Ok, so... I'm not sure what to do with this story... If it gets relatively positive feedback, it can be continued... Otherwise... it'll just stay like this...

She couldn't remember how it had happened. She definitely had given the beginning of their shared night some thought, but for the life of her, she couldn't remember the beginning. She recalled the feel of his hand on her waist as they moved near the center of the dance floor. Why had they been dancing together again? She had no idea. Claudia and Finn were dancing together next to them, she knew. Claudia, for some unknown reason, had worn a dress from the Era. Attia thought it was odd since that night's ball had been thrown in celebration of abolishing Protocol. Her own sleek dress made of satin was hung unceremoniously over the back of chair on the other side of her bedchamber. The lack of unnecessary materials and corset as well as the clean lines, had made her dress style especially popular among women in the last few months. Though Protocol hadn't been official removed until last night, it hadn't been enforced since Finn had been made King. Claudia wasn't yet his Queen, but she was already treated as such. Perhaps it was fitting, Attia thought, all her ill thoughts of Claudia by now faded away.

Keiro groaned as he rolled over on her bed, still asleep and unashamedly undressed. Her thoughts were violently pulled back to the memory of their night. She was sure she was missing something more than just the beginning. She remembered dancing with him, but didn't know why. She remembered his hands on her waist and how gracefully he managed to move beside her. He'd always been graceful in Incarceron, but grace exhibited while cursing and/or attacking another person wasn't the same as grace shown through dance steps in Attia's mind. Actually, she was surprised he'd actually showed up to the ball at all. Had there been a reason for that as well, which she now could not recall?

"Stop mumbling to yourself. It's very unbecoming," Keiro mumbled into his pillow, as though that was perfectly acceptable in terms of attractiveness and social etiquette. Did social etiquette apply to had-been rivals who had just spent the night ravishing each other? Attia never had much experience in the realm of romance to really know, but she was sure romance in Incarceron was fairly different on the Outside.

"Get out," Attia told him strongly as she started to push on his bare back, though it did nothing and Keiro remained laying exactly where he was. "Right now."

"I'm tired," he replied as though that was a perfectly acceptable reason to lounge around in somebody else's bed wearing nothing but their sheets. "You used up a lot of my energy."

"Oh god," Attia controlled her gag reflex as she swung her legs over the edge of the bed and quickly left the space immediately around Keiro. She had taken one of the sheets with her, unskillfully attempting to wrap it around her own naked form. Was there a reason they'd ended up in her room instead of his? Hers was closer to the ball room, she thought as she started to collect the clothing she'd wore the night before which was now scattered about the room. She hoped that wasn't the only reason. It made her feel so dirty and cheap.

"You do realize that sheet is basically see through, right?"

Well, she did now.

Turning back, Attia chucked the heel she'd been holding at his head, hoping the heel itself would strike him in the face. He only laughed as he swatted the shoe out of the air like it was some bug bothering him. "Modesty the night after was never one of my favorite traits a girl could have, but you do make it a kind of art form."

"Would you go away!" She had practically yelled at him, and he only laughed away despite her anger.

"That's not what you wanted last night."

"You are so annoying," Attia groaned between clenched teeth as she turned her back to him and attempted to rearrange the sheet around her body. Even after having done so, she could see Keiro's gaze following her out of the corner of her eye. He had an annoying smirk across his mouth and she felt like she hadn't fixed anything with the sheet, or worse, she'd left herself more exposed than she had been before.

She remembered him kissing her when she bent down to pick up the other shoe, which had somehow landed on the other side of the room from the first shoe. He pressed her against the wall in an empty corridor, his lips dominating hers with a force she had actually enjoyed. Did he drug her? It was dirty enough, but he was still Keiro. As many arguments and disagreements they'd had over the years, he surely would not resort to such tactics. And why would he go so far just to have her when he could have nearly any other woman. No, he didn't drug her.

"What's the matter with your face?" Keiro asked and Attia turned back to him, glaring at him. "It's all twisted up like you're confused or something. I should think everything was fairly straightforward."

"Why are you still here?"

