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The day has finally arrived.
In every year, the whole country wait for this particular day .
The day, when everyone gets to treated equally. The Royals, and the commoners. When the Royal held up the masquerade ball.
It’s the only day when common people can also join them and invited. But that’s not the only why everyone is excited.
People like Ness are excited for something else.
Just as mention, it’s a masquerade ball, so naturally everyone will be wearing mask, no one even knowing who they are dancing with. It’s like the people you know the most can be even stranger, and you can be know them for the first time again.
There's something thrilling about this whole event.
And for those particular reason, this ball in the past helped many and many of them to find their life partner.
Of course, there’s few of them who’s sole purpose is to win the prince’s heart in this evening.
Although, recognising the prince also has a great difficulty. Last year almost no one can differentiate him with how seamlessly he blends between the common people.
Until the last moment it remains that way only to someone bumped into him so badly and the guard call him and his camouflage get way with it.
And once he gets recognised by the others, it was so bad for him, because everyone was trying to dance with him then. If became out of control to the point that they had cut it short.
Ness wasn’t there to witness it though, next day morning when he gets to Gesner’ he heard it from them. He doesn’t know if it’s all true or Gesner made up half of it. Then he heard something familiar from someone else and it’s quite same what he already heard. So it’s kind of true.
And it’s been one year since then. People had forgotten the worst and looking forward for the new.
The town is already filled with a good mood of people’s laughter, and excitement like you can feel it from outside .
When the country is filled with this excitement but one man in particularly is even more excited than the others.
And by that he means himself— Ness.
Because he believed in this kind of fate ,he believes this kind of encounter will lead him to his soulmate.
But who would have known that all of his excitement would be ruined within a few minutes entering the ball room.
It starts with few side glances to getting left alone without asking for any dances and getting rejected on all the two persons he asks which turns into mocking laughter.
At first, he quite did not understand what is wrong with him, why everyone looks at him like that, then he realises the difference, and why people are laughing. It’s his appearance .
This is the first time he has attend this ball after now that he turned eighteen years old.
He looks around at everyone, all of them are wearing mask that only barely cover their eyes. They are glittery, shiny filled with lace border, some of them had feather, and pearl, and they look quite fancy compared to his.
But according to him, it does not doing what was the actual the purpose. What was supposed to be — the true meaning of this ball.
Wasn’t it’s a masquerade ball so that they can hide their face behind it and no one can recognise them? but here everyone around him can be recognisable even from distance, except for few of them, who has a little bigger mask.
But on the other side he has worn something that even hiding his hair, covering his every recognisable feature, only the lower face is exposed, so he can talk and eat.
After realising the difference and feeling like an outcast, he goes stand in the corner to get away from this but it didn’t work. He still received those, and it’s became unbearable to the point from to receiving those all mocking gaze at his way constantly that he walked out of the ballroom within half an hour without a single dance, or even a single drink.
He don’t know even where he is going. Because this is the first time he has came to the palace.
But when he saw a dark hallway and instantly thought that it will be empty, and he wanted to be alone so bad right now that he followed that route and ended up in an open garden area surrounded by the Palace.
Although he was never in the palace but if his calculations is right, this is completely opposite of the ball room— the east wing.
There’s big fountain seated in the middle and he walked closer to it, even if this area is dark, the fountain water is still shining under the moonlight . Within few seconds his eyes adjust in the dark and his eyes travel the garden which now it illuminated by the moon.
There’s a series of flowers bloomed behind the fountain, as the wind blows the sweet and soft smell hit his nose— Roses. All of them are neatly arranged, just by looking he can tell , it was taken good care of.
The Royal Highness— the Queen Alice. It must be belongs to the beloved Queen’s. Everyone in the country knows her love for red roses. She is the symbol of it.
He turns his attention to the fountain again. And takes his steps to get closer.
He was about to lean down to touch the water when someone from the other side of the fountain says, “Who are you?”
Ness flinched up from the voice it caught him off guard, the voice sound so firm and hold with authority that it makes him immediately froze in his place.
His eyes curiously travel from left to right, trying to see who just called as nervousness creeps up on his spine. But his eyes find no one. Whoever this is, they’re hiding perfectly.
