Chapter 115: Dance
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Banned
Chapter 115: Dance
August, 1613
Charles ignored the pain in his left leg and stepped forward. He glanced to his right, and saw Henry Murray standing there holding the pose perfectly. A tinge of jealousy ran through him and he forced his left leg to bend at the necessary angle. A shot of pain lynched through him and he winced. He took a deep breath, and then held the position.
Light footsteps alerted him to the presence of Major William Howard, the dancing instructor that Thomas Murray had found for Charles and his sons. The man was roughly forty years of age, with a thick moustache, and a slight belly, but he was light as anything.
“Good, excellent. Straighten your shoulders slightly, William.” The Major said.
Charles held his pose despite the pain in his left leg. The Major stopped before him. Charles held his gaze-he was a Prince after all. The Major looked him up and down and said. “Excellent, Your Highness.” The Major walked on.
“Excellent, Henry.”
Charles held the pose until the Major said. “And rest.”
He rose up to his admittedly short height and immediately felt the pain in his leg go. The Major walked back down the line and then stopped in the middle, before Charles. “Now, lads, who can tell me the importance of the position you’ve just done?”
Charles shared a glance with Henry and then looked back at the Major. Thankfully, the Major wasn’t looking at him. Instead, it seemed the Major was looking at his own son, Thomas. Thomas was slightly older than Charles, at thirteen, but he was also the most knowledgeable thirteen-year-old Charles had ever met.
Eventually, Thomas answered. “Because being able to balance at awkward angles is important not only for dance but for war.”
“Exactly.” The Major replied. “You see, in war you are not going to have the luxury of always fighting standing straight up. Sometimes you are going to have to bend at odd angles and fight in odd manners. You must get used to this now.”
Charles raised a hand. The Major looked at him and nodded. “But what about if there’s no room to bend like that?”
“I’m glad you asked that, Your Highness.” The Major said. “I want you all to form a circle, close together.”
Charles and the other boys, eight in total, did as they were bid. “Now, link arms.” The Major commanded. They linked arms, Charles linking arms with Henry Murray and Charles Newton. “Now, move forward.”
Charles moved forward as did the others, but he felt a strain in his arms. “Move backward.” Came the command.
They moved backward and the strain was there.
“Now half of you move forward and the other half move backward.”
Charles moved forward, but Newton moved backward whilst Murray moved forward. The strain caused them to break their link to one another. With some of the boys moaning in pain.
The Major didn’t seem particularly surprised by this turn of events. Instead he simply said. “Now, link arms again.”
They did as they were bid. Charles could already feel his legs beginning to ache in protest.
“Now move forward.” They moved forward, nobody whined. “Move backward.” The same result.
“Now half of you move forward and the other half move backward.” Charles moved forward again, and again the link was broken, but it was broken at such speed that he was worried he might break something. He ended up on his knees, panting slightly.
“Now, why do you think that this keeps happening?” The Major asked.
Charles half expected the Major’s son to answer and so was surprised when he didn’t. Nobody answered, and they all stood there in an awkward silence. Charles got up and looked around. Seeing who had moved forward and who had moved backward, and thinking about what speed they’d moved like that. Then he said. “We’re not moving together.”
“Go on.” The Major said.
“To properly function, we need to move together as a team. Instead we’re all moving at different speeds, and those with weights and heights not in proportion to their partners are moving.” Charles answered. “This is causing everything to be unbalanced and then erupt.”
“And how would you propose we fix this?” The Major asked.
“Well, the shorter of us should be linked together first, the taller amongst us linked together, then the ones closest in height link together.” Charles replied.
“Let us see if you are right.” The Major replied. “Link together.” Charles and the others did as they were bid, they linked arms, this time Charles was linked with William Edgerton and Edward Bridgerton. “Move forward.” It worked. “Move backwards.” It worked. “Now half move forward, and the other half move backward.”
The strain was less, it was still there but it wasn’t as virulent and nobody broke contact. “Now hold this position.”
Charles and the others held the position for a moment, another moment and then the Major said. “Now break.”
They let go of each other. “Do you understand why this worked?”
“Because we were of the right height and size?” Charles answered.
“Exactly.” The Major said. “Now in war you may not get the chance to go for someone of the same height and weight as you, but you must know your centre. You must know your balance. When you were linked to those of the same height you automatically held yourself a certain way, whereas before your balance was all over the place.”
Charles nodded, he understood that, indeed, he imagined that was why there had been so much strain on his arms. “Now, in order to counter that, you must imagine that you are fighting someone of a similar skill to you.”
“How do we do that?” Charles asked.
“By getting your balance right. Holding that position and not letting it go, even when the enemy is pressing in on you from all sides.” The Major said.
“You must hold the pose as if preparing to dance a difficult dance. That is the way to ensure good footwork and balance.” The Major said.
“Can you show us?” Charles asked.
“Of course, Your Highness.” The Major said, clapping his hands to get the music to start.
