Outside the large balcony windows, swaths of fluffy white flakes drifted slowly down, only disturbed by the wind.

  The dance steps today were different; Madam R?fna had brought them to the large, chilly hall.

  The dance instructor had been shunned to the corner, as R?fna took charge of both groups of wallflowers, though she seemed more content in her corner, quietly flipping through a book.

  Until now, they had really only had joined lessons with groups of guys, but Katharina had seen all the girls around in the mess hall, and somehow this felt like a nice change of pace.

  It had been a few weeks since they had all been given a pair of woolen socks to wear during the cold winter; however, Madam R?fna had asked them all to take them off, as precise movements on marble floors were apparently of utter importance for the lesson at hand, more so than keeping any cold at bay.

  The lesson was about how to accompany your master with proper manners, meaning staying out of sight, being precise, and quiet. So their wallflower group and the other would take turns playing masters and servants, and your task as master was to walk unpredictably, and the servant was to follow flawlessly, while R?fna's hawk eyes scanned for any mistakes.

  The manor had gotten quieter ever since the snowfall started. The few visitors who came stayed only briefly, for a single sunny day, leaving nothing to change at the hands of the volatile weather.

  There had not been a soul visiting for almost a week when the Master's regular visit came this morning. Katharina had masterfully avoided running into anyone of importance until the very beginning of the lesson.

  That was until now, at least.

  Outside in the hallway, the clear voice of Master Ravnsund was slowly approaching. Katharina could tell from the slight shifts in Madam R?fna's aura that whoever the Master was talking to was someone to be wary of.

  And more importantly, they were about to enter.

  Contrary to everyone else in the manor, the Master did not have to knock before entering, and the two doors swung open to reveal the red-haired back of the Master's head, as he was charmingly explaining something important to whoever walked behind him.

  When the door had opened, Katharina was not for a second uncertain of who was accompanying the Master; she could tell from the immediate pressure of the immense aura that had filled the room. And sure enough, exactly who she expected walked through the door moments later.

  There he stood the Prince, emanating an odd sense of heat in his aura, the chill in the room was being chased away, and suddenly Katharina's bare feet felt nice against the cool marble.

  Though she had not seen him since the apple incident this fall, she still had this internal feeling of awkwardness, like she could place him as a person. He was a powerful and strange man who did not act in the way all the other Masters did; he always seemed to have an agenda, yet never acted on it, or maybe he did, and she simply couldn't tell.

  "Your highness, Master Ravnsund, welcome." Madam R?fna's voice snapped Katharina back to reality, and she realized she had been glaring.

  Quickly checking to see if the Prince had noticed her impudence, she saw what looked like a smile playing at the corner of his lips as they caught each other's eyes.

  "Thank you, R?fna, we shall not disturb your lesson for long." Master Ravnsund was charming as always, but also in his usual rush to get things done. "His Highness has brought his new ?∞ψ?χ????? Ω??, and I am showing him around the manor to let him know how we ナ?∞??ナ? our training."

  Master Ravnsund turned to the Prince. "Your highness, why don't you show R?fna your new ?∞??????∞??"

  For a moment, the Prince didn't answer; his eyes were still locked with Katharina's, clearly preoccupied with something beyond this conversation.

  But before the moment could turn awkward, he waved a hand while calling forward this new 'something'.

  From behind the Prince stepped a beautiful and foreign-looking woman, well, not nearly as foreign as Katharina, but compared to all the girls here, she had noticeable features and darker skin, Middle Eastern maybe; even though there probably was no Middle East here.

  Her hair was also cut differently. Though her hair was still brown, it appeared as a lighter grayish-brown, with the mass of it collected in a large, messy bun on top, and short face-framing pieces were cut to follow her sharp jaw.

  The prince barely reacted to her, as though she were a ghost at his side, but Master Ravnsund was quick to announce her purpose.

  "R?fna, if it is not too much trouble, would you mind taking Sabuh for a moment?" Though it was said as a question, it was clearly an order. Simple rhetorical politeness. "That way, his highness and I can observe how the lesson is conducted and assess her competence."

  "Of course, Master Ravnsund." Madam R?fne gracefully waved the woman forward. "Today's lesson is in accompaniment. Hence, we have two groups here today. Such that they may take turns playing master and servant."

  Everyone had stopped in their tracks. Since there was an even number of wallflowers, not a single girl remained without a partner, leaving the woman standing without anyone to play her master.

  "I see, well, what a perfect time we have come at the." Master Ravnsund was suddenly also making his way to the center of the room. "Why not have his highness and I play along for a moment, we are proper Masters after all?"

  A low murmur rippled through all the girls; some seemed excited, others frightened by the idea that they might get to walk by the Master's side.

  "That is a most splendid offer, Master Ravnsund. I am sure all of the girls could learn a lot by observing how a true Master moves." Madam R?fna seemed ecstatic about the idea.

  "Come on, your highness, why don't you and Sabuh show us how to walk properly?" The voice of Master Ranvsund had changed; it sounded almost like he was making fun of the Prince.

  Katharina didn't really want to risk locking eyes with him again, but she couldn't help but look with the entire room at his highness, to see what he would do.

