Chapter 3 - Dancing the tango

Dancing the tango



When they had walked through the huge oak doors, they almost couldn't believe their eyes. This ballroom was even bigger than the last and on all four sides were rows of musicians, already tuning their instruments, getting ready to play.

Everybody quickly picked a partner. Kaede's grandfather sat this one out, so Kaede ran over to her friends, hoping not to be the only on without a dancing partner. Duke was asking Yuula if she wanted to dance, for old times sake, he had added (Yuula and Duke used to go out with each other and afterwards Yuula had told Kaede that she never wanted that to happen again). Yuula accepted (hey, it was Duke or her brother) and Takumi asked Kaede if she would to dance with him, as friends. Kaede said yes and together they strode out onto the dance floor.

As they danced, Kaede began to feel more and more uncomfortable. Takumi was her friend but she knew they didn't dance very well together. Kaede was a great dancer and had never needed lessons. Her grandfather said she was probably a dancing girl in a past life, but he was probably only teasing.

Takumi, however, was not that great. Kaede found herself leading most of the time and he kept trying to go the other way when she did try directing him.

In the middle of the dance was a partner switch. Kaede said goodbye to Takumi and turned to face her new partner. She curtseyed to him as he took her hand. He pulled her close to her and swept her across the dance floor. Kaede closed her eyes and rested her head on his chest. He was a good enough dancer to lead her, and she was good enough to follow. She felt herself beginning to relax, and started to enjoy the dance.

But then she realized what a horrible mistake she had made to even think of relaxing in this man's arms.

As she looked up into Seto Kaiba's face, Kaede felt disgust and hatred spreading through her entire body. She wanted to stop the dance and walk away but she couldn't, he held her too tight to him. She tried to back away but still he held her, so she gave up, glad that at least he wasn't touching her skin. She felt sick at the idea of herself resting her head on him, and wanted to run away as quickly as possible. But the dance wasn't over yet, so she just followed his steps, longing for it to end.

`Oh Kaede,' Kaiba smirked, clearly enjoying watching her squirm. `What's the matter? Are you not enjoying the dance?'

She said nothing, determined not to stoop to his level. Eventually the music stopped and she stepped away from him, looking around for her friends. She saw Yuula and Duke laughing together, and tried to get their attention. She began to walk over to them, when someone grabbed her hand.

`Really, Kaede, giving up so soon?' Kaiba sniggered behind her. `I'd have thought that what you wanted most was to beat me in a duel. Well, I think in some circumstances, dancing could be considered a duel, don't you think so?'

Kaede turned back to face him, unable to believe her ears. Why did he want her to dance with him? Did he really enjoy torturing her?

She looked back to where Yuula and Duke stood to see them staring at her. She smiled at them and they exchanged worried looks. Why not, Kaede thought to herself. A duel is a duel.

`All right, Seto Kaiba. What do you have in mind?' Kaede turned back to him, and pulled her hand out of his grasp. He smirked at her and walked over to the musicians. Kaede watched as he said something to them, then came back to her. A circle of people formed around them as the music began.

Kaiba took her hand for the dance, and whispered in her ear, `I was thinking the Tango?'

Kaede smiled. Of course, when Kaiba went to their school, he had walked in on her dancing the Tango with Joey as entertainment for their friends. Of course, Joey had been terrible, but it had been a laugh. Kaede grinned.

Kaiba put his arm around her waist and they were off, sweeping around the dance floor. As they danced, Kaede emptied her mind of all thought, and let herself go. But as soon as her mind emptied, a memory entered her head. It was a vast hall; full of people, and to one side were some steps up to a platform with a throne standing just at the tops of the steps. The people standing in the hall had separated, to form a circle in the middle of them. In this circle was the figure of a young girl, curled up in a ball, crouching on her toes with her hands stuck out in front of her, and her head resting between her arms. A chain ran from her hands to a guard standing at the front of the crowd and her hands were tied together as if she were a criminal. Suddenly, someone spoke.

`You, slave girl.'

Everybody turned to face the throne at the top of the steps, where a man sat, his head resting on his hand, his elbow on the arm of the chair, as though he were bored.

