Dick cleared his throat and gently tugged on his black tie so that it sat perfectly. He was wearing a red dress shirt beneath a black blazer that matched his pants and tie. He would never usually dress formally at his own freewill but the kingdom was throwing a grand feast and party at the success and return of Ryan and Kori.

He felt exposed considering he was without his hero attire and more importantly because he had resisted the urge to wear his mask. Batman, Superman and Dick had all sat down and talked about not wearing masks. They decided that the Tamaranians were friends; not foes, so they could be trusted.

Dick sighed as he watched the people of Tamaran enjoying the festivities. Although he had agreed to attend the celebrations, he was hardly a fan of parties of any sort.
He glanced at the large double staircase and had to do a double take as he eyed Kori for a brief moment. His mind was torn between gaping at her and smiling. She looked absolutely stunning.

The Princess was dressed in a white strapless shirt that cut off just below her breasts meaning that they were the only part of her top half that was covered. Her bare stomach was on show and her long; mesh white skirt had two slits up each side, revealing both of her long legs when she moved. She wore silver bangles on her wrists and ankles with a silver armband on her upper right arm. Kori had told him before how the band represented respect for the fallen soldiers of war. She wore a delicate silver necklace around her neck to finish off her white and silver appearance. Her hair had been curled ever so slightly and it had been pinned to one side and spilled over her shoulder. She completed her hairstyle with the placement of her tiara, signifying her Royal status.

Dick closed his mouth and stood up straight as she looked over at him and smiled softly. Kori continued to move down the stairs carefully whilst also greeting the people on her way down.

After what seemed like an eternity, Kori stood before him and he almost forgot to breathe.

"Good evening, Richard," Kori greeted in her angelic voice,

Dick grinned down at her, "Hey Kori... You look... I mean... You... I..." He took a breath, "You look beautiful."

Kori blushed but smiled bashfully at him, "Thank you. You also look very handsome."

He chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck nervously. Kori bit her lip and stepped closer to him, causing Dick's heart to beat quicker. She stared at him and her eyes glimmered in the light, "I have not seen you without your mask before..." She stated.

Again, Dick nervously rubbed his neck but offered her a smile, "Yeah... Bruce assured me that I can trust your people with the whole identities thing." He explained,

Kori nodded, "Of course... However, I believe you already trusted me with that, yes?"

Dick took a moment and stared into her emerald eyes, "I trust you more than anyone here, Kori." He told her, honestly.

She gently pushed a piece of auburn hair behind her ear and smiled timidly. Kori focused her eyes on his blue orbs.

"Blue... It was certainly the pleasant surprise... I had the feeling that your eyes would be blue, you know..." Kori said in a hushed voice as she inched closer towards him.

Dick gulped. He was acutely aware that they were both leaning towards each other and he really wanted to kiss her, "Oh really?" He whispered,

"Mhm..." Kori murmured.

Kori was now so close to him that Dick could actually smell her beautiful strawberry scent. It was intoxicatingly overpowering. He felt dizzy and all he could think of was Kori; this stunning princess before him who wanted to kiss him.

For the brief moment, Dick threw caution to the window and decided that this was supposed to happen, despite the warning Superman and Batman had given him.

Suddenly, the King's voice boomed through a microphone which tore them away from each other. Dick couldn't focus on a single thing that the King was saying. He had got caught up in the moment with Kori and he couldn't help but feel slightly relieved that it hadn't continued. It wasn't that he didn't have feelings for Kori; god did he want to call her his but he knew their differences. Dick knew that a relationship between Royal blood and a commoner was practically forbidden.

He took comfort in the fact that Kori had wanted to kiss him however; at least that was something that he could hold onto.

Kori on the other hand, was excitable and fidgety at what had almost happened between her and Dick. She had feelings for him and there was no changing that but knowing that he had been ready to reciprocate a kiss was amazing news. She was ecstatic at the idea of having something more with the man beside her.

She shook her head and tuned into what her father was saying.

"We celebrate this evening on account of the victory of my children in the West Plains. I owe them very much for guaranteeing the safety of my father. Ryand'r! Koriand'r! We drink to you both. Come up and share a dance as siblings, will you!" Myand'r cheered, earning a loud wave of applause from the crowds of people.

Kori inwardly sighed. She didn't mind sharing a dance with Ryan but she really wanted to get back to Dick to discuss their almost actions. She watched with a smirk as Ryan wandered over to her and performed an odd kind of bow towards her. Kori giggled and shook her head at her brother. Ryan joined in with her and chuckled. He gently took his sister's hand and led her onto the dance floor. An increasingly upbeat song began to play and the two of them started sliding across the floor and spinning around every now and then.

When moments like this came around, both Ryan and Kori took the time to enjoy it. When they were free to dance like children, they jumped at the chance. It was the only time that they had no responsibilities and could act however they wanted.

As the song ended, the two of them nodded to each other as a sign of 'thank you'.
Dick gulped and walked over to the Prince and Princess. Ryan offered Dick a wide smile and slapped a hand down on his shoulder.

