Chapter Text
Historia truly believed that she had met more people in the last hour than she had met in her entire life up to this point. She sat at the head of an impressive row of tables. The food was to die for, much better than anything she'd eaten on the farm or in the military mess halls. Even the meal that Reiner had treated her to, which felt like years ago, was nowhere near as luxurious.
The throne room had been transformed for this evening. A group of musicians playing various string, brass, and woodwind instruments set a soft but stuffy tone. In front of the dais, a multitude of rectangular, polished wood tables were arranged in a wide U, leaving space in the middle for a dance floor and between the tables to allow people to pass around them freely. The table shone with polished silverware and crystal glasses. The people at the tables were downright opulent. Historia could tell Baroness von Eberstein's message about dressing down hadn't reached people in time. Or, God forbid, this was dressed down for the elites in the Walls. Historia's gown was certainly among the simpler, and it certainly did not go unnoticed.
She supposed this was her life now -- fine wine, luxurious meals, and all of the people she cared about on the opposite end of the room from her. The nearest person that she was familiar with was Commander Erwin. He and the rest of the military leaders were sitting not too far down the table to her left, close enough that she could at least hear snippets of their conversations, to show the military's support of the regime they had handed power to, but between them and the Queen, there were ten high-ranking officials and nobles. She eyed the nobles with what she hoped was concealed suspicion.
This was pure conjecture, but she imagined the officials would be easier to trust than the nobles. The nobility of the Walls, as she was well aware and as Levi had reminded her when dealing with Rod Reiss, tended to be a self-serving lot and may not take kindly to Historia's rapid elevation from secret bastard daughter to monarch.
She supposed she would find out the hard way if she judged any of them wrong. Her ladies were hovering in the background and further down the table to her right. Annalena was not present, as her chamberwoman's duties did not extend to dining and dancing. Historia was a little disappointed by that. She didn't actively dislike any of her ladies, but Annalena had by far been the most approachable so far.
She chatted politely with those seated closest to her, but spoke less than most. Everyone was eyeing her appraisingly, using this evening as their opportunity to form their impressions of the young new queen. She tried to hold onto the reminder Levi had given her on her throne, which sat empty on the dais behind her.
It was daunting, regardless. Speaking of Levi, he and the rest of her squad were seated about as far from her as they could be. She smiled sadly. Historia had insisted they be invited, regardless of any objections, but they were still shoved to a table 'befitting their stations.' It made Historia feel rather isolated. She would give anything to see Sasha's face right now, rather than her back. The girl probably required a bib for how much she was salivating at the sight of the plentiful meat strewn across the tables. The image made Historia laugh softly to herself.
This earned her more than one curious stare, and Historia tried to cover by pretending to cough slightly and reach for her glass of water, as if something had gone down the wrong pipe. However, if Levi's judgment of her poor acting last night was correct, she probably didn't fool many.
As the meal dragged on, Historia got more and more antsy. Baroness von Eberstein discreetly came behind Historia and whispered in her ear. "Your Majesty, it seems that most of the guests are nearing the end of their meal. With your permission, we will inform the musicians to begin playing pieces more appropriate for dancing."
Historia nodded mutely. The Baroness was about to pull away, but Historia reached back to place a hand on her forearm. Baroness von Eberstein instantly returned to whisper distance. "Your Majesty?" she prompted.
Historia bit her lip, embarrassed. "Baroness... I don't know how to dance."
The older woman hummed. "Worry not, Your Majesty. If you were a king, this could be disastrous, but as a woman, you don't really have to know any dance to do it passably. All you have to do is let your partner lead and not step on his foot."
Historia snickered. "Is that all?"
"Not quite, but it will serve. I will arrange some lessons with the Dancing-Master for you. In the meantime, if anyone asks you to dance and you do not wish to, do not outright refuse them. Introduce them to either me or one of your other ladies. That avoids dancing with them yourself without actively snubbing them."
Historia nodded her understanding. "If you do choose to accept a dance partner, which I encourage you to do as often as you feel comfortable, try to limit it to one dance per partner, at least in succession." The Baroness advised.
"Why?" Historia asked, leaning closer.
"Two consecutive dances would imply a degree of familiarity and affection. It is not frowned upon, but you might wish to avoid giving anyone the wrong impression. If you do wish to dance with someone twice in a row, by all means do so. Please do be aware of what you will be communicating by doing so. Three consecutive dances will indicate a strong attachment, if you catch my meaning. Four would be scandalous unless the partner is your fiancé or spouse."
Historia breathed deeply, trying to take this all in. "Thank you, Baroness."
"I am pleased to serve you well, Your Majesty. If I may be so bold?" The Baroness fell silent. Historia realized she was waiting for her approval to continue. She gestured with her hand to continue. "I could take the liberty of arranging a preliminary dance partner for you. Someone who can be trusted to assist you with getting acclimated on the floor without any mockery and would not begrudge a bruised foot or two."
Historia nodded eagerly. "I would appreciate that. Thank you, Baroness von Eberstein."
"Your Majesty." She bowed as she stepped back from Historia and disappeared for a few minutes.