“I asked, who are you? Answer me.”
The same voice came again, not revealing his appearance still but this time there’s a clear hint of anger mixing with his voice.
And even though they are in that distance, even he doesn’t know who it is, Ness fear that he is invading someone’s place. So he reply, “I’m sorry, I kind of lost and ended up here.”
“For the last time, Who Are You? Identify yourself!”
”Alexis..” his voice shakes as he answers immediately,” I’m Alexis..”
A little silence again, as if the other is thinking about what to ask next.
“Do you have any kind of weapon with you?”
Ness’ eyes widen, even though the other person could not see him he shooks both of his hands. but he hope the squeaking noise of his voice, make the other believe that he’s telling the truth, “No.. no I don’t.”
Then he hear some noise of footsteps as a person walked from the other side, finally revealing himself after his interrogation.
Ness couldn’t move his eyes away as the person finally enter his vision. That person walk in the confidence that it make him looks like he own this place.
Ness has no idea who this is, but if he had to guess, this person belong to some higher class family judging from his clothing, his etiquette.
When he walks closer even more, Ness now can distinguish the blue eyes that is staring at him the whole time as if he is some kind of wild animal who’ll attack if he takes his eyes off.
As he gets even closer his blue eyes narrowed like he is investigating his appearance here like the earlier asking his name was not enough.
With each of his steps, his blonde hair softly moving like a hollow around him. The hair does not look like perfectly styled in one place. It looked like the person has run his fingers through the strands more than few times.
Ness does not even realise that he has been staring at him without even blinking, his eyes just seem to caught on this man’s gorgeously attractive features. Every feature of this man caught his eyes captive.
“Are you with someone?” He glanced behind him.
This time Ness finally realise that the other person asked him something, but he was so busy admiring his face to even caught it fully .
“Huh?”
The blonde man clicked his tongue and looked at him like it’s a great crime to ask it for the second time.
“Is there anyone with you?” This time, he asked more loudly and he empathise each word with a force. The irritation on his voice is peaking out, not a single attempt to hiding it that he is talking to a stranger. Not an ounce of formality.
“Sorry…but no, no one.” he shake his head.
Something about this man’s presence that shifted in the air as he came out. Ness has never felt this kind of presence of anyone before. There’s this… authority.. there this royalty about him.
“Good.” then the person sit down on the edge of the fountain.
Ness stay standing there, he saw the other person slowly reached down to touch on the water, exactly just like he was thinking about doing earlier .
And like he can feel Ness’s staring on him, he glare up at him , “Sit down already. Are you planning to stand there like an idiot the whole time?”
“Sorry..” he apologise again as he also takes a seat at a little distance hesitantly.
Who is this man? Ness hasn’t seen him out there in the ball room. And what is he doing here? This person doesn’t look like he has a reason to be here from out of everyone’s eyes like him own.
The blonde man click his tongue again. And Ness has no clue why he’s irritated this time.
“You apologise too much..” The person says without looking at him.
Oh.. that.
It’s not the first time someone pointed it out and probably won’t be a last either, because he knows it’s his bad habit.
His parents also told him that, they always scolded him about his timid behaviour.
They don’t think they are accountable for this, the whole ‘shut him down’ on everything he finds interesting since as far as he remembers. Whenever he would go to them ask them about the things he found interesting, they’ll always have the ‘You’ too old to be playing around’ , ‘it’s too childish Alexis. Grow up.’. And he’ll always remember going back to his room with barely holding his tears after muttering a ‘sorry’.
With time now it’s became a habit for him that he can’t get rid of. He just apologised before the other gets mad at him. It isn’t that bad when he’s normal, but became bad mostly when he is nervous. But this person doesn’t need to know that, “Sor..”
The sorry from the tip of his tongue about to slip again when the blue eyes give him a stern glare at his way and that stop him from finishing it this time.
His face burn up from embarrassment as he pull his hand up, scratch on the back of his nape. It’s also one of his habit, another one of many mores. His finger colliding with the big mask that he is wearing.
He almost forget about it. Now he realises why this person when he comes closer and looking at him for so long.
And then he realise like other person, this man does not look at him mockingly at his appearance like the others on the ball room, his eyes were curious but not looking down on him.
