Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Love Story

"Princess Gabriella?" A young maid knocked on the door holding the beautiful Spanish princess, who didn't want to come out of her room if her life depended on it. "Princess Gabriella you have to come out. The ball is about to start."

The stunning, young, stubborn, and a bit naïve princess just groaned and put her face back in the comfort of her pillow, ugh another ball, another chance for my mother to marry me off she thought bitterly.

Gabriella Marie Montez was the 20 year old princess of Spain. Her parents, Carlos and Isabelle Montez, are the king and queen. Unlike most royal marriages this one was one of happiness and love. They welcomed Princess Gabriella not as an heir to the throne but that of a child.

But now it was time, time in which Gabriella felt like crying, time that her father never wanted to happen for his baby, and time that her mother was keen on helping with, time to try and find a new king for the future queen.

Every year, since Gabriella had been 17, she had a ball in her honor. Her mother constantly told her that the ball was to celebrate her being a princess, but Gabriella wasn't stupid, she knew it was a just chance for her mother to try and scrounge up a man for her.

But not this year.

"Annie, go away. I'm not going."

"Princess can I come in?" Annie asked still outside in the hallway.

Gabriella sighed and got up off her bed and made her way over to the door to let in the maid.

"Thank you, your highness."

"Annie, I'm not going to the ball. It's just another chance to have my mother marry me off to a snobby, unintelligent jerk."

"Your highness, you need to go. It's a ball in your honor."

"Fine, but I'm not going to find a husband tonight."

About an hour later the ball was in full swing. After dancing with a bunch of men that her mother had told her to, Gabriella felt like she was about to crack, or worse cry. So after her last dance with a Mr. Hugh Jackson she silently went back up to her room and hoped no one noticed her absence. She walked onto her balcony and noticed people still showing up to "celebrate" her. But one young man caught her eye and breath immediately.

26 year old Troy Alexander Bolton was sitting in his carriage on the way to the ball that the king and queen were hosting. The only reason he was going was because his mother had been bugging him to try and find a wife. Troy didn't want a wife, he was happy being considered the town's unattainable bachelor. But after hours of begging his mother finally cracked him and that's why he was here.

"Samson? Why are the king and queen having a ball this time?" Troy asked his driver.

"I think this time sir; it is to celebrate their daughter." Samson replied.

Great a ball for a spoiled brat, Troy thought right before the carriage pulled up to the mansion. Once the carriage stopped completely the Montez's butler opened the door for Troy.

"Welcome to Princess Gabriella's ball, sir."

"Thank you." Troy said handing over his coat to the butler, and looking up at the huge mansion. However the first thing he noticed wasn't the size of the mansion, or the overall look, but the beautiful woman looking right back at him making his throat go dry and his heart burst with joy. Troy never believed in love at first sight, but now he had to rethink his beliefs.

Troy unfortunately had to take his gaze away from hers so that he could walk through the doors and pray that he would see her again.

Right after the unbelievably handsome man walked through her mansion's doors she immediately ran out of her room and back down the stairs in a hope to see him again that night. When she reached the ball room she saw that nobody had even taken notice to her absence, which she was grateful for.

"Gabriella, darling! Come over here." Gabriella heard her mother calling for her. She really wanted to ignore her mother and go look for her mystery man, but she knew she had to go to her. So she walked over toward where her mother was standing next to an angry man that looked like he wanted to be anywhere but where he was.

"Darling, this is George Renning; I think you should dance with him." Her mother demanded more then asked.

"I'm sorry but she already promised to dance with me." A voice that was uncommon to Gabriella said from behind her. Gabriella turned around toward the voice and her breath caught for the second time tonight. It was the man that she saw just minutes prior, from her balcony.

"Oh, well maybe the next dance then." Isabelle told her daughter, with an edge in her voice that meant that Gabriella was going to dance with this George man one way or another.

The mysterious man then gently grabbed Gabriella's hand, sending sparks all through her body, and led her toward the dance floor. "Thank you." She said quietly.

"You're welcome", the man said with a voice that was like music to Gabriella's ears. Once they reached the dance floor, the man put one hand on her waist, she put one hand right where his heart was, and then their other hands connected and they started their dance.

"What's your name?" Gabriella asked after a few moments of silence.

"Troy, what's yours?" Gabriella was confused; didn't he know who she was? She wasn't the arrogant kind of person that thought everyone knew her, but this was her ball, how could someone who was invited, not know her.

"Gabriella," she replied.

"Well Gabriella, that's a very beautiful name." Troy said smiling a warm smile at her that melted her heart.

From across the ballroom Isabelle was walking over toward her husband with a determined look across her face. "Sweetheart?"

"Oh hello darling, I haven't seen you all night." Carlos said toward Isabelle.

"Honey, who is that man dancing with our daughter?"

Carlos looked around the dance floor in search of a deep red dress that he knew his daughter was wearing, in the hopes of finding her. Once his eyes landed on her and the man she was dancing with Carlos got a look of anger on his face.

His daughter was dancing with the biggest bachelor in the whole city. That he couldn't allow. He knew that if his daughter ended up with Troy Bolton she would get her beautiful heart broken.

"That is a man that I don't want her to dance with." Carlos answered his wife's question. "James! Richard!" Carlos yelled for his servants.

"Yes sir?" They asked after they did their required bow.

"Do you see that man dancing with my daughter? Go get him away from her and throw him out."

Troy and Gabriella were still dancing barely even noticing anyone around them, they were in their own little world, slowly falling deeper in love with one another, when Richard and James grabbed Troy by the shoulders and ripped him away from his love.

"James! Richard! What are you doing? Let him go now!" Gabriella demanded, watching Troy try to get the grown men off of him but having very little success.

"Your highness, your father told us to get him away from you." Richard told Gabriella with a sympathetic face before him and James threw Troy out of the mansion.

Gabriella had tears in her eyes as she ran toward her father, pushing anyone who got in her way. Once she reached him she crashed into his arms and buried her face in his chest. "Daddy why did you kick him out?" She sobbed.

"Sweetheart he is no good for you, now go and dance with someone more suitable for you." Carlos urged firmly.

"No!!" Gabriella yelled. "No." She stomped her foot. "No." She said before running up to her room. When she reached her room she quickly ran toward her balcony in hopes of seeing her love. But he was no where in sight. So she rested her head on the railing and whispered "please don't go." Not even noticing that Troy was right below her balcony hiding in the shadows, waiting for the perfect time to go and get his love.