Lewd King's Bucket List-Chapter 75: Harmony

Ixion stood above the kneeling man and bellowed:

"Well fought, dear Kip!"

A clear mockery of how one-sided the duel had been. The discombobulated knight shook his head and tried to stand, but failed.

Ixion’s wave of Aether had temporarily messed up how Kip’s Aether transmitted and flowed.

Ixion turned and walked away, calling out to Sebastian.

"Send for Andrea and Se’van to meet me in the ballroom within an hour!"

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

While many clearly found that display of power discouraging, it also demonstrated that his word of mercy was ostensibly genuine.

After a few seconds, Kip managed to gather himself and dragged himself away as Ixion retreated into the palace.

***

Whistling and humming, Ixion sat at the ballroom piano, casting a dissonant glissando.

"Ah, you’ve made it, my chancellors!"

At the far end of the hall, Chamberlain Laplace opened the door, revealing Sebastian escorting Andrea and Se’van.

The two bowed and spoke in unison.

"Greetings, Your Majesty."

"Greetings, Your Majesty."

Ixion’s fingers flicked the air, scattering dust motes as if to erase an unpleasant thought.

"Ah! It’s just us. Leave it at Ixion."

A wide smile flashed across his face.

"As for why you’re here..."

Ixion did a spin, showing off his current outfit. It was a tight-fitting suit of pure white made from the finest silk, bottomed by black patent leather shoes.

"Andrea, teach me how to dance! Se’van, Learn the piano!"

The two shared odd looks of confusion and discomfort.

Se’van folded her hands over one another and lightly bowed.

"My apologies, Your—... Ixion. But how am I to learn piano without a guide?"

Ixion’s eyelids fluttered shut, his head lolling in a slow, mournful sway as a soft, drawn-out exhale escaped his nostrils.

"Se’van, Se’van. Do you forget how talented you are? Feel the music... or something."

Se’van stared blankly for a moment, then said:

"I see... It shall be done."

Andrea spoke next, slow and measured. As if every word made four passes through her brain before one through her lips.

"Ixion, you’re a better dancer than I. How could I teach you anything?"

Ixion laughed and spun.

"Oh, Andrea. I know I’m great, glorious and great. Did I mention great? But sadly, my finesse seems to elude me when a sword falls from my grip and a woman’s hand falls into mine."

Andrea didn’t particularly seem to believe Ixion, especially after the display of his footwork when ’fighting’ Cecelia, which looked more reminiscent of ballroom dancing than a fight.

Yet, she couldn’t deny the king’s wish.

Andrea simply nodded and said:

"I’ll do my best to teach you what I know."

***

Time slipped by in quiet preparation; the two leaving and just now returning.

Andrea was now wearing a fabulous pink gown with frills at the end and white gloves with sleeves that ran almost to her biceps.

Ixion shouted:

"Stunning!"

Se’van was in the same outfit she had on before, but she held a thick book in her hand as she sauntered over and sat on the piano bench.

Ixion put his full-focus toward Andrea.

The tall woman curtsied. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

"You flatter me... Ixion."

She took a little to squeak his name out, but when she did, it was like music to his ears.

How he longed to cast off the titles ’Your Majesty’ or ’Your Grace.’ He felt much less like a human, more like a puppet under those damnable labels.

Sadly, he had his image to uphold in front of the people. So most would have to stick to those titles.

Well, ’an’ image.

It wasn’t really ’his’ anymore.

Ixion held out his hand and lowered his head.

"Andrea."

A light smile appeared on the grand chancellor’s face as she dipped her gloved hand into Ixion’s and stepped toward him.

"I don’t entirely know where to start when teaching dance. But let’s dance a two-step, shall we? As an assessment of sorts. Do you know how?"

Ixion slid his other hand around her waist and pulled her slightly toward him.

"Nope!"

Andrea looked down at her feet, then back up at Ixion, and said:

"Follow along. Quick-quick-slow-slow. Keep your knees bent."

Before they began, Andrea also slid Ixion’s hand from her waist down to her hips.

Without music, the two moved in uneasy silence. Andrea stepped forward, and Ixion shuffled back.

After only one step, the king’s lack of partnership was stunning. It didn’t seem on purpose either. He maintained perfect balance and shifted his weight well. His movements weren’t too slow or fast; however, he ‌moved in a manner as if reacting to an attack.

His movements fought the fluidity of dance.

For ballroom dancing, it took two moving in harmony.

Ixion only knew how to move in discord, or pull along, disregarding his partner’s will.

As Andrea pulled him along, he had to fight his instincts not to counter the force.

His body possessed the ability to dance with grace and finesse, but endless battles had tempered his mind.

Ixion chuckled under his breath as he continued to follow Andrea’s movements.

"Pitiful, right?"

Andrea was silent for a moment as she spun the king. An odd look plastered on her face as she looked into Ixion’s eyes.

"You were being sincere?"

Ixion laughed.

"I’ll have you know I’m always sincere."

None of Ixion’s steps were bad or had interrupted Andrea’s, but none of them had made it easy for Andrea’s future steps.

As their test dance came to an end, Andrea asked the king:

"Have you never danced with a partner before?"

Ixion had a slightly sour gaze as he replied:

"Only in battle."

Andrea’s breath hitched, her gaze fixed on an unseen point, a hollow look settling on her face.

’Oh?’

Ixion didn’t exactly know what the woman in his arms was thinking...

’But I’d wager to say she’s thinking of this kingdom’s faults.’

Who knows if she’d ever measured it before. But most simply threw insults at the king who failed his nation.

Never even considering that it was the nation that failed the king.

’They sent a child to war...’

What did they expect in return?