"Letitia, we don't have to."
"I need help with the fastening of my dress," she admits.
I frown. "Did the maid not help you with a dress that would be easy to take off?"
"I didn't realise we would be shifting."
"Ah, I see." I pull open the door and gesture for her to step inside. She smiles as she brushes past me.
The inside of the swan house is more luxurious than I expect it to be, with an intricately carvedbench and a shelf for keeping things out of the way. I turn to lock the door behind us, glad that we can have the relative security of knowing that our clothes will still be here when we're done.
Letitia starts removing her gloves, followed by her jewels and the feathers from her hair.
"Would you mind getting the buttons on the back of my dress?" she asks.
I nod and step closer to her, trying to ignore how dry my mouth has gotten. She turns her back to me, looking over her shoulder in a way that's more inviting than I suspect it's supposed to be.
I fumble with the buttons, questioning why they're so small, but mostly to avoid thinking about how close the two of us are right now. I can feel the heat of her skin even through her clothes.
"There you are," I say once I'm done, clearing my throat. "I'll turn around now."
For a moment, I think she's going to protest, but then she nods.
I turn away and start undressing myself, trying my best not to think about the fact she's doing the same.
"I'm going to shift now," she says softly.
"I'll follow you," I respond as I finish undressing and place my clothes on one of the shelves.
A flutter of feathers and a small squawk announce that she's done. I pull forth my own shift, feeling my body change into my other form. I extend my neck in time to see Letitia descend into the water, a picture of grace with her pristine white feathers and long neck.
I waddle down to the water and follow her into it, grateful that I don't have to be as awkward when in the water.
We glide out onto the lake just as a group of musicians start to play. There are a few other couples who seem to have chosen to enjoy the evening in their swan forms, but I believe most of them have stayed inside, probably wishing to take advantage of the food and drink on offer.
But I only have eyes for one swan.
She dips her head and glides in a circle around me, imitating a dance. I'm not sure if there's something specific we need to be doing, but I lose myself in sharing this with her.
We may not have gotten off to the most conventional of starts, but there is something intimate about the situation we've found ourselves in anyway.
The music floats over the lake, creating a sense of privacy despite the other swans surrounding us,and those still in human form in the ballroom who are able to see us from their positions.
Letitia turns away from me and swims across the lake and towards a spot where reeds poke through the surface of the water.
I'm uncertain about what she's doing, but I follow, sensing that is what she wants me to do.
I cock my head to the side and study her intently.
In an instant, she turns from a swan into the beautiful woman I came with. The water covers her up to her shoulders, and the reeds conceal her from view from anyone but me.
"Can I touch you?" she asks, awe in her voice.
I lower my head, hoping she takes it as the consent that it is.
She reaches out a shaking hand and touches the side of my head, drawing it gently along my beak, and then over the other side. Her touch is warm and gentle, making me more certain than ever that there is something between us that is more than just a contract.
She pulls her hand back. "Thank you. I wish we could talk in our other forms."