Dark loathed his birthday.

It was supposed to be a day for celebration, and yet his father-the King-saw it fit to invite everyone in the kingdom to come and "woo" the steely prince. He has done this every year since he turned fifteen. Fifteen. He was a man in his twenties now! One would think the King would have ceased trying by now.

Unfortunately, for Dark, he had not. The King was a stubborn one alright. It was no mystery where he himself got it from.

"You'll find yourself a bride one of these days." is what the King kept telling him. And how was Dark supposed to let on that a bride wasn't what he was looking for? Not that Dark was actively looking, mind you. He was far too busy with his studies to care about courting or giving another person the time of day.

Call him rude, but he'd choose his private study over another living being's mere presence any day.

Sure, dismissing beautiful maiden princesses didn't make him popular among the nobles. He didn't care what the people thought of him. It wasn't as though he were kicking babies or stealing from the sickly.

Besides, he'd much rather appear picky than be exiled for "different tastes", thank you. Perhaps if he married a close female friend and explained-bah, then he'd be pitied. And that plan would also require that he befriend someone other than his nanny, and he wasn't too keen on that.

Dark could expect to be chatted up by noblemen and foreign businessmen alike looking to marry off one of their daughters all night during the party. A party that was meant to celebrate yet another year of his life. Hello, ear splitting headache.

Or he would have been, had he not been so diligent in asking that this year's party be a masquerade. It took some work, and if it weren't for his mother finding the idea to be "rather charming" then the King wouldn't have even agreed.

For once Dark was excited for his birthday. No one would know it was him that they were speaking to, and if he was lucky they'd all assume some other lad was him and leave himself well enough alone.

He had a new suit tailored for this day-outside of the castle walls, of course. Didn't want his parents or the servants seeing it and spreading word of what he'd be wearing. He told his mother he'd wear red, and his father blue. They'd each be looking out for those colors and if he were lucky, they'd suspect someone else as being him before the toast. Sneaking out of the castle was hard, thankfully his nanny covered for him. Bless her heart.

He'd be wearing neither color he described to his mother and father, for this tailcoat suit was tailored with the night sky in mind. Black, with intricate patterns embroidered along the lapels, cuffs, and the tails in a striking silver. A nice white dress shirt with ruffled cuffs was worn beneath. Throw on a jabot and his mask and he was set.

Ah, the mask.

He had read a book in his studies and learned of a beast called the jaguar. A powerful creature, and Dark had found it beautiful. This is what he based his mask off of. It matched his suit as well, black. With faint silver for the spots and around the eyes-did jaguars have spots? How was he to know? He never left the kingdom and had only hunted deer and boar in his youth.

Now, on to the party. It was in full swing. Dark's plan to go nearly unnoticed was a success thus far. Didn't want to go too unnoticed, he wasn't wearing this suit for nothing, thank you. Perhaps if he was feeling brave he'd do some flirting. Nothing more, of course. He didn't want to ruin the suit.

No one was suspicious of him.

"Pardon me-ah, excuse me. If I may just sqoze on by here-" who could that be? They were awfully loud. And was that an accent of some sort? He felt a hand on his shoulder, carefully nudging him aside. "Sorry, sorry. Just getting a glass of wine-do you want one?" Dark had locked eyes with the man, about to speak but they were too fast for him to formulate a reply, "Of course you do, I'll be right back." then he pat his shoulder.

He swore he could feel it burning. Didn't know if it was out of annoyance or disgust at having been touched by some stranger.

Regardless Dark went on, slipping through the throng of partygoers.

Who was that man and why was he not wearing his mask properly? It wasn't even on, he just had it atop his head. Completely defeats the purpose of a masquerade.

And that mustache was something else entirely. He hadn't seen anything like it. Pink facial hair? Or pink hair at all, for that matter. He had heard of it, of course. Magic dyes and whatnot. There was another cause as well, but he was thinking of other things.

Namely the man's fashion sense.

The pale yellow suit looked lovely, really complimented his skin tone. Made his eyes pop. Kind of simple in design-until you saw those blood red dress shoes and that red and white striped dress shirt that he had poking out from under his coat.

He wondered if they were color blind or just really enjoyed offending the onlookers, or attracting onlookers.

What a peacock.

Dark slipped away from the crowd, rolling the encounter off his shoulders. "Kooky man..." he had just made it out onto one of the balconies when he heard that voice again.

"'Kooky'? Well thank you!" it was that man, and he was holding two glasses of red wine. "Here you are! Go on, take it. I don't bite, unless you ask me to."

Dark eyed him suspiciously, taking the glass to be polite but never letting the man out of his sight as he inspected it. Nothing odd...

"Are you a foriegner, perhaps?" Dark asked him, swirling the dark liquid.

"I am!" no wonder. "So... this is embarrassing, but what's this celebration for, exactly?"

He really was a foreigner, "You're joking." Now that Dark looked at him, really looked at him. It was clear that this man was not a citizen of his kingdom. Here everyone had a certain look about them. Where Dark's skin was a light gray, this man sported something much more lively and, dare he say, glowy?

He was colorful as well, with mischievous pink eyes.

"If I was I'd be laughing." came the strange man's reply. "I came here on business for my father, stepped through the gates and I'm handed this ridiculous thing." he took the mask off, waving it in the air. "Doesn't fit my big noggin."

Oh. "I can see that." Dark tried not to laugh. This man was delightful. "I for one am glad it doesn't, how else would I have known I was speaking to an angel?" Methinks the prince should lay off the wine for now. He had already had a glass prior to this, and half of another before he lost track of it.

The laugh he heard made him feel... warm. Like he'd just drank a nice cup a tea on an empty stomach during a snow storm. Or that could just be the wine.

"Flattery will get you absolutely everywhere, Mister Jaguar." now Dark's ears were hot, oh he hadn't expected to be flirted with in return. And did the man have to wink?

Hush, hush. Drink your wine.

"Perhaps I'd like to go everywhere, and then some." Dark that was not drinking your wine, that was flirting.

The grin that he was given could have melted an iceburg, he was sure of it. "Maybe that can be arranged~"

Dark didn't respond, too flustered to do so. He'd blame the wine, yes, the wine.

"So." the stranger said after a few moments of silence. "What is this celebration for?"

"It's the prince's birthday."

"Is it-I was wondering what all those flowers were for!"

"Flowers?" he echoed.

"Ah, I came with a whole carriage full. All roses, all red. The prince must really like those."

Dark visibly gagged. Roses, roses, roses. Why was it always roses? He couldn't go a day without seeing a single rose. The King loved them enough to include them in the family crest, Dark despised it. Oh he was a prince; he was formal, prim, proper. He must love roses.

He didn't detest roses themselves, he only loathed that everyone assumed that he loved them.

"He doesn't." Dark replied, "Ah, I've heard talk that they aren't his favorite, I mean." excellent save.

"Oof, the King's not going to like that back home."

"Pardon?"

The stranger stood straight, "Oh where are my manners!" he set his glass down, bowing at the waist until his nose just about touched his knees. "Prince William Wilford Warfstache of the Kingdom of Flowers." he introduced himself.

O h.

Dark was flustered-he never would have pegged this man as a prince.

Wait.

Had he just been flirting with a prince? And that prince hadn't been absolutely disgusted and even returned it-was Dark dreaming? Or was this all going to blow up in his face?

He cleared his throat, "You know, this is a masquerade. You're doing awful at keeping your identity a secret." Dark chuckled, raising the glass to his lips. He needed some way to ease the one sided tension he felt around him.

"Well, you're doing a splendid job." Wilford grinned, reclaiming his glass as he met with his gaze. "Prince Dark."