"You're tenser than I expected," she murmured, her breath warm against his ear as they moved through the opening steps.
"I'm always tense at these functions. Too many people with knives hidden in their smiles."
"Am I one of them?"
"Everyone is one of them, Lady Mira. The only question is what kind of knife they're hiding."
She laughed, the sound was genuine and musical. For a moment, spinning through the elegant steps with her body pressed close to his, Grim almost forgot this was political theater.
Almost.
[Careful, boy,] Caius warned. [She's weaving a web around you with every step. Look how she moves. She's calculated to showcase her assets while making you feel like you're leading. Masterful technique.]
"You're analyzing me," Mira observed, her brown eyes fixed on his face as they turned through a complex sequence.
"I analyze everyone."
"Find anything interesting?"
"You're not what you appear to be."
"None of us are, my lord. That's what makes the game interesting."
