Thank you everyone for all your positive feedback. I was really happy to hear it. I apologize in advance that this act is not as well written as the last one. I'm rushing through all of this because I have to finish the story by May 20th. So I have 16 days to write Act 3. I should be fine. Thank you again for all your support, it is much appreciated!

Story: An Elricest Tale: Masquerade
Author: KatYoukai
Chapter: Act 2
Word Count: 1483
Rating: Has been raised to M for implied content

Disclaimer: I do not in anyway own FMA. I would come up with a witty pun to accompany this... but I'm lazy.

Act 2:

It was a week before the masked ball that word reached the palace of the coming of the prince's betrothed. Naturally, the Elric brothers were not at all pleased with this little tidbit of news.

Sunrise found the youngest of the pair seated on one of the many stone benches in the Royal Gardens, ensconced amidst the shrubs. So deep in brooding was he, that he did not notice the approaching footsteps. It was only when the other blond was standing right beside him did Alphonse notice his presence. The boy looked up, startled, into concerned golden orbs.

"Hey," Edward said dully, placing a hand on Alphonse's shoulder as he sat down.

The younger brother replied in a tone equally as dull. Life was boring. It seemed to drone on in an endless repetition of the same mindless tasks. If he wasn't lying around like a useless pile of human flesh, then he was off running errands, organizing events, or dealing with paperwork.

On top of it all, his latest revelation did little to ease the stress or pain.

It would've been easier to accept if it were only my pain.

"What is wrong with you two," Winry all but screamed one afternoon.

The two brothers cringed and looked at her, "What…?"

Rose sighed, placing a neatly folded pile of vibrant silk on the tabletop, "It's just that lately, you two brothers have been acting really out of it. We'd be lucky if we got a word out of either of you in a day. What's been troubling you?"

Edward shot her a sour look, "Must you ask? You can't expect me to find out I'm betrothed to some foreign princess I've never met and then meet her just a few days later with a big smile on my face," his tone turned soft, "Besides, I already have someone that I love."

The look on his face as he said those words to Rose made Alphonse's heart sink. So that was the reason why Edward had been so low in spirits lately.

So brother has feelings for Rose… Alphonse thought as he watched the older blond, listening to Edward's deceptively cheerful rambling and responded with a false smile.

I could've accepted it if this didn't hurt him so much as well. Here I've been moping around and acting completely ignorant to his feelings. But he's been feeling the same way…

His train of thought was interrupted by Edward's words, "…and Winry's been busy with the costume design and dance practices so I'm left to work on that part alone--," The blond stopped as Alphonse made a choking sound and glanced at his younger brother quizzically.

The boy laughed nervously, "I just remembered, I have another appointment of humiliation with Winry right now."

With a hurried farewell, he rushed off in the direction of the palace muttering something about his death, unaware of Edward's thoughtful gaze on him.

The dirty blond sighed and collapsed into the chair, his darkened damp locks sticking to his forehead from his swear. His chest rose up and down in small ragged breaths.

Winry shot the young prince a smile reminiscent of a smirk, commenting sweetly, "Not as easy as those measly sword matches of yours is it?"

Alphonse frowned and shot back, "Dance is not a necessity of life."

"Neither is swordplay."

"It is in my life"

"As is dance. It's a part of the etiquette you are duty-bound as prince to know."

"Not a woman's dance!"

The conversation continued similarly for the next couple minutes with Winry ranting on about their poor sex-confused prince and Alphonse in denial, or so she put it. In the end, the boy succumbed to her feminine charm – or as Alphonse called it, her devious trickery – and ended up with yet another dance session.

They soon used up all their leisure time, however, and Alphonse excused himself, saying that he couldn't possibly run about his errands drenched in sweat and headed to the baths.

Alphonse gratefully accepted a towel and bath oils from the servant outside the doors before slipping inside.

The baths were humid and steamy, making it difficult to breath and see. There were no benches around so the blond merely set his discarded clothes and towel down on the rim.

Alphonse looked up in surprise at the sound of splashing. He'd thought he was alone but apparently not.

"B-Brother!"

Edward turned around and grinned as he saw who it was. His deceptively cheerful greeting fell on deaf ears.

Edward's trailing golden locks lay afloat on the water, pooled around his broad shoulder blades, like sunshine sliding over ice. The prince's skin, tanned golden by the sun, accentuated his usually determined lemon drop eyes. Although the determined, confident shine in those golden pools had been replaced by a languid sheen, they were still as captivating as ever. It took Alphonse's breath away.

The elder brother tilted his quizzically, "Oi, Al, are you listening?"

Alphonse swallowed. This was bad.

"Uh… Al?" The younger prince was beginning to sputter nonsense.

The grey-eyed boy flushed and fled with a hurried, "I'm sorry!"

Alphonse scrambled back to the bath entrance, clumsily pulling up his breeches and slipping on his shirt as he went. He had barely made it back to his own room when his legs gave way and he collapsed against the closed door, arms hanging limply at his side. The rest was routine as his hand reached up to perform the same filthy act that he had grown so used to lately.

Alphonse lay sprawled out on his bed in clean clothes. The ones he had dirtied with that sinful act he had thrown out. He couldn't clean it himself and neither could he risk giving it to a palace servant lest word leak out. Or worse Edward find out.

It didn't take long for the tears to come. Why was it that it seemed this always happened to him? The timing, everything, it all seemed planned for him. But then, what had he expected? Did he expect to go his whole life without incidence? Even so, it couldn't come at a better time. The stress from all the things he had to prepare for the coming events, not even getting recognition for all the problems he had to take care of, the regular paperwork, meeting with the foreign guests… and now this. It was just too much at once. He didn't even have any time to himself anymore!

The blond curled in on himself tighter. He could only hope that Edward had not seen it in all that steam. He didn't know what he would do if his brother found out.

The dirty blond watched nervously as the blue-eyed girl prowled around the room.

"This can't be happening!" Winry screamed for the tenth time that day.

"At least she only broke her leg," Alphonse tried meekly.

"Only…? Only?" The young lady-in-waiting squeaked before poking her finger in the prince's face, "Now let me tell you something, your highness. Only is for when she breaks a nail. Only is for when she gets a small scratch. Only is for when she is actually still able to dance."

Rose sighed, "I'm terribly sorry I won't be able to dance at the masquerade, Winry. It was my fault, I should've been more careful when going out into the village."

Winry turned and rested the palm of her hand on the desert girl's shoulder, "It's alright. You couldn't have known that would happen. You just rest and let that leg heal up. But… what are we going to do for a replacement? The ball is in a day! No one could possibly learn the steps in time!"

Alphonse wondered vaguely why Winry seemed to only scream at him but immediately gentled her tone with Rose while he pondered a solution to their problem. This was indeed a fix. With the masked ball looming on hand, they'd never find a replacement dancer in time and the entire dance would be thrown off if it were to be missing a dancer.

The boy sighed, rubbing his temples. He was beginning to think that the world was conspiring against him. Everything seemed to be timed perfectly! His encounter with Edward in the baths was bad enough, – he couldn't even face the other prince now! – but now Rose wasn't able to perform at the ball.

When at first he had heard that the foreign young woman had been involved in an accident in the village, Alphonse had rushed down to the queen's quarters in worry. Upon finding that she was indeed all right, now he was faced with another problem.

Suddenly, Winry stopped pacing, coming to stiff attention. Alphonse flinched at that.

"…What?" He wasn't sure he wanted to know.

The blonde girl whirled around and nailed him with a disturbing look.

Scratch that. Now he was definitely sure he didn't want to know.