After the first dance, as I had come to expect, my brother and father remained firmly stationed at my sides like overly devoted bodyguards—neither allowing me to mingle nor doing much themselves aside from glaring away any man who so much as glanced in my direction.
It was starting to get slightly annoying. That's when my savior appeared.
"Why are you flanking her like that?!" Grandfather's familiar voice rang out, making my father flinch visibly.
"Oh, Grandfather. How are you?" Rune greeted with a disarming smile, though I knew it was only an attempt at distraction.
"I'm fine," Grandfather replied curtly. "Besides, you didn't answer me. Why are you two shadowing Reina like that?" He asked as he smoothly pulled me to his side, effortlessly cutting between them.
Nice, Grandpa.
"That's because we don't want any annoying pests near her, Grandfather," Rune said with a straight face.
"He's right," my father added promptly, arms crossed in agreement.
