"Indulge an old man with a dance, my dear." The lack of a lilted tone and the grip upon her paw gave little room for refusal. Kaarina met the gaze of the nobleman with a wary one of her own. Zira's father was the patriarch of a Mbalan Council family - in terms of rank he was not far below that of King Ahadi. The adopted child of another Council family would not have the power to refuse a request. Especially not in the middle of a banquet honoring her own sister, where catty eyes and ears could spread whispers of the most minor misconducts. That being said she certainly didn't have to enjoy it. Plastering on a smile Kaarina took the offered paw and allowed herself to be swept up. "Lady Onyesha has outdone herself in your studies. You dance as though you were born to this world." Kaarina lowered her lashes and offered a noncommittal noise, an inoffensive response of acknowledgment. "Where is young Sarafina though? I heard she gave quite the showing earlier today for the Guard. I had hoped to congratulate her personally." Kaarina's jaw tightened. Sarafina's refusal to attend had been hurtful, and the fight between them stung her still, but the leer hidden in that overly-polite face made her wish with all of her heart that her sister would have changed her mind and joined them. Even if just to put an irritated wrinkle on this damnable lion's muzzle. "Of course, perhaps she is celebrating with her own kind. It is always a pleasure to see when the young folk find the place they belong." A sudden dip forced Kaarina's legs to scramble awkwardly with the instinctive fear that she'd be dropped to the ground and kept her from retorting with the hot words that she almost bit out despite her self-control. They felt like bile as she swallowed them back, but she was unable to keep the glare from her face. The nobleman chuckled and released her after a moment, pressing his lips to the back of her paw in the very picture of a gentleman. "Thank you for the dance, young Kaarina. Enjoy the banquet."
