"Jaune, come down here my son. I have someone for you to meet." James was at the center of a large ball room filled with people from all corners of Remnant. In the center of the room was a large rug with the Arc emblem. Standing next to the king was a giant of a man. He had a long red mane, full facial hair and a purple Chalmys with a large bronze clasp.

Jaune quickly disengaged from the conversation with the Minister of Defense and walked slowly down the stairs. He tried to remind himself that strangers are just friends that you haven't met yet, just as his mother had said. However, he couldn't help but feel that most people he had met so far are just insincere. They try to use him to get close to his parents, some even suggesting arranged marriages between him and their daughters. Many had thought that he was just a fourteen-year-old and didn't really care about him as a person, only his status as Crown Prince of Arcadia. "Jaune, I would like you to meet Mr. Alexios Nikos. Mr. Nikos was a good friend of mine when I attended Beacon. He will also be our first official ambassador from Mistral."

The giant of a man offered his equally giant hand, dwarfing Jaune's own as they shook. "Nice to meet you, Jaune. Please, call me Alex." Alex then motioned to behind him. A girl, slightly shorter than Jaune slowly popped her head out. "Come on Pyrrha, don't be rude. This is Jaune. He is the same age as you."

"Hel…lo" Pyrrha shyly walked out from her father's shadow. She was wearing a simple dark red chiton and the same bronze clasps as her father.

"Jaune, why don't you give Pyrrha a tour of the palace." James cracked a grin as Alex nodded his head.

"Sure father." Jaune smiled lightly. He didn't really mind the introverted girl; at least she was better than the ones that throw themselves on him just so they might be a queen in the future. Also it was a good excuse to leave the ball and stay away from the sycophants. "Come on."

Pyrrha let out a 'meep' as Jaune grabbed her hand and practically dragged across the room to the exit.

"They would make a good pair." James offhandedly commented.

"Yes they would." Alexios nodded in agreement, "Which is why I brought Pyrrha today. James, I wish to formally offer my daughter's hand in marriage to your oldest son as a show of friendship between Mistral and Arcadia."

James half laughed and half sighed, "Alex, I would love to accept but I will not auction off my any of my children's lives for political power. Also Jane would kill me if I do this without her consent. How about we see what comes out of tonight first."

"Thirty lien say that your son will propose within the hour." Alex smirked, If Jaune was anything like his father, this bet will be no problem at all.

"Oh, you are on!"

"Where...are we…going?" Pyrrha was barely able to speak as Jaune raced down the halls with her in tow.

"My room! Where else?" The redhead blushed a deep shade of crimson as she thought of the implications of that phrase. No! We are too young to be doing that!

Jaune and Pyrrha raced past several guards who just winked at them. As they turned the corner they ran into an open air corridor. The scent of lavender and orchids perfused from the botanical garden surrounding the open hallway. There were also several trees with in the large expanse, including apple and pear.

By the time they have arrived at the door to Jaune's room, the boy was out of breath. "Come on in." Jaune opened the door and pulled Pyrrha in.

And there she stood in the middle of a huge room. It was much less a room than a standalone compound. After entering through the door, there was a living-room-like space with couches and a coffee table. To the side there was a study and a wall of books. Opposite of the study was the bedroom, containing a giant king-sized bed (no pun intended) along with a bathroom with what is best described as a Jacuzzi made of granite and assorted rocks. All of the spaces were separated by opaque glass panels and almost everything had the signature twin crescents adorned on the most visible surfaces.

"Ah, I am so tired." As soon as Jaune entered his own room, he dove for one of the sofas. "I hate those bootlickers so much! So, what do you want to do?"

Pyrrha fearfully looked at the boy. She did not know what he wanted from her. "I…thought that… you were going...to show…me the palace."

"Oh that's right. Sorry, I was kind of focused on getting out of there first." Jaune covered his face with his hand. He was really exhausted from the party. "If you want I could show you around."

Pyrrha shook her head. "It's ok…You…look really…tired."

Jaune cracked a smile at the girl. "Thanks."

The blonde removed his hand from his face and tried to converse with the redhead. "So, Pyrrha right?"

The girl nodded but did not respond verbally. She was still fearful of what the boy might do.

"How was your trip here?" Again, Pyrrha did not reply. Jaune just chuckled a bit. "You need to relax a bit. Do you know how to dance?"

Pyrrha finally give an answer, "A bit."

"Come on then, I know this place where no one will disturb us." Pyrrha blushed for the third time that night as Jaune jumped up from his seat and pulled her out in to the hall way.

They were running again. This time, the pair went across the garden to a place under the grand balcony of the ball room. There they could hear the music without any hindrances.

"Right here. This is the place." Jaune ushered Pyrrha to right under the balcony so no one can see them. Jaune suddenly stopped. As he turned around, a new song began to play as if on cue.

"May I have the honors, my lady?" The blonde prince bowed down in front of the girl, holding his hand out. Once more Pyrrha's face flushed in embarrassment. She hesitated as to decide whether or not to dance with the prince in front of him. Many of her friends have dreamt of this moment; when a prince would come and carry them away to a happily ever after, but Pyrrha never had time to amuse these fantasies as her time would be mostly spent on training and training. And here he was, a proper prince on his knees right in front of her, asking for a dance, all the while she was blushing up a storm.

