Peter's observations

"Looks like your first bride is doing well for herself," Peter leaned down to whisper at Mayra, jutting his chin subtly towards where Caspian and Naomi danced together. 

"They look truly in love. I'm glad. He was a bit off putting at first, but has really warmed up to her. I've always thought she deserved a good man and I'm glad he's turning out to be one." Mayra said thoughtfully, then tilted her head as she listened to the song. "I haven't heard this dance before. Is it one you've learned?" 

"Gordon taught me a little. He was excited to dance it tonight; he was the one that requested it of Cora." Something in Peter's voice was a little strange, but Mayra ignored it.

"Is it a favorite of his?" She asked. 

"Not so much a favorite. It's apparently not a common one." Peter responded. 

"Would you teach me? You've shown me all the others you know," Mayra watched the steps of the couples with interest. Although Naomi and Caspian were dancing scandalously close to each other, and clearly enjoying it, the unmarried couples held a slightly more distant position. 

Peter coughed, drawing her attention. 

"I would love to, but there's probably something you should be aware of first," He looked uncomfortable, and Mayra's eyes narrowed. What was the matter with him? She sighed. 

"Come on, Peter, are you going to spit it out or should I go ask Gordon to teach me instead?" She asked. 

"Don't do that!" He blurted, drawing the attention of several people close by. Mayra shushed him, growing slowly irritated with his strange behavior. She quirked an eyebrow at him, and he took her arm to pull her out of the others' hearing. 

"This dance is special." Peter paused as he became briefly distracted. Mayra looked over her shoulder to see her brother fixing Peter with an intense and unreadable gaze. 

It was a stark departure from his usually expressive face. It was rare for Mayra to be unaware of exactly what her brother was thinking. He looked very serious, and it concerned her a little. He nodded, and out of the corner of her eye, she caught Peter's answer, a subtle 'no' as he shook his head. 

Maddening. What were the two of them up to?

When Riley's eyes shifted to her, he relaxed into the lazy smile he often wore, gave her one of his signature winks, and turned back to his wife. She'd get nothing more out of him, it seemed. 

"What were you saying?" She asked Peter. "And what was that just now?" 

"Your brother was just reminding me of something," He sighed. "We were talking about the dance. You wanted me to teach you, but I can't in good conscience do that until you know that couples that dance this song are supposed to be fated to be together forever." 

The words came out in a rush and tumble, falling all over each other. Mayra's breathing stopped. This wasn't what she was expecting at all. 

"I can see why you wouldn't want to teach me, then." She managed to say. 

"Did you listen at all? I'm perfectly willing--happy--eager--" He flipped through the words as if trying to find one that fit before giving up. "I greatly enjoy dancing with you, but didn't want you to find out later what the dance was and then feel as if I'd trapped you into a fate you didn't want." 

Mayra discarded several quips she could make at his expense. He was too serious just now for any one of them to land without causing discord. 

"I appreciate you telling me. Thank you, Peter." She said. "It was a very chivalrous thing to do. Another one of your positive traits that you couldn't have learned from by brother." 

A thought occurred to her and filled her face with color. 

"Wait. Just now, was he encouraging you to dance with me without telling me about it?" Her voice had an angry edge to it, and Peter cringed. 

"He happened by during the lesson and asked to join for a few minutes. Apparently Ashley loves dancing and Riley has not been up to the task." He explained. "He did manage to provide me with some completely unsolicited advice." 

"Which was to trick me into dancing this song with you so that we would be fated to be together and thus take me off his hands as a responsibility?" Her ire grew. 

"I wouldn't put it like that." Peter held his hands up in surrender. She had to remind herself that he wasn't the enemy, and had told her instead of following her brother's terrible advice. 

"Dance with me," She took one of his hands. "We need to show Riley what a moron he is." 

"Mayra!" Peter pulled back on her as she tried to head towards the dancers. "That's a terrible reason to do anything." 

"Do you want to dance with me or not?" She asked angrily. 

"Always," He replied easily, but his eyes held a bit of concern. "but I'm confused as to what's happening right now." 

Mayra sighed. 

"Riley told you to trick me into dancing this song with you. He knew that if I knew what it was, that I would refuse to dance it on principle. It also means that he must believe in the fate--fatedness-Fating? The superstition part of the dance. He wants us to be together and thought that tricking me into dancing with you would do it. You didn't do what he wanted, which I'm proud of you for, by the way, but instead of doing what he expects and refusing, I'm insisting that we dance together." 

"And that accomplishes what exactly?" Peter looked at her blankly. 

"Showing him that he's wrong about me and wrong about the power of the dance. Who either of us is fated--or not fated--to be with has nothing to do with dancing this particular dance together. You've already shown him he can't control you. I want him to know he can't predict me or fate." 

"Are you sure about this?" He asked as she took his hand again, but he didn't resist her this time. 

"Come on, before the song ends and we miss the whole thing," Mayra insisted. 

She was steadfastly refusing to look over at her brother, who was doubtlessly gloating over his perceived victory. She frowned for a moment, wondering whether he would even care if he was wrong about the way this happened as long as the dance came about. 

Maybe her plan was a terrible one for getting back at him for his interference. She might have to come up with a way to up the ante. A fake fight with Peter later? Would he even be up for that? Deception was not something he dealt in, even for fun. 

She glanced up into his face as he pulled her into a closer-than-usual dance position. There was still some space between them, but not as much as she was used to. Her thoughts stalled out at the warmth in his eyes. 

Suddenly, she was sick to her stomach that she was using him as a way to get back at her brother. 

"I'm sorry," She gulped. "I'm putting you in the middle of a longstanding sibling rivalry. It's... not fair to you. We don't have to dance." 

"It's too late for that now," He pulled her forward into the first steps of the song's pattern. 

It was an entrancing set of movements, with Peter alternately drawing her forward with him, and then moving towards her in return. 

"This dance is unusual," She tried to study their feet as she stumbled a little and he smiled in apology. 

"It is strange. Gordon said to think of it like how the sea and the shore belong together. Ebbing and flowing with the tide, they follow one another, swirling in waves." A spin punctuated the last statement. 

"That's beautiful," Mayra smiled at him. 

"Thank you for the opportunity to try it," Peter responded, and her expression faded. 

"I shouldn't have made you. I don't treat you very well sometimes. I'm sorry for that," Mayra closed her eyes in shame for a moment. 

"I'm not complaining," Peter's hand squeezed hers. "And besides, you're getting much better at apologizing. Without me to practice on, how would you get more humble?" 

"Maybe I should just stop treating you in ways that make me need to apologize. You haven't forgiven me yet, by the way." She pointed out. 

"There's nothing to forgive this time. I wanted to dance with you, and now I am." Peter's words somehow made her feel both better and worse at the same time. 

"How seriously do you take it? The fate song, I mean?" Mayra asked. Worry etched across her face, but his easygoing smile soothed her a little. 

"I don't believe it has the power to alter fate, if that's what you mean." Peter paused and gave her a mischievous grin. "But, statistically speaking, the dance has to be right sometimes, now, doesn't it?"