"I thought girls liked it when guys stayed the night." That irritating, know-all tone he used was enough to motivate her to commit homicide. Not to mention that half-smile across his face, and the self-satisfied look about him.

"What girls?" she barked back at him with narrowed eyes. "Surely, I'm not included on this list."

"It's a general rule."

"That you've exercised with who, exactly?"

"Jealous of them?"

Attia let out a half scream as she turned away from him and attempted to calm herself. She collected the heel he'd knocked to the side of the bed and the dress before she walked towards the closet. She was going to store her clothes then begin dressing for the day, but Keiro had once again been successful at distracting her in the worst ways.

"You don't remember what happened, do you?"

His ego could've blown the walls out, she was sure. Biting her tongue, she held back her sarcastic remarks as she dropped the pair of heels and the dress into a heap just outside the closet door. She took in a deep breath and rolled her shoulders before she turned back to face him, her best pleasantly confused look across her face.

"Excuse me?"

"You. Don't. Remember."

"Of course I remember, you idiot."

"Then you remember when Claudia and Finn came in and joined us?"

They hadn't. She was sure. God she hoped she was sure. But her faced had paled before she realized it and Keiro had started to laugh as he rolled back on the bed and stared up at the high ceiling. Attia yelled at him again, before she turned away to her dresser. "You're infuriating."

"You were probably just so amazed by me that your memory just couldn't handle it."

"Oh god," Attia half muttered and half laughed as a strangled sound had escaped her throat before she could stop it. She hadn't meant to respond to him, but he had truly been ridiculous with that comment.

"What's your explanation?" he asked, and she got the vague impression he knew why she couldn't recall the night before.

"I drank too much."

"You didn't like the taste of wine." Ironically, she recalled that. Thinking about how she'd spit up the wine onto his coat, she let out a laugh then looked at his reflection in the long mirror leaned against the far wall. He was laying in the center of her bed, the sheets draped modestly over his waist, though it left his upper body exposed. His rather tan and toned upper body.

"Then why can't I remember?"

"I don't know," Keiro laughed as he watched her in the mirror as well. "It's early, and you just stressed yourself out about nothing. It'll come back eventually. If I do say so myself, it was quite the memorable evening."

"Obviously not," she countered in an icy voice before she turned away from the mirror and walked into the closet, shutting the door behind her. She took a moment to take a few deep breaths and steady herself before she focused on choosing an outfit for the day. She had half a mind to go for the newly designed suit for women, but as she stared at it, there was something off putting about the outfit that she couldn't really place. She was only one of the few women at Court who had been given an outfit of that style and design, simply because in the months following Finn's accession designers of new clothing that had been prohibited under Protocol had been rather difficult to find. It seemed everyone had been stuck in history for so long, they'd forgotten how to change and evolve.

Groaning, Attia pulled the suit from the hanger and began to dress. She knew she was over thinking such a simple thing, just as she was about the matter of Keiro and their night together. He was right. She'd freaked out first thing in the morning and since then, her thought process had been a bit slower than usual. She shook out her hair and looked at herself in the mirror. She had no dark circles under her eyes, and actually looked a little brighter than usual. She knew he was going comment on it, claiming her new charm had something to do with him. Though she was already cursing him for what he hadn't yet said, she couldn't help but wonder if their night had something to do with the brightness in her face.

After combing out her hair, she left the closet to find Keiro already dressed in his clothes from the night before. He was lounging on the edge of her bed and watched her with narrowed eyes. "What?"

"Nothing," he answered simply. "Can't I just observe?"

"No."

"Funny you didn't say that last night."

"Would you just leave?"

"Why are you so on edge? It's really does put a damper on a good morning. You'd think a night like that would de-stress even someone as high strung and on the verge of a fit as you."

"Thank you for such kind words, Keiro," Attia replied sharply as she walked towards the door. "Now you have to leave, because I have to go see Finn and do my job. You know, that thing you never show up for."

"He's my brother, he doesn't care."

"Last I heard, you weren't crowned a Prince, actually. In fact, the only Prince we have is his step brother, who tried to kill him on more than one occasion. What does that say about you and your relationship?"

