The air crackled, so arid that it tasted like dust in Rei's mouth. He blamed that and not his nerves for the dryness of his mouth. He'd been born to scholars, but he'd aspired to life as a guard in the palace. A few thousand people lived in their small kingdom, but only the prince reigned above his guards.

Rei pushed up his glasses as he stood before the palace gates. He'd found them in a battered case out in the sands. Relics of a time before the war that had reduced the fertile continent to a barren desert, he'd been lucky to find a pair that helped.

A man with red hair and golden eyes slid the door open and arched an eyebrow at him.

"Captain Mikoshiba!" Rei saluted immediately. "I hope I haven't kept you waiting."

The captain's face relaxed. "Nah, you're right on time." He stepped to one side and held an arm out to welcome Rei. "Come on in."

Rei stepped inside and thought of the guard he'd seen so many years before. After witnessing the incredibly graceful takedown of an assassin while the king—may he rest in peace—had yet ruled their kingdom, he had known he would settle for no other occupation. But Captain Mikoshiba seemed to have none of the features he'd expected of a person in such an elegant role. He certainly had the muscles of a honed athlete, but he had the brash manner of a street merchant.

"The prince is taking it easy right now," Mikoshiba said, closing the door behind Rei. "Don't expect things to be this easy every day. He's had a rough week, that's all."

"I will do whatever is necessary," Rei said. He saluted again, this time so sharply that he smudged his glasses. His face grew hot as Mikoshiba laughed.

"That's the spirit." He grinned and clapped Rei on the back, pushing him down the hall. "Just keep an eye on him for now. He's entertaining guests right now."

Rei had memorized the floor plan to the entire palace in preparation for his first day. As he walked down the long halls, he mentally reviewed the protocol he'd need to follow. Always remain within arm's reach of the prince while on duty. Scan the room regularly, they'd said—so vague! Some time trials had reassured him that, with appropriate peripheral vision, one quick scan every eight seconds would ensure the best possible safety standards for his prince.

He hesitated outside the chamber where the prince invited guests—merchants of high rank, typically, although his orders had mentioned foreign dignitaries as a possibility. He heard music playing on the far side of the door, and decided to refrain from knocking. It was his job to go into the room. Who had the authority to grant him permission?

Straightening his back, he slid the door open and admitted himself. Thirty or so women and men had gathered in the room, most in garb befitting people visiting royalty—save one. A dancer in an open vest and loose, flowing pants.

Rei's eyes locked onto the dancer. He had soft, blond curls and a youthful face, but only those who were of age were permitted to dance for the prince. His footwork belied his considerable training; Rei had never seen anyone move so precisely. The dance and the dancer were one—Rei had the impossible impression that the dance had come into existence just to flow through this one perfect dancer. The joy on the young man's face staggered Rei.

And then the dancer looked at him, and something like electricity sent shocks across his skin. Merely static electricity, he told himself—he'd brushed against a table and the electrons had—

The dancer wound his way over to Rei, whose breath caught. Was he supposed to speak? Was he supposed to join the dance? He would shame the dancer if he tried. Though he'd trained extensively for guard duty, he couldn't possibly dance so freely that his feet ceased to truly touch the floor.

When the dancer held out a hand, though, Rei took it.

"Hey there, handsome." The dancer winked. "I've never seen you before. I'd remember those pretty eyes."

"Rei!" he blurted. "I—I'm Rei Ryuugazaki."

"Well, I'm Nagisa." The dancer drew him toward the center of the room and beamed. "And I think you're g-rei-t." Nagisa cracked up and spun once in what appeared to be the purest form of delight before prodding Rei toward the wall. "I'll let you look after little Rin, though."

"Little?" Rei repeated, too stunned by the pun and the abrupt end of his dance. He looked behind him to see the incredibly unamused prince glaring at him. The realization that the entire room had been watching hit him like a bucket of cold water. "Y-your majesty," he said, immediately dropping into a bow. "I am—"

"Glasses, we all heard your name," the prince snapped. His teeth looked inhumanly sharp, and Rei gulped. "Now unless you want to pat down my dancer to 'check for a knife,' get the hell out of the way."

"Y-yessir!"

Cold sweat dotted Rei's palms as he stood at attention behind the prince. Had anyone asked him yesterday what he most wanted, he would have answered, 'to serve the king beautifully.'

But, rather than scanning the hall, his eyes remained on Nagisa. He'd seen hawks lock talons and dive to the earth below in a graceful sweep. With all his heart, he longed to take Nagisa's hands and join him in his dance.