"Yes." She timidly took his hand into hers as he stood up. He wrapped his arm around her back and they both waited for the right moment in the music.

Then it began.

The melodic music rang throughout the garden as the two teenagers danced furiously in pace. It was a fast tango, a passionate and explosive war between two opposing sides. Jaune found the girl to be quite skilled at dancing, if not a bit too aggressive and raw. Ironic, isn't it? A timid, nervous little girl almost overpowering a proud and dignified prince.

The music got faster and faster, the battle became more and more fierce and more importantly intimate. Both got closer and closer to each other as they tried to match the speed and power in each step.

And for once, Pyrrha smiled. It was not at all like the boring and monotonous combat or dancing courses that she had to take; instead, it was more like a dialogue between partners. Her face was no longer a bright crimson; instead it was adorned with a smile, a pure and unfiltered sense of joy.

She started to laugh uncontrollably, to which Jaune just beamed calmly. He liked her smile, it was sincere and true, unlike the many other partners he had before.

After what seemed like an only but a minute, the music stopped. Both teens collapsed on to the grass, panting for air. They both turned their heads and gazed into each other's eyes, smiling.

"Thank you Jaune… Thank you for dancing with me." Pyrrha finally started speaking without pause, or at least she would of have if not for the heavy breathing.

"The pleasure was all mine." Jaune felt satisfied, he finally found a friend whom didn't really see him as a prince, rather a living, breathing human being, and he was happy. "Hold up, wait right here. I'll get us some refreshments."

Jaune got up and walked towards an apple tree. Pyrrha was confused for a second why Jaune was going to a tree for drinks, but soon realized that he was getting apples for them. She blushed heavily again for the fourth time that night. By the time that Jaune came back, the redhead was practically having a mental breakdown.

"Here, have one." Jaune chucked a giant apple out in one hand as he bit down on the other one. Pyrrha nervously caught the fruit into her hand but did not eat it. She shifted nervously, "Um…I have to think about it…" Before she even finished the sentence, she turned around and sprinted away, back into the palace.

"Wait… What is the matter!?" Jaune was very confused. What just happened? Did I do something?

He quickly got up and chased after her.

James was having a great time at the ball, he danced a bit with dignitaries from around the world. Had a couple of drinks with Alex and a couple of other friends. The fun night, however, was not to last.

Soon, a servant came up to the king with a note from his wife. Jane had wanted to talk to him in relative privacy. He excused himself from his guests and proceeded to move towards a quieter section of the ball room.

"How is your night so far, darling?" Jane Arc was a short little woman with the same blonde hair and blue eyes that the Arcs were renowned for. It was hard to tell that she was not a part of the family by blood.

"So far so good, how is yours?"

"Well I just came off of the phone with Valeria Schnee." Jane tried to be as nonchalant about it as possible but James did not take the news well.

"What does that snake want?" James's voice was full of venom. His dislike of the Schnee matriarch roots from their days at beacon. In his mind, she was stuck up, rude, and opportunistic.

"Calm down James. It was mostly gossip." Jane paused a little, deciding on how to inform her husband of the next part. "She wished, and I agree with her on this, to improve relations between our two families."

"And how does she propose for us to do this?" James did not like where this was going

"Well she informed me that her daughter, Weiss, is the same age as Jaune and Jace, and since Jace isn't exactly available at the moment…" Ok, James definitely did not like where this was going

"No."

"Why?"

Before James could respond, however, there was a loud laugh from the center of the ball room. "Oh ho ho ho, James! Twenty-seven minutes and thirty-three seconds!"

"And there is the reason." Both heads of the Arc clan turned to see Alexios Nikos striding towards them.

"Look at this apple, isn't it magnificent?" Alex wore a smug grin on his face as he walked, "I heard that it was an offering from your son to my daughter!"

James smacked his face with his hand. "Alex, I don't think the boy knows what it means."

"Oh? But my daughter certainly thinks so, don't you Pyrrha?" the redheaded girl maintained her blush as she nervously nodded.

Jane and the rest of the guests could only guess as to what the two men were talking about. "What is he talking about James?"

The king just sighed, "In Mistral, giving an apple to a girl counts as a marriage proposal."

"And we will be preparing for the feast as soon as they are of age, what do you say?" The giant of a man was enjoying every moment of this exchange, while everyone else dropped their mouths in astonishment

"Whatever you say Alex, whatever you say." James sighed again as he handed his friend thirty lien.

"Well then, we shall be retiring to our hotel, my dear friend. We can discuss this further some other date." Alex took his rightful earnings and bid everyone a farewell along with his daughter.

Somewhere else in the palace and completely unaware of the developments in the ballroom, Jaune was desperately searching for Pyrrha. "Where could she have gone?"

He did not notice the six pair of blue eyes that giggled at his struggles.

AN: For those of you that don't know, the apple throwing as a tradition in Ancient Greece. It originated when Eris, the goddess of Discord, threw a golden apple in to the wedding of Peleus and Thetis labeled "for the fairest one" and Paris of Troy chose Aphrodite as the one to have the apple.