Or maybe this person didn’t get to see him appearance clearly because it quite dark in here. Yeah, that’s a more believable explanation. He shouldn’t get his hopes up.
He shakes these thoughts of good and bad out of his mind. Why is it even matters what this person thinks? He just met him. Maybe it’ll be their first and very last encounter ever.
“Why are you here?” Ness decided to ask him.
At his question the blond man lifts his thin eyebrow, “What do you mean?”
The younger man lift his hand to gesture around them. “This place… it looks like some inside of the palace and I don’t think we are allowed come here. Aren’t you scared if.. if someone caught us?”
His question makes the other person smirk, “Scared? Good question. Are you scared Alexis?”
The way his name rolled out of his tongue makes him feel something. He doesn’t think his name ever sounded this good before. It makes him blush under his gaze and thank God he’s wearing this big ass mask, so the other person can’t see looking like a ripe tomato.
It’s just your name Ness. Get yourself together.
“Not much.” He clears his throat, “..but a little bit, yes.”
A soft sound clicked on the back of his throat, “The last thing I remember you are walking here by yourself and going to touch this fountain water without looking like a single fear in your bone. And now you are concerned about getting caught being in here?”
Ness shake his head to excuse himself, but the other person didn’t give him chance to spoke.
“You just did said yourself that this place looks like no outsider are allowed, and you clearly are not an insider. But still, you are here despite knowing that. So you just trespass here fully knowing you’re not supposed to. So are you the type who breaks the rules intentionally?” His eyes narrowed on his, “And I heard there a word for those who do that. So…Are you naughty kid Alexis?”
All of this man’s words are moulded into something teasing and a bit of seriousness. It almost feels like he is playing with him and being serious at the same time.
And Ness doesn’t know this man long enough to not take it seriously.
His eyes widen up like a saucer, “What? No.” he exclaimed., “ I’m not a kid! Not anymore. I am eighteen and I think I’m older than how you look. Also, I have a reason why I’m here.”
A laughing noise comes from the blond man that even surprise him how good it sounds. His laugh is loud in the silence that it echo in the wall, making it more magical in Ness’s ear.
Ness realise this person’s laughter is just as magnificent as the man himself. He just stayed staring his way.
After the man finally pull himself together, “Well sorry to break it to you but I am much older than you.” His expression then sifted, “Also, then what’s the reason you are here?”
That question makes him slump down as he pulled his face down , his eyes darting from one side to other as his finger fidgeted on the fabric of his cloth.
“Nothing big, it’s just…” he shake is head, “no nothing that actually worth mentioning.” He looks up, barely hold the other’s gaze, hopes that he’ll let go of this topic.
But the blond man did exactly the opposite.
“That’s for me to decide, now tell me why are you here? It doesn’t look like you have some excited reason to be here.”
Ness worries that how the other person can tell this much with half of his face covered hiding behind this big mask. He wonder if he is not wearing this mask, this person then might have even guessed it just by looking at his face.
“Just I felt out of place here….” he whisper so softly that the other can barely hear it.
“What happened?”
Ness looked at his way , that person’s voice does not carry a single ounce of sympathy in it only authority. He wonder who is this man and how was he this demanding without scared of anything?
Was he always used to demand to others and get it?
Now thinking about this Ness doesn’t think he has ever demand for anything like this or even dream to be like this . In his household not only his parents, but his siblings also kind of treat him like an outcast.
They does not even share any single enthusiasm about him coming here today. His sibling also never take a participant in this ball.
He has been asking for come here last two years, but they had been telling him that he was so little to come here by own.
So now that this year he’s an adult they let him. Finally, he get to come here but like he has thought his parents didn’t show any excitement on choosing his costume or making him look presentable.
All of this is his own hard work . The mask was something he has made himself.
For some reason, he can’t even ask for money from his parents . Because he knows they are going to be say something harsh that’ll only break his heart, and he doesn’t want that.
At least not before joining the ball. So he doesn’t have to attend with a heavy heart. But in the end he still couldn’t avoid his fate and ended up with the heavy heart that he’d avoiding.
“Alexis!” The blond man called his name in a demanding away.
Ness turned to look at him and find he is glaring at him.