The girl in the centre of the room lifted her head slowly to look at this man. Her face was streaked with tears, clearly visible lines through her dusty cheeks. The tears showed her real colour, which was a sort of olive gold.

`Stand up, now!' Said the man in the throne. Though he said it normally, there was a tone in his voice that demanded obedience.

The slave girl stood slowly, straightening her legs first, then unbending her body, and when at last she was standing straight, the people around her gasped. Her clothes were simple, slave clothes, but they were dusty and torn, and her arms and legs were cut badly in some places. Her hair was black as ebony and had fallen over her shoulders when she stood. Her face was elegant and her features delicate, her eyes the most prominent of her features. They were big, green eyes, framed by her long dark eyelashes. She looked straight at the man in the throne with these big dark eyes, unafraid and proud.

The man in the throne looked quite annoyed at this. He seemed quite unused to this sort of behaviour. `Have you no respect girl, bow to your pharaoh!'

The girl's eyes flashed in anger. She took a deep breath and smirked `Why should a bow to a man who has ignored the needs of my people for years and imprisons them for doing the only work they are able to do? Why should a bow to a man who kills innocent people and enslave their loved ones because they are “inferior” to him? Answer me that, my “lord”.' She mocked bowing low to him, waving her hand in circles in front of her.

The pharaoh snarled. He was about to motion for the girl to be taken away when a man stepped forward and whispered in his ear. `Halt,' he said to the guard who now stood next to the girl. He listened carefully to what this man was saying to him, and then he grinned.

`Slave girl-' he began.

`Hey, I have a name you know!' The girl yelled at him. Her emotions showed clearly on her face, a mixture of hatred and disgust. She took a step forward, as if to run towards him, but the guard holding her chain gave it a violent tug and she fell backwards to the floor. The crowd laugh at her, as she struggled to get to her feet, her ebony hair falling into her face.

The pharaoh laughed loudly at her. `Oh, and what is your name?'

The girl glared at him from behind her hair. She tried tugging at her chains to get away, but could not.

`My name,' she sighed reluctantly, `is Hebeny.'

`Hebeny? Well, my high priest has told me you were found dancing in the street for money, is this true?' The pharaoh smirked. `I don't think that is honest work, is it?'

`I wasn't dancing for money.' Hebeny snarled at the pharaoh. My old “owner” was selling me at the market and he told the crowds I could dance, so they started throwing stones at me until I danced for them.'

`Then what happened?'

`I was in so much pain that I could hardly dance. I kept falling over in pain, and when I did the chain tied to my hands was pulled, so I fell over again in the dust. A carriage pulled up and I collapsed. The crowds began to disperse as a man walked towards me, picked me up and walked back to the carriage.'

`I see. Well, can you dance now?'

Hebeny stared at him in amazement and disgust. `No, I cannot dance now.'

`Why not?' The pharaoh asked almost angrily.

`Because my legs are cut, I am in too much pain.' Hebeny snarled at him.

`Fine,' the pharaoh waved his hand. `Take her away.'

`My Lord,' his high priest stepped forward again. `This woman does not need a cell; she needs to have her wounds cleaned. If I may sir, I will take care of her while she heals.'

Hebeny looked up at the high priest, a puzzled look on her face. The high priest smiled down at her as the pharaoh rested his head on his hand and thought.

`Please, my lord. Let me look after her.'

`All right, Priest Seto, you look after the slave girl. Bring her before me when she is healed.'

`Thank you my lord.' Priest Seto bowed to the pharaoh and ran down the steps to Hebeny, and took her chain from the guard. He led her out of the hall and away from the pharaoh.

Suddenly Kaede was brought back to the private day when the music stopped and the crowds around began clapping.

Seto stepped back and bowed to her, smirking again. Kaede curtseyed to him and walked to Yuula, Duke and Takumi. The ball was over and together they walked back to the waiting limousines. Kaede said goodbye to them and got into a car, followed by her granddad. She was quiet on the way of, thinking about the daydream, or memory, or whatever it was. She thought maybe it was a coincidence, but the high priest, Priest Seto, had the same name as Kaiba, and also looked exactly like him.

And how much of a coincidence it was that the girl, Hebeny, looked exactly like her.

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