Preparing for a boring dinner party with boring people and boring food had been boring, to say the least.
What was even more boring, however, was the party itself.
For a good two hours, Prince Gavin of the Ramsey Kingdom danced with every young Dame, Lady and Princess who presented themselves to him in hopes that he would take a liking to them.
Gavin knew he wouldn't; he'd had more fun dancing around with his friends, Sir Michael, Sir Ray, and Sir Dan, than any of the other women he'd been forced to dance formally with. This was purely because Michael could actually dance and provided a friendly conversation that was completely void of small-talk, Ray tripped over his own feet at least three times but he made fun of practically every single person in the dance hall which prompted Gavin to actually laugh for once, and Dan had saved Gavin from dancing with a desperate-looking Princess with six older brothers.
He had been fiddling with the cuff of his emerald green suit, completely bored out of his mind when suddenly there was yet another someone offering their hand for Gavin to dance with. At this point, Gavin was sick of the incessant babble and gossip from the ladies he'd danced with so he was about to refuse and say he wasn't feeling well so he could retreat to his chambers, but then he lifted his head and locked eyes with the stranger.
And if Gavin thought anyone in this hall was attractive, they were nothing compared to the handsome man stood before him in the colours of what Gavin instantly recognised to be the Haywood Kingdom from the north – a Kingdom that King Geoff had been wanting to form an alliance with for years.
So one more dance couldn't hurt.
"Prince Gavin, my name is King James Haywood, may I have this dance?" His voice was rich and regal, and it had Gavin wanting to drown in how it washed over him with an almost elegant grace.
"Of course, your highness." Gavin answered confidently, even though he wasn't exactly feeling it.
"Oh, please do call me Ryan, by the way." He spoke his request the second Gavin took his hand, but didn't move until Gavin had answered.
"Oh? Then in that case you can just call me Gavin." Gavin replied with a smirk, allowing Ryan to walk him over to the dance floor before placing one hand on Gavin's hip and the other not leaving Gavin's own hand. Meanwhile, Gavin rested his hand on Ryan's shoulder and let him lead, glad for once that he didn't have to be the one guiding his partner around the almost bustling floor.
Ryan moved with just as much grace that his voice held, Gavin discovered, he led Gavin through the dance effortlessly and faultlessly; dare he think it, but Ryan was an even better dancer than Michael.
"So, spoke to anyone interesting tonight so far, Gavin?" Ryan asked, voice just low enough so that it only reached Gavin's ears.
"Nah, they've all been too desperate and clingy so far." Gavin answered honestly, vividly recalling how one daughter of a Noble had actually kissed him on the cheek before leaving with a giggle and a wave over her shoulder. "I guess I'm looking for someone more… relaxed." Which Ryan seemed to be doingperfectly so far.
Ryan smirked in a way Gavin almost wanted to call fond. "If all the women I've spoken to tonight have been any indicator of what the rest of them are like, I'd probably be correct in saying you aren't going to find anyone of interest here tonight."
"Well, the women have been a bit much tonight." Gavin spoke his confession quietly, a little bit afraid that anyone overhearing would mock him for such a suggestion. Although he had a vague idea that Ryan wasn't going to be one of them.
"Is that so?" Ryan asked, so Gavin nodded, still aiming to concentrate on following in Ryan's smooth footsteps and keeping up with him, not that he was going too fast, mind you, Gavin was just flustered like an idiot. "Then I hope I don't disappoint as your first male dance partner."
"So far you're doing great." Gavin informed with a cheeky smirk, risking a glance upwards instead of looking over Ryan's shoulder or at their feet. He was met with a soft smile and Ryan's own bright blue eyes that stood out among the dark crimson of his formal attire.
Now that he was this close to Ryan, Gavin couldn't help but retract his earlier thoughts of him being the most attractive man in the room, simply because Ryan was the most attractive man that Gavin had ever met.
Gavin inwardly mourned the ending of the song, but a smirk lingered on his face when Ryan didn't drop his hand just yet.
Instead of bowing and walking away, Ryan lifted Gavin's hand up and pressed the softest of kisses to the back of it, and Gavin could have sworn he felt electricity shoot through his veins. He grinned widely at Ryan when he lifted his head once again to stand and stared in unabashed interest at Gavin.
The Prince bit his lip nervously, his eyes scanning Ryan's face for any sort of disapproval as he leaned forwards ever so slightly, but when Gavin was only met with Ryan's gaze darkening ever so slightly into a more alluring one, he lifted a hand to pull Ryan down an inch or so by his shoulder. Gavin then met his lips in an almost familiar yet fiery and warm kiss, reigniting that electric spark within Gavin's veins and rendering him helpless to the King's charm and delicate touches.
After a few, all-too-short seconds, they parted and Ryan was smiling that handsome smile at Gavin who grinned right back at him fondly.
"I take it the dance was satisfactory?" Ryan asked, the corner of his lip quirking upwards in a cheeky smirk that made Gavin want to do nothing but kiss him again.
"Ryan, that was more than satisfactory. I'd say you've been the highlight of my evening by far." Gavin admitted his approval of Ryan as formally as he could, but he knew he was only making it sound dumb by all but simpering at Ryan. "So… what would you say to a walk around the grounds?"
"Sounds perfect, I hear the King and Queen here are very keen on keeping the garden beautiful all year round… But aren't you supposed to be here meeting people?"
"I've met you, haven't I? And besides, Ray and Michael can hold down the fort while I'm gone." Gavin explained, just knowing that he could trust his knights to make excuses for him if his absence were to be noticed – not that there was even the slightest chance of that happening.
"Well then I'd be honoured to take a walk through the gardens with you, Gavin." Ryan said with a smile that even had his gorgeous blue eyes lighting up as he took Gavin's hand once again just to be led out of the dance hall and through the maze of hallways in the castle.
As they walked among the flowers and wooden sculptured made by Queen Griffon herself, Ryan and Gavin talked almost endlessly as they got to know each other.
Gavin found that the way Ryan would describe in vivid detail the beauty of the snow that fell in the Haywood Kingdom had Gavin almost convinced that Ryan was an aspiring poet.
He also particularly enjoyed how Ryan took care of his own horse – a beautiful brown and cream one named Edgar – instead of having stable workers to do it for him.
But most of all, Gavin found that he'd never enjoyed anyone's company this much before; he felt relaxed and elated all at once and he could still feel the fiery heat of Ryan's kiss on the back of his hand. If he was honest, that's what sold it for Gavin; it was the romantic gestures that had Gavin crumbling at the knees – he was surprised he was still standing whilst strolling through the moon and torch-lit gardens with Ryan's hand in his own.
The only thing that annoyed Gavin was that Dame Lindsay had won the bet against Michael, because Gavin certainly had met someone he rather took a liking to at the party, and his name was King Ryan of the Haywood Kingdom.