The biggest and most anticipated ball of the season was about to start and the palace I lived in was in turmoil. Everything had to be perfect.

Not only it was the last ball of the season, the ultimate occasion to get engaged for young ladies before the end of the summer, but it was also an important event for me.

I normally don’t care about balls, but my mother insisted that tonight I would have to try to dance with at least a couple of princesses that could be my potential future wives.

The thought was sickening. I hate arranged marriages, but there is no space for love for a prince like me. I’m the son of the king of England and I’ll soon have to replace him. He’s getting old and he doesn’t want to rule anymore, but he won’t leave the throne unless I’m married with a princess.

Of course, at this ball were invited thousands of people and most of them are hypothetical future partners.

Tonight I wasn’t allowed to back out, I had to fully act like the future king. No games were allowed, only responsibilities.

So here I am, sitting on my father’s throne, half asleep, tired of being here and bored as hell. I should dance with one of these girls, but they don’t look interesting in the slightest. They all have the same hair, same look, same dresses.

While I was trying not to fall asleep, near the banquet, a few ladies were talking about the ball and about me.

You joined the conversation, but you felt so confused. It was your first year, a debutant and you still don’t know all the rules of balls and other important events.

After noticing that every single girl in the room tried to impress me by bowing to me, you asked one of the girls why they did that and she answered that it was a form of respect towards me and that all of those princesses hoped for an invitation to dance with me. The dance would mean that I’m interested in them and that something romantic could grow between us.

I knew that and that’s why I’m bored, because no one actually tired to impress me and none of them earned the right to dance with me.

You took that as a personal challenge with yourself and when was your turn to bow you didn’t do that at all. People gasped around you.

“How dare she not show respect for the future king!” The nobles were murmuring, but for the first time tonight, I was interested in a princess. You certainly caught my attention…

You were bold enough to not only not bowing, which was unheard of, but also you reached your hand out to me, as if you were inviting me to dance.

I was truly shocked, no one ever did this before, but I was also intrigued.

The confirmation arrived a few seconds later when you said: “May I have this dance with you?”

That moment felt surreal, but also, this was what I hoped for all night, for something different to happen. It was my occasion to have fun so I take your hand and without thinking much about it, I start dancing with you.

“Seems like you won the prize, princess..? I didn’t quite catch your name darling, what was it again?”