The Unlikely Queens

Two

"Which dress should I chose?" I ask Eleanora as I brush my damp hair.

"The purple." She points to the dark purple dress spread out on my bed next to my pastel green dress. 

After my incident with the sultan, Father had shown us to our rooms. Knowing my sister and I are inseparable, Father arranged for us to have one of the few bedrooms with another one connected to it by a door. The room is beautiful. There are ornate rugs all over the floor, patterned windows, and long colorful drapes every where. Instead of the head of the bed being against a wall there are bars that frame a low platform with a mattress that feels as if it's a cloud. 

"Then I will wear your green dress." She smiles. 

"Thank goodness. I was beginning to worry nobody here would be blessed with the opportunity of seeing it." 

Eleanora laughs and stops suddenly, noticing my troubled expression. 

"You are still not upset about what happened with the sultan, are you?" She wraps her arms around me. 

"I just hope he was not insulted," I sigh. "I did not mean to. I do not want him to think poorly of me or father because of it." 

"I am sure he does not think that, Georgiana. Stop fretting." 

I should take her advice and rid myself of my worrisome thoughts because I'm sure Eleanora is right. The sultan is most likely not offended. If he was he would not of returned my smile. We continue getting ready, helping each other prepare. I tied a ribbon in her hair and she lent me her silver bracelet and necklace. Father meets us outside our rooms to walk us to the party. 

"You both look stunning." He smiles and kisses us both on the forehead before we begin walking. "While we have some time I would like to explain the rules of court dances." 

"The rules?" I repeat with worry. 

"They are simple, I promise." Father smiles.

"Is smiling still forbidden?" Eleanora winks at me. 

I huff and look away. 

"There are just some practices that Buranians expect everyone to follow at their dances. Such as--"

Three young girls in colorful dresses rush past us, giggling with excitement. They enter the ballroom down the hallway where the laughter and infectious, almost sensual, music is coming from. 

"Father, if the rules are as simple as you say we will learn by watching everyone. Come, Georgiana." Eleanora takes my wrist and pulls me along away from Father. She runs towards the ballroom like an overexcited child. Everyone is in groups conversing and eating and drinking. But no one is dancing, even though the music certainly calls for it. Sultan Zahid is suddenly approaching us with his bright smile. My sister and I curtsy and father bows. 

"I am so glad you all could make it." Sultan Zahid says to us. 

"Thank you for inviting us, Your Majesty." Father says. 

"Your Majesty, may I asked you a question?" Eleanora asks. 

"Of course." The Sultan smiles at her. 

"Why is no one dancing?"

"Oh, no one can begin dancing until I have said so. Is it different in Asnor?" 

"Yes, Your Majesty. Quite different." Father answers in a way that implies we should of listened to the rules. 

"Georgiana," Sultan Zahid looks at me. "Would you like to dance?"

"Me?" I ask in alarm. 

"Yes," The Sultan laughs. "Unless there is another Georgiana here I should be speaking to?" 

"My apologies. I would love to dance, thank you." I smile, suddenly blushing. 

He holds his hand out for mine and I take it, throwing a glance back at my sister. She smiles and nods, encouraging me to go. Once Sultan Zahid and I are positioned in the middle of the floor, others follow suit. The music changes to a fast paced, light song. 

"Do you know this dance?" Sultan Zahid asks me with almost a laugh, knowing that I do not. 

"Of course I do." I bite my lip to suppress my smile. 

Everyone begins moving as if they're one person. The dance begins with the ladies doing a skip forward and of course I miss it by at least ten seconds. The other women turn around, switching hands with their partners. I do the same many seconds later. The ladies are supposed to spin away from their partners and curtsy, I do not achieve this until everyone has successfully completed this move. I finally take a glance at Sultan Zahid and instead of the horrified look I expected to be greeted with, he is smiling. I want to run and hide my face, because nothing is more embarrassing than everyone in the room knowing something that you do not. So I begin to laugh. I laugh so loud I'm sure I can be heard over the music. The sultan gazes at me in wonder, his mouth agape. I make every single mistake possible and the dance ends. 

"Your Majesty." I curtsy to the sultan before joining Father and Eleanora on a low couch in the corner. 

"I suppose now you're going to tell me how to correctly perform that dance?" I smile at Father. 

"It is much too late, but if you are curious," Father smiles." You stepped onto the dance floor with the right foot and the correct foot is the left." 

"I cannot believe that is a rule." Eleanora says. 

"Neither can I? Could you imagine worrying about such things every time there is a dance?" I ask. 

"To Buranians there is no worry. This is what they are used to." Father shrugs. 

"Did I do anything else wrong, Father?" I sigh. 

"My darling daughter, I love your laugh. It is just like your mother's. But Buranians are not used to loud laughter." 

I glance around the room in fear, praying everyone has simply forgotten how obnoxious my laughing was. The result is exactly the opposite. All eyes are on me, paired with equally conspicuous whispers. I watch Sultan Zahid speak to another young gentleman, nodding and sighing. My goodness, I've embarrassed him. I wish the floor would open up and swallow me right now. Anything to keep me from looking at the sultan's disappointed face. Now I understand why he was smiling so much during the dance. He did not want to make a scene. How could I make so many mistakes so soon?