Ahh.. he has lost in his thoughts that forget to reply him.
“Not much, but there were just… I think they find my mask a little weird…” he pressed his finger in his thigh in an attempt to hide the trembling.
He doesn’t want the other to saw him like that, and think about him as a weak creature.
Ness finds the other’s blue eyes shifting down to take a good look at his appearance. And he couldn’t resist an unexpected thinking from coming up.
A nervousness creeps on his body. What if this man also thinks the others are right?
What if he was just too focused on him being in this place that he didn’t even notice his costume? What if he also now realised how weird his outfit is and walked out from him and stopped talking? What if…
“I do not find it anything weird why would anyone think that?”
Ness’s shift his head in a shock as the blond man still looking at his appearance like he is trying to find the wrong that everyone find so easily.
“It’s look… unique. I have never seen any mask like that. Where do you get it?”
He open his lips to close it and open it again because this person does not sound like he’s trying to get him up there to throw him down more harder but he looks seriously curious about it.
He realises his both palms are sweating from nervousness, he quickly wipes it on his side.
“I made it myself.”
At his confession, the blond man for the first time looks surprise , “You can make such thing!”
The way he said it makes him feel something blossom in his chest, and for the first time he is proud about it. He felt a proud little balloon bloom in his chest.
And suddenly he came closer to Ness and bring his hand up to touch on the paper, flower and stars that he has attach on the side, what he has made in the late of night, when he’s sure his all family members are sleeping, and no one is going to enter his room suddenly to tear his creation down.
For some reason his heartbeat quickened at the closeness as the blue eyes closely looking of his creation, eyes trailing from one and each little element that Ness has attached himself.
Ness couldn’t move away or couldn’t move at all. All of his limbs are frozen from his closeness. There this something sweet smells reach his nose— roses.
How long this person has been here to start smelling like the garden?
His magenta eyes stares at that man’s eyes from behind the mask and suddenly those blue eyes are not on his creation anymore, but on him.
That men’s hand froze on the mask, and for the first time he can see clearly the other eyes behind his mask, except for his lips.
The beautiful blond person brings his left hand on the other side and place it just below his mask on his cheeks, and that finger tip on his skin burn so much, it makes his breath caught.
Ness tries to even his heart and breathing to normal, so he doesn’t get caught. But the slightest sifting on these cerulean eyes tells him that the men has already noticed it.
His finger moves up slide on Ness’s skin and hold at the end of his mask. He looks like about to pull it out to saw his face.
And Ness can’t say no, because he’s lost in those blue eyes to say anything .
Few second pass between them, and suddenly that men sifted his mask up and Ness close his eyes in anticipation to get found by like this.
It’s all feels like a fate. A fate written on the stars and the moon like a destiny. A destiny where he ends up here and found by this mysteriously gorgeous man. Who ‘un-veil’ him under this moonlight by this beautiful fountain.
Everything feels like a fairy tale. Everything feels perfect.
And just when the mask was about to reach up to his nose, when a loud noise reached their ears. Footsteps. Someone from the hallway coming here with a loud footsteps.
Both of their eyes snap , and before Ness can process the other man let go of his mask to hold his wrist to pull him stand. And then he turns taking Ness with him to somewhere he has no idea of.
He is pulling him in a confident like he know this layout on the back of his palm, like he has been here from his childhood.
And like some kind of magic is casted upon him, Ness doesn’t even question any single thing and followed him until he found himself that man pulling him in a side small hidden area covered in bushes pressing him against the wall and that man take a stand close in front of him, hiding him with his body.
He came so close to him, it made his blood rushing, eyes widened in surprise.
“Wha..” he was going to ask something when a rough hand pressed over his mouth, making him stop from making any farther noise.
“Just stay silent..”, that blond man leaned down whisper over his ear.
His breath halted, as goosebumps began to flow in his whole body. His heartbeat is so loud for a second he couldn’t hear anything else.
Then the footstep gets louder, coming more closer from exactly where they just came from. Then suddenly it stopped like whoever is there has stopped.
But Ness’s attention is not there at all, doesn’t even thinking about anything as he’s now is stuck under the gaze of those blue eyes.
Something clicked, something shifted in the air. It’s thickening with every second passing. He’s in a trance — no they’re in a trance, both of them are, he can tell.
