"Prince Dark."

Why did hearing his name on this man's tongue throw in into such a terrible tizzy? He felt warm and weakn kneed. He didn't show it. He was good at keeping his composure. But when he was standing tall and firm, his stomach was performing flips with the butterflies inside it.

He knew who he was even with this mask-but how? Dark had been so careful! Or so he believed. Had the tailor snitched on him? No, if they had the entirety of the ballroom would have caught on to him long ago.

"You..." he sighed, setting his wine down. "You knew all along, didn't you?"

It was the laughter that got him feeling less annoyed and more so at ease. It wasn't that fake, obnoxious sort of laugh that he grew up hearing. It was genuine. And Dark loved that. "I did, I did-but worry not, I'm not interested in ratting you out and tossing you out to those gaudy hounds."

That was a relief, "I take it you've experienced similar circumstances?"

This man was a prince, a prince who flirted with men-he had to have encountered Something similar in his kingdom back home.

"Somewhat, I'm only lucky that I have an older brother who's next in line instead of me. My parents only concern with me is that I take to my studies, whatever they may be."

"Must be lovely." Dark had no siblings, he grew up alone. Played alone. Studied alone. He didn't feel as though his nanny and personal servant counted. They had been hired to care for him, play with him. And for a while he preferred that. Now that he was older? He wanted... something more.

He wanted connections that weren't solely for business purposes. With people who weren't using him for his name and status. He just didn't know how to interact with anyone his own age without being paranoid or putting up a guard or some hardened facade of sorts so they would be uninclined to try and tamper with him.

"Bah, not really." he didn't say anything more on the matter, instead running his fingertips along the rim of his glass until it began to softly ring. Had Dark ever seen this Wilford fellow not moving some part of his body? Even now he was shifting his weight from one foot to the other, and sometimes he'd see him moving his gloved hands all about as though he were presenting something grand to him.

It was charming in Dark's eyes.

"What do you mean by that, 'not really'?"

"I never see my brother, and now there's been talk that he's beginning to grow mad. Talking to melons of all things. I'm starting to think the stress of becoming the future ruler of an entire kingdom has finally gotten to him." He made a face, shaking his head. "Nothing I can do about it though, he's still the heir and I'm not permitted to 'disturb' my own brother. No amount of attention or trophies I gather will catch my father's attention... Bah, that's enough about me. This is your birthday."

Dark would have loved to be in Wilford's shoes-minus the crazy brother bit, of course. No expectations or pushy parents, it sounded lovely.

The grass was always greener on the other side of the castle walls, however. And this was the hand he had been dealt with. He'd just push on through and deal with it.

"Earlier you said that the prince didn't like roses." Wilford backpedaled, catching the prince's attention.

"I did."

"And you're the prince."

He smirked, "That I am, that's been well established... so? What exactly is it that you're trying to get at?"

"So," he leaned against the railing, "what is the dark prince's favorite flower?"

"Ah, I just knew you'd ask that, hm. If you must know... cosmos. My favorite flower is cosmos. I've only read about them in my studies, and seen sketches. I've heard there's a type that smells like chocolate. But that kind is difficult to obtain... if it does indeed exist."

Wilford hummed, "And you... do you like chocolate?"

He chuckled, "I do. Don't let the kitchen staff or any of my suitors hear you, they'll start gifting it to me and I'll be forced to eat them to avoid being 'impolite'. I'd rather not have to take this suit to get it refitted anytime soon, thank you."

"You could always work it off, and I just... happen to know of a thrilling way to do so." Wilford smirked, and just like that Dark was blushing once more. "It involves a lot of screaming and getting sticky."

He was almost certain that Wilford was coming onto him. Yes he's had this happen before, and it wasn't as though he was a virgin-but this was one of the few times where he found himself actually... enjoying the attention. Those last few times he had just simply gone through the motions just for a moment of bliss.

It hadn't been worth it in the end.

"I..." His mouth ran dry, Dark downed the rest of his whine, thinking maybe that would bolster his courage. "Perhaps some other time, when neither of us is full of wine."

Yes, perhaps the prince was only saying such things because his judgment was skewed from the wine. It hurt Dark to think that that might have been true.

Wilford chuckled, "You're adorable."

"And you're drunk."

"Oh bugger. I'm only drunk enough to want to go make a complete and utter fool of myself on the dance floor." The way that Wilford was looking at him had Dark thinking that maybe, just maybe, that had been an open invitation for him.

And thinking that Dark found that a faint smile had made its way across his features. He hadn't smiled in so long. Thank the heavens nine of the servants knew who he was, they'd have a field day of it.

Where had this pink prince been these past few years?

"I think I'll join you."