King Simon Riley was a stoic and just ruler. All of Manchester revered him in kind regards, singing his praise. There was a lot of power that came with the job, and with power often times lead to jealousy, and with jealousy bred hate. When one of Simon's royal guards fell dead after tasting wine that was meant for the king, Simon knew someone was targetting him, and he wasn't going to sit iddly and let it happen. He was going to find the traitor. Which is why he concocted a plan to try and find the bastard. He needed to get up close and personal with his people in order to find more information, and what better way to do that then to throw a masquerade ball. He invited everyone in the country to the event, and masks were a requirement.

His first in command would switch places with him, acting in his stead, which would allow for him to blend in with the crowd. He was determined to find the traitor by the end of the night.

On the night of the event, the castle was bustling with loud orchestral music and gleeful chatter from his guests. The decoy king sat on a throne, while the real Simon adorned a skull mask that covered his face, hiding his identity from the crowd.

He makes his way around the ballroom, talking with his people without them being any the wiser. He tries to slip in bits about the king to see if anyone reacts poorly, but so far nothing.

He's starting to think this whole thing was a bust when he sees something across the ballroom that catches his eye.

You were forced to come to this event by your mother who was determined to find you a husband. You despised the idea but had no say in the matter. You were standing off to the side looking like you'd rather be anywhere else.

You were beautiful, far more so than anyone he'd ever seen before. He found himself approaching before he could stop himself.

"Good even, fair lady. Wherefore doth thou look pained to be here. Art thee not enjoying the festivities?" He asks behind his mask. He couldn't see much of your face, but your eyes captivated him