Those blue eyes, that he’s seeing and getting familiar with each second, now look quite different. The pupils are more dilated, they look more dark. His hand is still over his mouth, but the firmness has gone.
The background was all gone, the thing, from which they just ran from, Ness had no idea whoever the other sure knew otherwise why would he pull him here in such a rush. All of that seemed to forgotten until a loud call came.
“Prince Kaiser..” someone called, “Are you there?”
Ness’s eyes snapped to the person , prince Kaiser?
Don’t tell me that this person is the prince those man are looking for?
As if the person — this prince can sense his confused states, and like he can foresee that Ness is going to make some noise and will give out their hidden state so his hands press firmly on his mouth again and his blue eyes sifted at him in a way that telling him to stay silent and not do anything right now and surprisingly he obeys.
“Prince Kaiser..”
“Did you find the prince David?”
Another footsteps came, joined the first one.
“No, he is not even here.” That man named David answered back.
“Let’s go to the other sector. Maybe the others find him!”
“Yes. Let’s go.”
Then the footstep continue going back until it was all gone.
And finally, the person— Kaiser let him go , to look around where the presumably soldiers had disappeared. Having no idea that behind him Ness is stuck with piles of thoughts swelling up in his head.
Now suddenly it all makes sense. All of his questions get answered, like puzzles are solved. One after another everything is clicking.
He has been thinking why this man was here, how he's here, why his every move screams authority. All demanding not a single cell of apologetic in his bone while this man was being rude.
Now he understood how he pulled his here in this hidden corner like it's his second nature. Because it's his home.
Ness feels his system getting overflow. If those man are searching for this very man and what he's thinking is right then... then...
“Are you?.. are you the prince?”
His voice stopped the blond’s movement as he finally turned around and place his one hand on his hip, his eyes sharpened, “What if I am?”
“Huh!” A squeaky noise breaks free from his mouth before he can stop, however he quickly pulls himself together , “Why didn’t you tell me earlier that?.”
"You never asked."
He answered simply like it's not a big deal.
Ness open his mouth to stop, because truth is he really didn't ask. Why didn't he?
He didn't even ask his name back, just busy ogling this man like children does in a candy shop. How stupid he is!
"Also, If I told you earlier, you wouldn't act like that and probably like everyone you would've also stay quiet." Kaiser shrugged.
"But still.." he pull his head down, bite his bottom lip.
What the prince said is true there's no denying it. He probably wouldn't even sit down beside him and tell him all of this if he really knew that he is the prince.
Kaiser started to walk and he felt its a written word that he follow him. And he does.
He's eyes wonder on the man's broad back, as he walks confidently in front without looking back, like he knows Ness'll follow him.
"Why are you here? Aren't you supposed to be in the ballroom?" He asked quietly.
Those soldiers clearly searching for him, and today on this occasion it's clear why.
The ball held by the Royals, so it's natural for all of them to be present. Only exception is sickness.
The prince is in his perfect form. The King and the Queen are already there. It's important for the prince should also be also there to attend.
Both of them walk back to the garden area.
Ness followed him behind, looking at him worriedly. Now he can't even stop himself from being a little conscious.
"Everyone being a pain in the ass back there, I don't want to go." Kaiser scoffs.
Ness gasp at his crude tongue.
He can never imagine himself saying something like that. But he guess the other can. After all he is the prince.
"This is why I don't want to tell you."
Ness blink up at the sudden of his word, quite don't understand why he said something like that. This time he's sure the other didn't ask him anything that he accidentally ignored, and he didn't apologise. So what he did this time?
Kaiser runs fingers through his hair to move it back, then looks straight at him and points a finger his way, "Now you looks like you are scared to be in my presence. This is always a problem when they found out about my identity. Either they’re all the way up on the neck to get my attention or to scared to open their mouth.”
Kaiser huffed, “And you belong to the second category.”
Ness silently gasp, but it’s true. He’s consciously became timid with his every move. He looks at the ground at shame, “Sorry..”
“Ahhh..” the prince growled, “Enough. I’ve already told you to stop apologising.”
Ness open his mouth, but he realised that he was going to do it again, and he doesn’t have any other this in his head right now so he just shut it. But then he remember something.
