Ryland's eyebrows rose briefly, then fell in contrast to the turn of his smile. He was almost surprised the Kethaias had allowed himself to be seen as such. Half-wet, half-undone, half-decent... half-temptation.<br/><br/><i>He'd be wasting his time in that endeavor.</i><br/><br/>He watched Kethaias pick up the kitten and take it over to its food--and give it a little pet as well. He seemed at least a little fond of it, but there was no real happiness in the way he treated it. Probably he hadn't even played with it, which might have actually elicited a smile.<br/><br/><i>And so are you. I don't dance.</i><br/><br/>"Dear stars," Ryland said, and leaned back nonchalantly on the table behind him, his arms crossing in a mirror of Kethaias'. "What must you do for fun? I'm almost afraid to know."<br/><br/>He pulled one hand from the crook of his elbow briefly to sign,<i>Are you this dull?</i>Mostly to see how fluent Kethaias might be in the double-speak of Banque, if he knew it at all.<br/><br/>"Well! I'm afraid it would be the poorest of manners for you to refuse at least one dance, and any other that I or my siblings might offer you. This party is in<i>your </i>honor. And since you<i>are</i>here for negotiations--" and here Ryland raised one eyebrow, daring Kethaias to speak otherwise, "--and not to simply take what you want, dare I say you might have to extend yourself to a few excruciating rounds on the ballroom floor?"<br/><br/>A pause, a quick smile. "If you are concerned for your fearsome reputation, you needn't be. Your face alone will be enough to put anyone off, no matter how nicely you dance." The smallest pinprick of an insult, surely, but one Ryland was curious to see how Kethaias would take. He didn't think many got away with insulting the king, insinuation or blatantly. "Or is it that you cannot dance at all? In which case, if you still reject an instructor, you'd be much better laughing at your blunders, lest everyone feel sorry for you instead."<br/><br/>In which case he'd have to smile, at the behest of Ryland's machinations.<br/><br/>"Of course, I could teach you. I'm quite at my leisure, at the moment."<br/><br/>He wasn't, actually. He had musicians and costumes and decorations to organize and begin. He'd heard about the king's harem and hired the best of men and ladies from the most reputable and fashionable of bordellos (of course the women would be dressing as men, to account for Kethaias' apparent reputation, but he would be remiss to account only for the king's taste and not his other guests), where they would sit on a splendid platform in one corner to entertain in the king's fashion. If anyone wanted to take one away, that was between the entertainer and the client.<br/><br/>"I have a mechanical bird spelled to play music. A Banquish speciality. I could bring it over."<br/><br/><i>Or</i>, his hand said,<i>a quick tryst?</i>