A/N: Song for the chapter - Womaniser by Britney Spears.

Louis' eyes sparkled like blue sapphires behind his jeweled mask and a Cheshire cat grin lit his face. The Herald's eyes flicked to the prince before resting on his freshly drawn parchment. "Prince of Helianthus, the honorable Prince Louis." He announced.

Refraining from rolling his eyes, he stood at the top of the stairs. The roiling mass beneath grew quiet at the announced title, as he had well expected. His eyes rested on the royal family, specifically the Princess Gemma. Allowing a light smirk to grace his lips, he walked down the stairs. A young lady swooned as he winked at her, her bosom bulging enough to make even Louis uncomfortable.

He made his way to the Royal family and bowed down with as much respect a Prince would show. The king looked at him with surprise. "Prince Louis, to what do we owe the pleasure of your company?"

Louis smiled at the Princess before turning back to the king, replying with, "To your beautiful daughter and no one else, your majesty." Louis' eyes flicked back to the Princess and he couldn't help but think that she was indeed one of the most elegant and regal ladies he had met. He would know, he had had the pleasure of meeting quite a few. Her warm brown eyes were enthralling; her rosy cheeks welcoming in a way few had welcomed him before. He wished to place a soft kiss on them, wanting to see if she would shy away from him like countless others had. He had a feeling she would not. 

He found the queen observing him with a keen gaze when he turned away from the marvelous sight the princess provided. He refused to meet the queen's gaze, knowing the strength of a mother's protectiveness towards her daughter and her ability to find deceit in a man's single look. Instead, he turned back to the king. "Why, welcome to the kingdom of Solis then, your highness."

"My pleasure" He said. "May I ask the Princess Gemma to a dance, my liege?" The question was directed at the king but his eyes were on the princess, gauging her reaction. To his surprise, she only stared back, refusing to back down. It pleasured him very much.

"Of course!" He exclaimed before turning to his son, the Prince of Solis. "Harry, go forward and choose a lady. Let the ball commence!"

The prince nodded silently, his green eyes sliding over the multitude of hopeful faces before resting on one – a particularly fetching lady with curled blonde hair and eyes the color of a stormy sky. Louis had almost forgotten about the Prince in his intention of pleasing the royal family enough to get their daughter's hand in marriage. He cursed himself at making such a mistake. He would have to find another chance to please the Prince. Maybe he will join Louis on a horse ride the next day? He could ask the Prince to show him around the kingdom. After all, who better than the Prince himself?

The Prince and the Princess put on the mask offered to them by two servants and stood up, joining Louis on the floor. The prince walked to the chosen lady and swept her off while Louis took the Princess's hand and kissed between her knuckles. The corner of her lips went up and he smiled. Taking her hand, he took her to the dance floor. Placing a hand on her waist and the other linked to hers, he guided her around the ballroom. She moved with a grace he had seen in few, her long ball gown sweeping the floor. The intensity of the song increased and they moved faster, his eyes on hers. He saw the Prince and his lady dance beside them as the whole room watched. It was as exhilarating as he had remembered.

She was an exquisite dancer. With a small smile on her lips, her chestnut brown hair swaying and her eyes sparkling like stars on a clear night, he almost regretted meeting her. As the song came to an end, he nodded at her, kissing her knuckles once more. "It was a pleasure to dance with you, your highness." She said, smiling at him.

He almost leaned forward to kiss her on the cheek. It would be so easy, he wouldn't even have to lean down considering she was of the same height as him. What a scandal it would be, he thought. Her father was sure to give her hand in marriage if that were to happen. He would be back in his kingdom in a few days at most. A pair of green eyes flashed before his eyes. He could not do it, not when he had sisters of his own. Not again, he thought. Suddenly feeling quite unwell, he smiled back at her and said, "The pleasure was all mine, my lady."

He made his way to the tables piled with food and grabbed a wine glass. He emptied it instantly, his knuckles whitening as he held onto the table draped with white silk. Barely able to stop himself from slamming it down, he walked to a shadowed corner and sat down in an armchair, a hand sweeping down his face. When he looked back up, a pair of jade green eyes were assessing him.

His chest heaved as he walked to the French doors, opening them to enter the balcony. Leaning down on the railing, he put his face into his hands and breathed deeply. He needed to calm down.

He frowned at the sky as the moon shone down at him. The stars were twinkling, as if clapping sardonically at him. He wanted to punch them in their lit faces. Fortunately for them, that was the moment when he was interrupted. "Are you okay, your highness?"

The voice was deep and that of a stranger. But then again, everyone here was a stranger to him and he could not be more pleased. He turned around, looking for the source and when he found it, he turned around again, looking down the balcony. Louis did not want to face him. "Yes, thank you."

He was pretty sure there were at least five etiquettes he was breaking at that moment but he didn't care. The prince came and stood by his side and they watched the stars together. This was his chance to please the Prince, Louis thought. "Your highness, would you like to accompany me to a horse ride tomorrow?" He asked. "I'd like to get to know you better and you could also show me around the kingdom."

The prince looked at him, his eyes thoughtful. "Of course. I don't see any reason not to."

Louis smiled ruefully. Everything was working out perfectly and yet, he had never felt so miserable.

A/N: Ooohhh... So what do you think of Louis and Harry so far? I know there hasn't been much of an introduction yet. You'll get to know them better in the next chapter. Why do you think Louis is miserable if everything is working out perfectly? What is he miserable about?

I'm so excited for their ride OMG (pun intended). I hope you are too! Also, there are two Easter eggs in this chapter. See if you can find them, they are pretty easy. I'll give a hint in the next chapter ;)