"Dick!" He exclaimed cheerfully,

The unmasked hero chuckled and patted Ryan's hand, "Hey, Ryan. I was wondering... Would you mind if I stole your sister away from you for a dance?"

"Be my guest, friend. She kept stepping on my feet anyway." Ryan muttered, earning a light punch in the arm from his sister.

Ryan wandered off and left Kori and Dick together. Kori awkwardly shuffled on the spot, not knowing how to act around Dick after their near kiss.

Dick took the initiative and took her hand in his and placed his other hand on her waist, gently. He mentally cheered at the slow choice of song considering he could never dance with her this way during a fast song.

They locked eyes with one another and green began to meld and fuse with blue. Kori felt her heart flutter as she stared at him.

Dick sighed, "Kori... About earlier... I think it's only right to tell you something..."

She blinked, "What is it?"

He shakily inhaled a deep breath, "I... I really think that I'm... Uh... I'm pretty sure that I'm falling in love with you, Kori..."

Kori physically froze for a moment but only to process the amazing news that he had just told her. Her heart was beating so fast that she was honestly afraid of it bursting out of her chest. She almost didn't hear him as he continued to speak,

"And... I know I shouldn't because you're a princess and... I can't seem to push away these feelings for you and I know you couldn't possibly feel the same way and I-"

"But I do."

"Wh-What?"

"I do feel the same way about you, Richard... While I have nothing to compare to on the subject of love... I understand how to recognise it. I feel so happy when I am with you..."

"It seems crazy because we've only known each other for a short time..."

Kori giggled, "And yet... It is real..."

Dick's trace of a smile suddenly vanished and was replaced with a frown,

"Something is wrong?" Kori queried, feeling a pang of concern at his change of expression.

He sighed, "It's just the fact that nothing can happen between us..."

Kori pushed herself away from him a little whilst keeping her hands pressed against his chest, "Why can nothing happen between us?" She questioned,

Dick raised an eyebrow at her as if questioning her logic, "Because Kori... You're a princess... I'm just a human and nothing even close to royalty."

The Princess narrowed her jade eyes at him, "So? I do not care. I would not care if you were... Homeless and poor. If I have feelings for you, then I have feelings for you. It is as simple as that."

"It's not that simple Kori. It's great that you don't care and I'm so happy that we feel the same way about each other but I'm pretty sure there is a line of people who would have a problem with us being together. You have way too many duties as a Princess. It could never work. Surely, you understand that."

Kori shook her head and her expression gained a hard edge to it. She roughly pushed away from him and pulled out of his gentle hold with ease.

"I do not understand that! You clearly do not have as strong feelings for me as you thought!" She practically hissed,

"What? Of course I do, Kori-"

She shook her head furiously at him, "If you did then you would stop anyone and anything that attempted to interfere..."

"Kori-"

The Princess glanced down at the floor with tears in her eyes. She quietly murmured, "I need to be alone," and quickly darted out of the hall.

Dick watched her run from the room and raked a hand through his hair. He had handled that terribly. He felt an awful sharp shoot of guilt within as he considered how he had caused her to cry. Dick never wanted to be the reason for any tears shed by Kori.

He sighed and trudged out onto the large balcony that overlooked the blank fields that stretched across the distance. Dick quietly growled and slammed his first down against the stone railing. Anger swelled inside of him. He wanted nothing more than to be with Kori but Batman and Superman had warned him of the problems that may arise from a blossoming relationship between the two of them. It was the typical problem of head against heart which Dick loathed. His head was telling him the logical thing to do which was to dismiss the feelings and keep everything neutral and professional. However, his heart was screaming at him to go and get Kori and to make sure that he never let go of her.

Dick was unaware of his presence but Ryan sighed and lingered in the archway for a moment longer as he watched his distressed friend.

Ryan sighed louder as he wandered over to Dick and threw the remainder of drink within his glass over the side of the balcony. He made a clear sound of distaste.

"I never like the wine that my father imports from the other side of Tamaran." He paused and placed his glass down, "Much too sweet for my liking."

Dick offered him a ghost of a smile,

Ryan sighed, "Look... Nightwing or Dick?"

"Either. I trust you with my identity, Ryan."

Ryan nodded, "Look, Dick... My sister has never had feelings for anyone before... I have never seen her as happy as when she is with you or even when she merely speaks about you."

"H-How did y-you-"

"Kori and I are very close. We tell each other practically everything."

Dick sighed for what seemed like the hundredth time that night, "I can't... I've already been advised by Batman and Superman not to have involvement with Kori in that way. She-"

Ryan rolled his eyes, "Is of Royal blood and you are not so, it would be highly frowned upon and blah blah blah." He paused momentarily, "You will never be able to please everyone, Dick. You only live one life, my friend. I advise you to spend that life with things that make you happy. Tell me, does my sister make you happy, Dick?"