  A polite smile had formed on his lips, though to Katharina it reminded her all too much of the expressions she would wear whenever she was told to do something she would rather not. Stiff and forced.

  "Well, if it can help further their lesson, I don't see why not."

  "Perfect, and I too shall join." Master Ravsund turned to the closest pair of girls and extended a hand to one of them. "I shall have you join me for this walk."

  The girl moved entranced by the pull of the Master's command, and left her partner to sit this round out alone beside the dance teacher.

  Every other pair had come to a standstill, observing in complete quiet as the elegant noblemen cirkled about the room.

  They each walked in opposite directions until they reached the width of the dance floor. For a moment, they stood eyeing each other before putting on a polite smile and approaching theatrically.

  "Good day, your highness, an honor to be in your presence." Master Ravnsund properly greeted the Prince, pretending as though they had just run into each other, and bowed in courtesy.

  The girl behind him looked unsure of whether she, too, should bow or remain out of sight. In an attempt to do both simultaneously, she entered Master Ravnsun's field of view while clumsily bowing to the Prince; immediately regret painted itself on her face, as the pain of the brand warned of her error.

  "You should always bow, but never enter the sight of those who should not be bothered by the sight of you." Madam R?fna's instructing voice rang clear in the hall, but Katharina knew she was holding back so as not to seem too harsh a teacher in front of Master Ravnsund.

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  The play continued uninterrupted by the correction. The Prince nodded in acknowledgment. "Good day, Lord Ravnsund." His voice was cool and measured, clearly practiced over a lifetime. "What brings you out on such a fine day?"

  Outside the window, the wind was picking up, tossing flakes against the windowpanes, which stuck as they slowly melted.

  Both men moved with elegance, even if they were simply walking and chatting in pretend. Katharina was sure they, too, had been trained to walk, talk, and behave in ways fitting of their roles in whatever society lay beyond this manor.

  The girl at Master Ravnsund's side was doing her best to make up for her initial blunder, and her performance was nothing to scoff at.

  But what had everyone in awe was the woman beside the Prince. Her movements were impeccable; she moved perfectly in sync with the prince, only taking a step when he did, masking her light footsteps under his. Her body was elegant without drawing attention; she stayed in his shadow out of sight without making a sound. Not even Lian could make such a performance.

  Katharina shot a glance back up at the Prince, to see if he was even aware of the woman's splendor. But all she was met with was a pair of deep blue eyes staring right back at her. She averted her eyes in an instant and was glad to see that no one else had noticed, as they were all entranced by Sabuh.

  Everyone's gawking was interrupted by the sharp sound of Madam R?fna's clap. "This is not a display for your enjoyment only. I want everyone to pick a new partner. And be sure not to get in the way of his highness and Master Ravnsund."

  It seemed a little odd that Master Ravnsund and the Prince would agree to participate in practice even if just for one round. Their behavior was much too lax compared to all the other nobles who had visited over the last few weeks.

  But she didn't have time to contemplate what their reason could possibly be, as Lian had joined her as her partner and was egging her on with a playful wink to start walking as a master.

  Soon, everyone else was moving about the hall playing master and servant, while observing the true Masters in their natural habitat.

  Walking about the room suddenly felt a lot more dangerous than when it was only Madam R?fna's judging gaze they had to avoid. Keeping out of the way of Master Ravnsund and the Prince turned out to be quite the challenge. Katharina constantly steered them as far as she could, making sure to turn in the opposite direction whenever the opportunity presented itself. However, it seemed that no matter where she went, the Prince would be right there casting a small glance her way with that unreadable smile playing at his lips, while idle chatter flowed between him and the Master.

  It got to the point she was almost entirely sure he was following her on purpose. Wasn't it time for them to leave soon? Hadn't they played along for long enough?

  The wind outside howled, playing as ominous background music, while the snow and Katharina's certainty grew thicker.

  Playing Master was simple enough; it was merely walking. However, the nagging feeling that she was being observed made Katharina feel singled out, even if Lian was right by her side. Lian, though, was as always good at her task, following Katharina as a near invisible shadow, making the pressing heat from the Prince and the rattling window panes the only things Katharina could notice.

  "Remember girls, 'You are mirrors'." Madam R?fna only had to mention the gist of her favorite mantra to put every girl in the room on her toes.

  Suddenly, an idea twinkled at the back of her mind. If she could not get away from the Prince, his elegant walk and suspicious smile, she would instead thrive in his dominating aura, wielding it right back in his face.

  As they walked, now LIan was the only one putting in real effort, but there was nowhere in R?fna's instructions that said the one playing master was not also allowed to put in effort. And so Katharina let the Prince draw in close, close enough that she too could observe him.

  It definitely wasn't a coincidence that they had kept crossing paths before, as now they were almost walking alongside each other.

  Katharina proceeded to observe him carefully, noticing how he kept his left hand hovering slightly in front of him, how his feet met the floor almost perfectly in front of each other. His walk was led first by his shoulder, then his hips, and finally his stride. However, it was not in a hurried manner; no, it was commanding, as though he announced with his body language the path he was going to take, before embarking on it.

