Nico sat discontent in his room. His father was throwing a ball that evening in order for him to meet a princess that he found suitable.
Nico was not interested in the ball, primarily because he wasn't exactly interested in princesses. He had known this since he had found himself staring at the stable boy for too long. But even so, Nico was a prince, and eventually he had to find a princess.
Nico's clothes for the ball were laid out in his dresser. Most royals had servants dress them, but he always felt uncomfortable in front of the servants, so Nico had asked since a very young age to dress himself.
The outfit was a deep violet. Nico hated violet. He wasn't sure why, it just seemed like a bad color. He grudgingly clothed himself, waiting for a handmaid to call him for his entrance to the extravagant ball. As Nico waited for her, he took a moment to appreciate the beautiful paintings that his father had commissioned for him.
On his south wall, it was painted like an enchanted forest, like in the fairy tales that the maids would read him before bed. Nico had always loved that wall. It made him remember his earlier years, when he and his late sister would beg and beg for their maid, Alecto, to read them another one.
On his west wall was a rocky cliff, like the ones their summer castle sat upon. He always like to trace the dried mounds of paint that the artist had left when they had painted the crests of the waves.
On the north wall was his very favorite. The north wall was a detailed garden of flowers, like the one his mother used to have. The colorful blooms added a little color to Nico's shadowy life. He liked to get lost in its beauty, remembering his younger self chasing his sister in a game of tag in it's vastness.
A knock on the door broke Nico away from his memory. "Your highness," a small voice piped. "Your entrance to the ball awaits." Nico opened the door to a young maid, no more than fifteen. She curtsied, moving her carefully placed, blonde ringlets off her head. He followed her through the maze of hallways and staircases to the balcony of the Grand Ballroom. They came to glass french doors, the maid opening one for him.
Inside the golden room was about a hundred people, all attentively waiting for Nico to enter. An old caller, that Nico knew by the name of Sam, coughed loudly. "Prince Nicolas(A/N: Literally pronounced Nico-loss) of Yunder," He boomed, probably catching the attention of the next town over. A myriad of applause followed as Nico stepped down the marble staircase slowly. When he reached the bottom, he waited for his father to enter the room. No more than a minute later, the king entered through the doors, causing the room to fall dead silent after the din for Nico.
The king was a frightening man, his hair was as black as night, his skin pale as a corpse's, his figure tall and thin. Not many countries tried to initiate wars with Yunder after seeing the ruler. The king was actually quite kind, but not many were willing to get close enough to him to find out.
Nico looked a lot like his father, only his skin had a fraction more color. Their noses were the same, their eyes the same shape and terrifying color, their statures much to identical. Nico was afraid that when his father passed, that he would be viewed the same way as his successor.
When his father's much more lengthy introduction ended, the party began. Many princesses, duchesses, ladies, and countesses had approached Nico, hoping to strike up a conversation. But Nico's lips stayed in a frown, and he only gave concise responses to their trifling efforts. none of the many girls stood out to Nico until one wearing a bright gold dress approached Nico.
It wasn't actually the princess who caught Nico's attention, but her brother who had followed her closely. His pale blond hair was combed neatly to his chin, and his pale blue eyes were warm. He wore an outfit that was the same color as his sisters, along with the same designs. He smiled at Nico sweetly while his sister chatted about Yunder's divine cuisine. Nico politely nodded and thanked her, but he couldn't take his eyes off of the prince. As her conversation concluded, dreamily Nico spoke.
"I'm sorry, but what did you say your name was?" The princess beamed, as this was the most conversation that was elicited from him all night long.
"I am Princess Kaylathi(A/N: I'm sorry I need to make these names sound fancy) of Helia, and this is my brother, Prince William." William nodded.
"Although most call me Will," He added, in a lovely tenor voice, giving Nico a sly smile after he finished.
"I would love to continue, but I do not think I have tried the pastries that you we complimenting earlier, and your description makes them sound divine. If you would excuse me…" Nico was able to slip behind the two of them in the crowded room, and as he moved through, he could hear Prince Will mutter to his sister that he also would love to try the sweets she had described, and followed Nico out of the ballroom.