But I could see Pentandra’s point, too. The faces of the women in the crowd were a mixture of delight, anxiety, envy and contemplation – but none were unaffected. Most of them were in middle-age, officers of court or wives of ministers. Such a flaunting of youthful exuberance, beauty, and near-naked sexuality was painfully hard to bear for those who had struggled so mightily to recapture it themselves with cosmetics. There were looks of envy and wistful regret on just about every unmasked woman’s face. Except for Alya. The young pretty dancers passed before her eyes with her barely noticing. Penny was right. She was bewitched. At the conclusion of the dance, the maidens replaced Anguin on his throne, kissed his furry face affectionately, and then re-formed in front of him to deliver a curtsey in perfect unison while the crowd applauded wildly. “Thus shall even the wildflowers of the Wilderlands’ fields offer their fealty to the Fox Duke,”
