had a win.
"I like you," he confessed.
My God it felt good to say that out loud to her! He had been dying to get that off his chest, whatever her reply was...
Hooray! She knew the correct answer to this statement; 'I like you', 'I love you', 'I have feelings for you'… These were 'confessions', and you had to reply in kind.
"I like you too Alton," she said brightly.
Badump! Badump! The sound of his heart racing filled his ears so he could barely hear.
"You do?"
"Mmhmm," she nodded vigorously.
"What do you like about me?" he asked with suspicion. This seemed too good to be true.
She racked her brains again. Why hadn't she paid more attention in 'Words of Seduction' classes? She was so good at 'Physical Seduction' class she hadn't really cared that she was the dunce in 'Words of Seduction' class. But she cared a lot now…
Oh Lord! What was the answer to what you liked about the male subject again? She scratched the side of her head and cleared her throat stalling for time. Nope, total brain fart. Big. Fat. Drawing a Blank…
"Your ab's?" she whispered hopelessly.
"My ab's," he said incredulously. "Well, I guess that's a start. What else?"
Oh Jesus, the man was torturing her. This reminded her of the time she had to give a speech about earthworms, and she had forgotten to prepare it. All she could remember was 'they eat dirt'. The girls had all laughed at her and she got a smack on the hand from Consort Sole.
She studied his face, looking for the answer.
"Your handsome face!" she said with excitement.
He sighed. This was not going at all as he had planned.
"Do you want me to go first?" he asked her.
"Yes please!"
"I'm head over heels for you woman," he said seriously. "I'm in so deep that I'm scared. I fell for you the moment I saw your eyes on that day we escorted you to the jeweller. Every moment I've spent with you since then has dragged me further into this crazy addiction. I don't know where to start... I love your bravery, your intelligence, your fire, your passion, your naivety, your loyalty, and Lord I love your body, your face, your hair, your scent, your wild responsiveness. You bloody set me on fire woman and I'm burning up," he said helplessly.
Her mouth dropped open.
She really didn't know how to reply to that speech, and she was completely and utterly shocked by it.
She had just thought that the man was lustful and wanted to get in her pants…
"Alton," she said helplessly. "I don't know what to say."
"Say what you think."
"I think that's very nice."
She sounded more frightened than sincere.
"Woman! Would you stop over-thinking this and trying to honey trap me for at least one second, and just be honest with me?"