  Katharina did her best to be a mirror, perfectly imitating each of his superficial mannerisms.

  At first, it was simple mimicry. Left, right, the soft lift of the hand before each turn, the measured set of shoulders that marked his claim on the space. She did the same.

  To no one's surprise, the walk of a noble was effective; every other pretend master in her way fled like waves before Moses, carving a path straight to the Prince. But she was not about to come to him.

  Lian stayed close as a second shadow, her footfall sewn neatly inside Katharina's. Perceptive as always, she had noticed Katharina was up to something.

  "Katharina, what are you doing?" There was an urgency to her whisper, as in, 'let me in on the details before I agree to something stupid'.

  "I-e am a mirror, Lian." Katharina nodded in the direction of the Prince, hinting as best as she could at her plan without giving them away. Luckily, Lian seemed to like where this plan was taking them, and she started her own game of mimicry, looking at the girl, Sabuh, at the Prince's side.

  The Prince abruptly changed his pace, slowing it, slimming the gap in his steps, as though to set a more fitting pace for a small lady to follow along. Katharina was a little impressed that he had been so quick to pick up on her ploy; however, she made sure not to let it show.

  They circled the room, and each time they passed, the distance between them shrank a little more. He tipped a hand, let his shoulders lead, inventing a path that cut closer to her each time. She allowed it while keeping her head held high.

  They were now blatantly staring each other down, appraising the other's performance. While walking in sync beside each other.

  "Not hiding in a tree today, little Ω???χ??" His voice was low enough that only they could hear. And Katharina was fairly sure this was the first time he had ever, of his own accord, started a conversation between them.

  But then Katharina dreadfully remembered their encounter in the orchard. Sure, she had tried to stay hidden, but he had seen her immediately, and hiding from this observant man seemed futile. Hence, partly why she had gone on the offensive today.

  "Not looking for apples today, your highness?" She countered with a question as well, keeping her voice equally soft and low. A conversation just for them.

  The small chuckle that left the Prince caught Katharina off guard. Were they really allowed to speak so casually like this? But the brand was not making any fuss; it was comfortably humming away on her shoulder to the rhythm of his steps.

  The realization unsettled her more than the conversation itself. He was overriding the brand's basic directive and replacing it with his own opinion of how she was supposed to act.

  They had reached the length of the room, turning to walk alongside the balcony doors. Master Ravnsund was approaching them from the other end. Katharina noticed how the Master was eyeing the two of them, like a child watching a pair of cats, wondering if they would be friends or foes.

  The wind was so strong now that it rattled every pane and clasp of windows and door alike, until suddenly, one of the large balcony doors burst open, and a whirlwind of icy air and frozen flakes filled the room in seconds.

  Those nearest by managed with great effort to get it shut. No longer was the weather outside a romantic winter day, slowly covering the landscape in a powdery layer. Now, it was a frozen hellscape ravaged by a storm that was only getting fiercer.

  The strong wind had made Katharina step back, and she now found herself pinned between two giants.

  Master Ravnsund, on one side, the Prince on the other. master Ranvnsund's demeanor had changed; he was no longer playfully forgetting his station, dragging the Prince along to silly pastimes.

  The Prince was no longer noticing Katharina; the storm outside had clearly put them both on their toes.

  "A storm like that will have us caught at the manor, if it doesn't pass by this afternoon." There was contemplation in the Master's voice initially; however, before he could finish stating the facts, resolution dawned on his face. "R?fna, have someone prepare the guest wing for his highness."

  "Of course, Master Ravnsund." Madam R?fna bowed, and Katharina knew that somewhere in the manor, someone's brand just started guiding them to the guest wing.

  The windy interruption had ruined the fun for the Master, and without much contemplation, he thanked R?fna for letting them intrude and gracefully made for the door.

  As the prince turned to leave, he walked by Katharina, and for nothing more than the blink of an eye, his wrist brushed against her arm.

  They both recoiled at the contact, not because of a simple touch, but because of the intense zap it had triggered, like getting stung by an electric fence.

  This was not mere static electricity; Katharina intuitively knew this was their auras colliding with each other.

  In that moment of contact, Katharina could have sworn the prince was saying something about a 'perfect storm, ' and even with the raging weather, she got the intense feeling the comment was about her.

  Yet when she looked up, no one else seemed to have heard, as though she had gotten to listen straight to his thoughts.

  She played the words back in her mind, .

  For a split second, Leopold froze in this step.

  By reflex, he started turning his head, wanting to look back and confirm. But he caught himself before he could give his own surprise away. The blond had already proven to be the best entertainment of the day, of many days really, daring to walk as a noble.

  Daring to let her aura mimic his.

  He wanted to indulge, but for now it was enough.

  A few moments later, both he and Asbj?rn had left the hall, leaving behind his new possession, as he was too caught up in speculations about the blond.

  The storm only grew more dire throughout the day; there was no way they could ride back to the capital safely in weather like that. By nightfall, a murmur was rippling through every corner of the manor that Master Ravnsund and his Highness were staying till the storm passed.