Historia scanned down the table and saw some people beginning to rise and head to the dance floor. Continuing to the end, she caught Levi's eyes for a moment, unreadable at this distance, but her vision of him was blocked by a figure. Historia glanced up and met a pair of warm brown eyes that sat below a nest of barely tamed brown hair and above a straight nose and full lips, which were curved up in a polite smile.
"Your Majesty," he greeted her. "Please allow me to introduce myself. I am Sebastian von Eberstein, son of the Baroness von Eberstein. Would it be terribly rude of me if I requested your debut dance?"
Historia eyed him appraisingly. The first thing that she noticed was the warmth he exuded. He seemed genuinely pleased to be here. The second thing she noticed was his clothing. He looked downright drab compared to the people around them. She supposed at least one person got the message from the Baroness. It would probably be best to dance with him then. Most other men here would make her look plain, which wouldn't be ideal for her 'debut dance' as he called it.
She gave him a small smile. "Thank you, Sebastian. I would introduce myself, but I think that would be redundant. I'd be happy to dance with you."
Before she could stand, Sebastian was rounding the table with some pep in his step. She took the opportunity to drain her nearly full wine glass for liquid courage. When he reached her side, he held a courteous hand out to her, which she took. He pulled her gently to her feet, and a hush spread out from them as conversations paused in a ripple. Historia restrained herself from looking timidly around the room. She straightened her posture instead, but her hand trembled slightly.
Sebastian felt the tremor and gave her fingers a soft squeeze. She smiled at him appreciatively as he led her out onto the floor. Quieter than the music, he murmured, "My mother mentioned you are not comfortable dancing?"
Historia laughed. "More like I have never danced in my life."
Sebastian made a thoughtful noise. "I could request a dance that minimizes how much you have to do. It would contain a decent amount of lifts, though. Would you prefer that? Or does being in the air make you uncomfortable?"
Historia turned to look at him. "You know that I was a Sc--" He was smirking. Historia snickered. "Ah, you're pulling my leg. I'll trust you to get me through this as painlessly as possible, for you. If you want to minimize the chances of me stepping on your foot, do what you have to do."
Sebastian appeared thoroughly amused. They reached the center of the dance floor, pairs parting for them to pass through easily. They came to a stop just as the song faded. Historia took a deep breath.
"Trust me, Your Majesty, to get you through this. Do as I do," Sebastian urged. Historia nodded slightly. Sebastian lifted his head to call out over the quiet room. "Matthias, play a volta."
Several younger pairs, upon hearing this, stood and rapidly made their way to the dance floor. Is this a popular kind of dance? The music began to lilt over the crowd. It was far livelier than anything that had been playing during dinner. They began by standing side by side with their hands joined. Just before they began moving, Historia caught Levi's eye again. She gave the largest smile that she dared.
Sebastian led her through the steps, which consisted of some simple paces and hops. It felt very... courtly. This is how she would have imagined fancy, rich people to dance. Suddenly, Sebastian's hand was splayed on her hip, and he was lifting her by his side with one arm and turning with her. She did a poor job of containing her surprise. The lift was short, but as they followed the rhythm of the song, he lifted her in the same way multiple times.
It was... intimate without being overtly inappropriate. When the music reached its crescendo, Sebastian whispered, "Ready? The big lift now."
Historia braced herself. He gripped her waist with both hands and lifted her high so that her waist was level with his shoulders. Historia was shocked and noticed, He has freckles. Just a light smattering over his nose. She avoided his eyes as he brought her back to earth and locked onto Levi instead.
The smoldering heat in his gaze and the hard set of his jaw were enough for her to know he was far from thrilled with the spectacle, even as the other guests applauded. The music faded again, prompting Historia to step back from Sebastian. He bowed deeply, and she curtsied lightly. "Thank you, Your Majesty. It was an honor."
Historia inclined her head, feeling sheepish. "I should be thanking you, my... lord... von Eberstein? I'm sorry. I don't know the formal titles for the children of Barons either. Add it to the list of things I'll have to learn."
He straightened with a dazzling smile. "You may call me simply Sebastian then, if Your Majesty wishes."
She smiled a little wider herself. "Sebastian, thank you."
He held out his hand to her and began walking her back to her table. "Is there anything else I should know to get through the night?" she asked amiably.
Sebastian bit his lip. "Stay on your toes, in dance and conversation. Many in this room see an unmarried young queen as an empty vessel for their ambitions, if you will pardon my frankness."
They stopped at her seat, and she eyed him, trying to size him up. "And you don't?" she challenged.
Sebastian pulled out her chair. "Such machinations would require me to have ambitions to begin with, Your Majesty. While you are a lovely lady, I have no desire to be a king. I much prefer my current path of spending my father's money, attending salons, and enjoying good feasts. Dancing with you is one thing, sitting beside you means responsibility, something I avoid like the plague."
Historia found herself laughing. "Not all of us have that luxury. Count yourself lucky."
Sebastian rubbed the back of his neck. "I do! Every day, except when I wake up with a hangover."
"And how often does that happen?" she asked with a raised brow.
"Every day," he smirked. Historia grinned as he bowed and dismissed him.
Throughout the evening, a couple more people asked her for a dance, but never the person she wanted most to engage with. Levi kept his distance from her the entire night. She found herself wondering if he knew how to dance, and wishing she could find out.