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“What's going on in there? Is someone, dancing?” Taking a break from your late night rounds, you stared blankly at a nearby tent. There was obviously a candle lit inside, because you could make out the figure of someone twirling and swaying to a silent song. You didn't know whose tent this was, but whoever was inside was an excellent dancer. You weren't sure how long you watched the figure dance before deciding to sneak a peek inside. It had been two, maybe three minutes at the most, so you were sure you hadn't been noticed yet. Stepping as lightly as you could manage, you crept over to the door of the tent, and slowly pushed back the fabric door. With a slit just wide enough for you to see inside, you brought your face close to the opening and squinted. It was Inigo, you should have guessed. You'd heard rumors about him doing this sort of thing, but had never actually seen it for himself. Though his dance was beautiful, and you wouldn't dare tell a soul what you were seeing, you couldn't help but feel a little bit bad for spying on him.

Suddenly spotting you, Inigo stopped mid twirl and stared at you with a wide, glassy eyes. The look on his face was a mixture of embarrassment and sheer panic. With heavy, hurried steps, he made his way towards you and whipped back the door. “What are you doing?”

“I was just checking up on you. It's pretty late, and I saw that you still had a candle lit.” Half-stepping away from him, you forced a kind, innocent smile on your face. “Since you were still awake, I wanted to make sure everything was alright. Sorry if I scared you. I didn't want to just walk in if you were actually sleeping.” It was a lie, but you hoped he wouldn't catch on.

After looking around to ensure no one else was outside, he grabbed your wrist and pulled you into his tent. “You saw me, didn't you?” Inigo's hushed voice didn't hold his normal flirty tone, instead, that tone was replaced with worry.

Unable to keep up your lie, due to the already growing feeling of guilt, you nodded. “I did. I didn't mean to see you, but I could see your silhouette through the tent. I didn't know this tent was yours, honest.”

“You could see me, through the tent?” Your words caused his face to go pale and his eyes to widen even further. It was obvious that he had not before thought of this. Who knew how many others had seen him dancing, but made no mention of it. Though he wasn't happy he'd been caught, he was glad you'd let him know that dancing by candlelight wasn't an efficient way to hide his hobby. “I appreciate you telling me.” Perfectly composed in the blink of an eye, Inigo took your hand in his and gently kissed your knuckles. “I know now to be more careful in the future.” Looking down at you with a suave, charming smile, he kissed your hand again. “You have done me a great service, my lady.”

“Oh. Well, I'm glad I could help.” Unsure what else to say, you watched as he kissed your hand again. More amused than embarrassed by his gesture you started to giggle. “You can stop kissing my hand now.”

“Ah, of course.” Reluctantly releasing your hand, Inigo took a step back and placed his hand over his heart. “Forgive me. I should not keep such a ravishing young lady held hostage in my tent. Especially not so very late at night.”

Blushing from his compliment, you cleared your throat and turned your eyes towards the exit. “I-I'll just let you get back to what you were doing now. I've got to finish my rounds.”

“Your rounds?” Grasping your hand in both of his, he pulled it to his chest, effectively bringing you close to him. “Don't tell me that you're being made to wander the camp, completely alone in this darkness.”

Brushing off his surely feigned concern over your well-being, you shrugged. “It's my job.”

“True as that may be, I cannot allow a Lady to roam alone in the darkness of night.” Releasing your hand, Inigo spun around to fetch his shoes and hurriedly began to put them on. “Please, allow me to accompany you.”

“I don't need you to do that, really. I can hold my own just fine if I need to. I've been in plenty of battles and know my way around a sword.” Sure he already knew this, you stopped yourself from continuing and evaluated the situation. “You're not worried about me at all. You just want to make sure I don't run off and tell someone about your dancing.”

Standing once more, Inigo covered your mouth with his hand and pulled you to him so that your back was against his chest. “Shh, you need not say that so loudly, my lady. Someone else might hear you.”

Since he showed no sign of letting you go, you maneuvered his palm away from your mouth and looked back at him as much as your awkward position would allow. “I'll be quiet, but I'm right and you know it.”

Swallowing hard, Inigo freed you from his hold and finished the task of lacing up his boots. “It's possible.”

“That's what I thought.” Turning on your heel, you stepped towards exit, but paused before you walked back outside. “I'm not going to tell anyone about this, so there's no reason for you to miss out on sleeping. It's hard enough to sleep during war, you shouldn't waste what time you have over something like this.”

“That's true enough, I suppose.” Even though he was perfectly aware that he'd been caught, Inigo tried to keep up the act. “Even so, I will be accompanying you until your rounds have been completed. It is my duty, as a gentleman.”

“Suit yourself. But don't blame me when you're exhausted tomorrow.” Now running a bit behind schedule, you left the light of his tent and stepped into the darkness. There was something about the darkness that seemed to magnify every sound. You could hear the wind, the gentle rustle of clothes, hanging on makeshift lines, and the sound of certain soldiers snoring. Odd as it might seem, you found it wonderfully peaceful walking around the camp during the night. It gave you time to think without interruptions.

“This silence is too much.” Sighing softly, Inigo interrupted the calm. “Without something else to hold my attention, I find myself inescapably drawn to your beauty. Please, use your voice to distract me. If you don't, I may find myself forever lost in your eyes.”

His compliment turned your cheeks red, but you managed to keep wits. “Inigo, you can't see my eyes. It's too dark.”

Unsure how to respond, Inigo stayed quiet for several seconds. You weren't sure if you'd offended him by pointing out the obvious, or if he was just too flustered to say anything else. “That's true, but I know how they look. They are so stunning, simply imagining them has the same effect.”

“You're trying too hard.” Wanting him to know that you appreciated his kindness, even if his words were empty, you locked your arm with his and smiled warmly. “If you want to have a conversation, you should just say so. It'd be a lot less awkward for both of us than you complimenting me for no reason.”

“I have a reason.” Before you could say anything else, Inigo puffed out his chest as if terribly proud of something. “My reason being, that you deserve them. I've told you before that my compliments come from the heart. If I didn't mean what I was saying, I wouldn't dare open my mouth. You have my word on this, my lady.” Chest suddenly deflated, he turned his eyes downwards. “I simply compliment you more than I do most others because you are one of the few women that don't see fit to slap me for my kindness.”

“I'm not going to slap you, so you're safe there. But, I think I will give you a taste of your own medicine.” Giving him no time to ask, you stopped walking, lifted your fist to your mouth and cleared your throat. When you spoke, you struck a dramatic pose and emulated a tone very much like his own. “My dear Inigo, your dancing is exquisite. The way you gracefully twirl across the floor as the dim candlelight flickers across your face makes it impossible for me to see anything else. The gods must have blessed you with this gift, for I've seen none other, save your mother, possess so much talent for the sport.” Relaxing to a normal position, you ended your short speech and grinned. “See, feels pretty awkward having someone dote on you like that, doesn't it?”

Too embarrassed and red faced to speak, Inigo took several moments to pull himself together. “While I do not recant the things I've said, I will, in the future, attempt to restrain my feelings at least slightly. For your sake, of course.” He hadn't outright answered your question, but you were sure he'd gotten the point.

“Thank you.” You nodded. “Just so you're aware, I meant what I said as well. About your dancing, I mean.”

Unable to take any more talk on that subject, Inigo covered your mouth, yet again and hushed you. “I do, however, recant my earlier request for you to say something.” Slowly moving his hand from your mouth, he gently brushed the back of his fingertips over your cheek and smiled. “Your voice is even more enchanting than your eyes. I fear it's more than I can bear.”