Sniplet (Canon): The Waltz.
Tsaritsa Esfir stood in the center of the ballroom, her daughters Ekaterina and Anya in front of her. Standing on both sides of Esfir were dance instructors, ready to teach the girls how to waltz.
Esfir clapped her hands. "Alright, my daughters, it is time you both learn a very important life skill. And that skill is how to waltz! The style of waltz we shall learn to day is the style I, your wonderful mother created, the Imperial Waltz. In other nations this is called the Uldoki Imperial Waltz, but here, in Uldok, it is merely the imperial Waltz."
"Now, in the waltz, there is one person who leads, and one who follows. Generally, in ancient times, it was considered that the man should lead, and the woman should follow, but in the Imperial Waltz, when a man and woman dance together, the woman should lead! Women are much stronger than men, and non-binary people are even stronger than that, non-binary people are truly the most powerful force in this cosmos! Now, when you dance with someone of lesser position, you should always lead. And when you dance with someone of equal position, the stronger partner leads, and the weaker one follows. This means you will ALWAYS lead! This rule will aid you, no matter who you dance with. Just remember girls, you always take the lead!"
Anya raised her hand. "Mother, how am I supposed to learn to waltz? Are you not noticing something very important?" Anya indicated her wheelchair, and Esfir sighed.
"Anya, you shall watch, and if you ever learn to walk, then you will already know how to dance. Now, Ekaterina, Maltia will be your partner. Remember, you take the lead. Have your feet like this, in a fighting stance! Sword at your left hip, in case someone tries to assassinate you! Your right hand goes on her shoulderblade, and you hold her right hand with your left. Now, hold her hand closely, but keep it loose, in case you need to draw your blade!" Esfir demonstrated with the other dance instructor. "Now, the main step is the box step...."
Esfir demonstrated the box step as Ekaterina followed her instructions, and then she taught Ekaterina various turns, twirls, and whisks. "Now, we have covered the basic moves, we shall cover the more advanced moves!" A man suddenly leaped from behind a column and attacked Esfir, but in one fluid motion, she drew her golden sword and parried his blade. "Fighting! You hold your partner with your right hand so you may fight with your dominant hand!"
"Mom, I'm right handed!" exclaimed Ekaterina.
"What?! That can't be right. Right handed? But you're a tiefling!" Esfir sighed. "I can't believe- Anya, what hand do you use?"
"I think I used to be right handed." said Anya. "Though I can do either now."
"You must be ambidexterous, like your great uncle."
"Helorie is ambidexterous?" asked Anya.
"What? No. I would never call that man great, even if he is my father's brother. I meant Sebastian."
Ekaterina blinked. "But he's not really related to us."
"Of course he is! He's my uncle, and Ehimay, Cassandra, Lukas, and Daniys are my cousins."
"Someone better tell uncle Danill that, then...." muttered Anya.
“Now that you are fighting, you dance quicker, feet are loose and free! You twist and twirl as easily as you like, never letting your opponent get behind you as you continue to battle them!” Esfir continued to exchange blows with the man, parrying and thrusting as she and the very worried looking dance instructor danced on.
Ekaterina raised a hand. “Mom, wouldn’t it be easier to stop dancing and just attack him?”
“Nonsense, nonsense! Sun Strike, if you please?”
Both girls let out sighs as their mother’s sword, Sun Strike, began to sing. It was the response that anyone besides Esfir ever had to that sword’s singing. “The Waltz, the waltz, the waltz, the waltz, let us all dance the waltz! The waltz, the waltz, the waltz, the waltz, today we all dance the waltz! Faster and faster, light on your feet, always beware of enemies, the waltz, the waltz, the waltz, the waltz, always be wary when you waltz!”
Just as Ekaterina and her partner did another turn, Ekaterina was attacked! Instinctively, she thrust her hand out, sending a magic missile at the attacker’s face. “No, Ekaterina, no, draw your sword and attack him!” Sun Strike continued singing some nonsense about the waltz as Ekaterina attempted to take out her sword and slice at the attacker. Never good at fighting, using her wrong hand, also twelve years old, Ekaterina had no chance against the attacker, who disarmed her easily. “Okay, that didn’t go as planned, okay, let us move into the promenade position, now Ekaterina, this is traditionally how both you and your partner would fight, or fight two enemies, but now it must be how your partner will defend you.”
“Mom, has anyone ever attacked you while waltzing?” asked Anya.
“We must be prepared!” exclaimed Esfir. “We must always be prepared. One day it will happen, and you shall be glad you have prepared for that day.”
Author's Notes: "Why is this trans day of visibility?! Who the heck is trans in this story!? The sword???" No. Esfir is bigender. She identifies as male and female, moving between the two- I am clarfiying this because there are multiple meanings of bigender. So when she says non-binary people are the most powerful force in the world, she is really just being the proud Esfir we know and love. Wow! Another Lore Hidden Secret from Sniplets Review! Aren't you glad you read Sniplets!?
I read this story to my mom and she liked it. So it has passed that great old test.
Length: 865 words
Date: March 30th, 2015
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