“One step forward,” I’m three seconds away from losing my patience. “That’s it, Miss Arlen, you are doing a fine job.” I know I am; I hate all this protocol for one stupid dance. I don’t know why I agreed to this plan. I should have told Varianlir no. I mean, yes, but not to all these stupid preparations. After my talk with my parents, we decided it would be best to keep up with appearances. Varianlir agreed with the marriage to keep his father from prying; thus, I agreed to all their protocols. They are teaching me how to dance, at least according to them, but it seems these dragons stayed in the 1600s because this dance is the most outdated, overly complicated nonsense I’ve ever seen. The instructor, a prim and proper dragoness named Lady Elara, keeps clapping her hands like I’m