“Aren’t you going to be getting scolded by the king, for not finding your destiny?”
Kaiser looks at his like he has grown another head, and started laughing, “ I don’t care if they nag. I’m the only heir it’s not like they can disown me. And for the destiny— no one’s believes that. It’s all remorse.”
The prince tells him carelessly, he then sit down on exactly on where he was before the soldiers came.
Ness hesitate for a second. Then he remember how the prince said that he was being ‘all scared’ and all so he does the opposite to prove this person wrong and also take his seat.
And if he saw an almost smirky grin on Kaiser’s face, he just tried his best to not acknowledge it, and surprisingly he succeeded because his concern is now on the other thing.
“Why would you say it like that?” Ness pout. “Why don’t you believe in destiny? I’m sure there is someone out there for you, and you’ll found them” then he added smaller, “One day…”
The prince looked his way, then suddenly something passed through his cerulean eyes, which before he can read them they’re gone.
The prince’s lips curled up at the corner as his eyes shifted, “If it’s destiny, don’t think it’s already fulfilled.”
Ness feels a little confused, what is he implying? so he looked at him questionably.
The prince again come closer with a blink of an eye, faster then earlier.
Before Ness can take a step back, the prince hold him by his shoulder stopped him from moving and with his other hand he pulled his mask off with one swift move.
Ness’s eyes widen from the sudden exposure, its shocked him at first but when his eyes meet the blue one his breath hitched.
On the other side, Kaiser is looking at him like he’s trying to get a fill of him, on all of his features. His blue eyes travelled from his eye eyebrows to his nose, down to his cheeks, lingered for a second longer on his lips only to stop at his eyes.
The way his eyes are traced every single thing on his face makes an uneasy feelings bloom inside him.
And Ness fears it’s not the bad kind of ‘uneasy feelings’.
“There it is.” The prince whisper, his voice drops, so low that Ness can barely hear it,
“You are quite…” he stop like trying to find the right words , “ bea... pretty good, yeah pretty good, not bad.”
It felt like he changed his answer at the last moment. Ness didn’t have it in him to ask what it was.
He knows the prince just said only ’pretty good’ it’s not even a full complement but still it made him blush more.
Kaiser pulled his hand away from him, holding the mask with him as he stand up.
Ness look at him confusingly. That’s it? Was he going back after seeing him. He was going to walk away just like that?
He knows a little earlier he’s the one asking him why he’s not going to the party. But now when he stands up he wants him to stay. At least for few more minutes.
Ness didn’t understand this, what’s the meaning behind him feeling this way.
He has no right to speak here. He just doesn’t.
But then he notices Kaiser didn’t move, he stands there.
“What is your full name?” The prince didn’t look back as he ask him.
Ness looked up at his back, a little confused, but answer, “Alexis Ness.”
That’s when he turn again, “Stand up.”
Ness stands without any question. And then he holds his hand out, a way of asking for him to give his hand. Again without any question he places his own hand over the prince’s.
Kaiser grabs his, both of their hands are now cold from staying outside this long, but neither of them seems to mind it.
“Alexis Ness, I the Prince of Berlin, Michael Kaiser now declare you as my destined partner.” he said loudly and leaned down to press a kiss on his hand.
A sound of sharp breath fall out from the feeling. His heart starts pounding so loudly he fears the other can hear it also. Blood rushes to his cheeks, in his whole body he felt electrified.
Ness left there speechless lips falling open with confusion and something else as
Kaiser smoothly pulled his hand back not before softly rubbing on the place where he kissed ,“What? Don’t look at me like that! You said it was destiny to be meet your partner, and you found me here, right?”
“We’ll meet very soon again, my destiny.” Then the prince turned with a smirk on his face, and walked out of there.
And Ness stayed standing there as everything slowly sinks in him what just happened.
When he pulled himself back he just rushed home. All night his eyes were wide open staring at the stars he painted on his wall, while thinking if it was true or he just dreaming. That is until one week later one latter came in a red envelope with a blue rose stamped on it asking him for his presence on the Royal Palace.
And that’s how Ness realised it was never a dream, but meet his partner at that night, in a way he has never even dreamt of.