Dick smiled shyly as he immediately envisioned her, "Ecstatic..." He whispered,

Ryan favoured him with a small smile, "You know, there is another way of being with my sister without any concerns."

"Oh? How?"

"Simply be discreet and do not let anyone know."

"You mean lie?"

"Think of it more as... withholding the truth from everyone."

"Ryan..."

"You do not wish to give her up so easily. You will regret it. Just because you are of different status' does not lessen your affection for each other. Believe me... I know what it is like to discard a chance at such a thing." Ryan murmured as he stared off into the distance.

Dick stared at him for a moment before meekly asking, "... What happened?"

Ryan sighed heavily, "It was 3 years ago and yet... It is still painful to think about. I was 15 years of age and I was very much in love with a young girl named Cer'essi. Believe me... I had never had such strong feelings for anyone before. We had practically grown up together but of course... I was a prince and she was a lady in waiting of Kori's. A public relationship between a prince and a basic servant girl would have been unheard of. I pushed her away, hoping that my feelings would disappear but war was beginning to break out and after one of the early battles... A lot of the kingdom's servants and workers had been lost..."

"No..."

"I found out a week after the battle that Cer'essi was taken from the palace and she was murdered. That is when Kori and I became a lot closer... She understood the pain due to being a close friend of Cer'essi and I understood the pain due to loving her so dearly."

"I'm sorry, Ryan..."

"Do you see my point, Dick? Please... I beg you do not make the same mistake that I did... You will lose a lot more than you think if you do not even attempt a relationship with my sister... This is your choice. You can either go back inside and I will understand that it is your way of dismissing your feelings for the princess or you can carry on walking outside until you find her."

Dick took a moment to consider everything that Ryan had said to him. He stared at the Prince and offered him a small determined smile. He rested a hand on Ryan's shoulder and nodded to him before he walked off to try and find Kori.

Kori sniffled and focused her eyes on the fenorbla flies that were floating through the air, lighting the night sky up. She had so many mixed emotions rolling around inside of her. She was angry that Dick cared about what other people thought but in reflection of this, she felt guilty that she had been so biased and not looked at the situation from his point of view. Of course she would wonder why he cared; he would be the one to get into trouble if they were more than friends whereas she would probably just be told not to be reckless and that would be the end of it. She closed her eyes tightly at the mere thought of what they may do to Dick however; Kori felt unsure of such a fate. The people had always talked about how harsh Royal punishments were but Kori had never once seen a cruel act. She couldn't help but question the truth behind it which also caused her wishful thinking and wanting to push a relationship with Dick. She was slightly curious as to what would happen.

She felt sad and confused about how she had left things with Dick. She had practically dismissed him but she couldn't help it; she needed to get away from him due to her bubbling emotions. She felt confused because she wasn't sure how deep Dick's feelings ran for her when she knew her own for him were very real.

Kori heard someone behind her clear their throat. She turned her head towards the source of the sound and held her breath. She glanced at Dick for a brief moment before turning back towards the show of fenorbla flies.

"I understood you the first time you explained, Richard..." She sighed,

"About that... I realised something..." He responded, stepping closer to her.

Kori felt a tear fall down her cheek as she thought he was going to explain further reasoning on why they couldn't be together.

"What?" She asked,

"I was completely wrong about what I said." He admitted, hoping that would make her turn around and face him.

Kori paused and wiped her eyes with her slender fingers. Slowly, she turned around to face Dick with a confused expression, believing that she had heard him incorrectly,

"I do not understand..." She whispered. Dick smiled softly and closed the distance between them, taking her soft hands in his.

"I talked to your brother and he told me about Cer'essi... It made me realise that I shouldn't push away my feelings for you because... I have no idea how long I have with you..." He told her in a hushed tone,

Kori quirked a small smile, "Truly?"

Dick nodded and mirrored her smile, "But... I do have one request and that is to keep us a secret... I want us to be together more than you know but... We have to try and keep it a secret, okay?"

Kori gave him a short nod, "I understand, Richard. Of course... I am so happy that you reconsidered..." She said, leaning towards him,

Dick kept his eyes on hers and stroked her cheek before he brushed some of her hair out of her face, "How could I not want to be with you?" He paused, "You're amazing, Kor."

The Princess blinked a few times to test how real this all was. She allowed a grin to spread across her face as Dick leaned his forehead against hers. He gently tilted her head up more and softly pressed his lips against hers. They both closed their eyes and became immersed within the bliss that accompanied their first kiss. Dick had felt guilty with his decision of wanting more with the Princess but now in the moment, he couldn't think of anything better. He couldn't care less if Batman and Superman found out. Knowing that she was his for the time being made him question why he hadn't said anything sooner.

As they separated from one another, smirks appeared on their faces. Kori gently ran her fingertips against Dick's jaw line, "I truly think that things will be alright, Richard." She stated, earning a small nod from the unmasked hero before her.

From afar, Ryan smiled at the sight of the two of them, "I am happy for you, sister." He whispered into the night. He hoped for her sake that this went according to plan of staying secret...