That afternoon, at Lady Laeral's warm invitation, Aaron and Eleanor stayed at her manor rather than leaving, and attended her ball.
Amid cheers from the crowd, Aaron took the stage to open the evening with "Sune's Palace." His melodious singing, magnetic voice, and playing that was all feeling and no technique set the room alight.
"Welcome to Sune's Palace~"
"Such a lovely place (meaning Slaanesh's six rings), such a lovely face (meaning a Slaanesh daemonette's face)."
"Plenty of rooms at Sune's Palace~"
"Any time of year, you can find it here~"
With the violin Samir had given him, Aaron pushed Slaanesh's power to its limit. His charm magic swept through the entire hall. Even the lowliest servants could not help singing along, while everyone on the dance floor-druids, mages, and even paladins-swayed together as though they were high.
Aaron was spreading Slaanesh's corruption, and so far, it was working very well.
When the song ended, Aaron stepped down and danced once with Eleanor, then quietly slipped off the dance floor and found somewhere to sit and rest.
Naturally, as Aaron's date, Miss Cleric kept a close eye on him throughout the evening. Many people approached him for a dance, but Aaron politely declined them all.
After all, Eleanor was watching right beside him.
Holding the lovely, charming Miss Cleric in his arms, Aaron leaned against the long backrest and slipped a hand beneath Eleanor's skirt, savoring the exquisite silkiness, softness, and fullness without saying a word.
Eleanor carefully held her skirt down with one hand so no one would notice Aaron stroking her legs beneath their gray aurora-silk stockings. Watching eight or nine couples dance energetically on the grand dance floor, then glancing at the poet laureate from the Harpers reciting a song onstage, she could not help asking, "Come