"Just because you're bitter doesn't mean you have to lash out," Keiro replied with a shrug like her words hadn't stung at all. Of course, if anyone else had dared to say what she had, he'd have already floored them in a fury. Attia, along with Finn and Claudia, had a bit more room around Keiro, simply because they'd been around longer than anyone else in Keiro's life. He'd never admit he actually liked any of them, except maybe Finn, but Attia wasn't really as willing to admit she liked Keiro's company every so often either.

"Just because you're in Finn's favor, doesn't mean you never have to show up to meetings or even just to say 'hi' to Finn." Attia started to walk down the hallway, and Keiro followed her, even though his room was reached faster going the other direction. "Where are you going?"

"To see King Finn of Incarceron."

"You're such a shit."

Keiro and Attia's mixed laughter carried down the hallway, but it wasn't laughter like normal friends would share. It carried an edge like Keiro and Attia could at any moment turn on one another in a quite common disagreement. Keiro stepped back as they reached the door to Finn's usual meeting place where he dealt with all the inner dealings of his daily life. Attia strolled into the room first, eyeing all the Councilmen lining the table.

"Keiro." Finn looked at his oath-brother with narrowed, confused eyes. "What are you doing here?" Attia laughed and turned to Keiro, only to see his narrowed eyes and cold stare directed back at her. It was like last night never happened at all.

"Can't I just stop by and see you?"

"Well, yeah," Finn answered with a shrug. "But you never do. Not even when you're summoned."

Attia laughed again and had the room not been filled with all the important people who dealt with Finn and the Realm, Keiro would've chucked something at her. If only he had that shoe with the three inch heel.

"You're still wearing your clothes from last night," one of the men around the table commented as he stared at Keiro with narrowed eyes in confusion.

"Yeah, is that a problem?" Keiro asked looking back at him. Before he answered, Keiro turned back to Finn and the knowing grin across his royal face.

"I trust you had a good night, then."

"Like you wouldn't believe."

Turning Finn's attention away from his closest friend, Attia had begun chocking on the water she had attempted to drink just before Keiro's unnecessary comment. She coughed as she turned away from the two men at the head of the table, though Finn was only watching out of concern. It was Keiro who was grinning like an idiot and she wanted to smack it off of his face.

"You alright?" Finny asked.

"Yeah," Attia answered as she cleared her throat, nodded, and turned back to him. She kept her gaze on Finn, avoiding Keiro's at all costs. "Just fine."

"How was your night, then?"

"Incredibly…" Attia paused as she turned to Keiro, watching his face contort as he anticipated her answer. "Boring and uninteresting." The scowl across Keiro's face couldn't have appeared any faster.

"You had no good company?" Finn asked, his voice showing his disbelief.

"I had company," Attia replied and Keiro turned away from her to shield his face from everyone else in the room. She was sure the disdain was written clearly across his delicate features, and she couldn't wait to hear what he had to say in response.

"What happened to your date?" Finn asked curiously as the Councilmen started speaking among themselves about the next thing Finn should work on as King.

"A lovely woman approached me and kindly informed me he was married and that she was his wife," Attia answered, suddenly recalling why she had been free to spend time with Keiro at the ball.

"Oh," Finn responded as he turned his attention to a piece of paper the man on his right had put in front of him. He hadn't the slightest idea what it was, but after the same man placed a pen in his hand, Finn just signed it, not really caring one way or the other. "So that's why you two were dancing. I was wondering what happened."

"A disaster," Keiro commented and Attia glared at the back of his head.

"You two seemed good together," Finn replied absentmindedly, paying more attention to the next paper put in front of him. He didn't even notice Keiro and Attia stared holes in his head at the comment he'd made. Finn, utterly delirious, started making conversation with the men around the table, and Keiro and Attia looked at each other, neither with smiles.

"I'm going to go change," Keiro declared.

"And shower," Attia added as he started to walk away. "You smell."

"And you're what? A rose garden?" Keiro called back without actually turning to look at her.

"Better than a dumpster," Attia replied just before the door shut behind him.

"Never mind. You're not good together at all," Finn amended his comment without looking at Attia, who couldn't believe he'd waited until Keiro left to say it.

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