Phan Fluff One-Shots

masquerade

By: neeks on ao3

Word counts: 1,882

Summary: Dan's father has decided to host a masquerade ball so his son can find his new queen. Dan ends up finding someone a little different.
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Dan likes fancy parties and royal balls; but he doesn't like the idea of marriage. He feels like it's just a formality, something that people can buy and sell anywhere. It's lost its meaning — plus the way this ball is arranged makes no sense. His father said he wanted to break some rules for once, then proceeded to organise a masquerade ball for Dan to find his future queen. Marriage doesn't mean anything, so he might as well pick the prettiest and most well-endowed girl he can find. He can't do that when they've got masks over half of their faces, though.

It's tiring to hear the "you're the eldest son and heir to the throne, you need to find yourself a queen" speech every day. He might be stupid sometimes, but he's also young and admittedly good-looking; he would have no problem finding a spouse. Plus it's a little repetitive when he knows that he might not want a queen, but a king sitting next to him. He does like women, of course, but some men are just too appealing to pass up on.

He's suited up in a tailored black tuxedo. Dan had wanted to wear a white one, but discarded the idea as soon as he found out he'd look like one of the servants. He's forced to hide while people come in, wearing their fanciest suits and dresses. The ball is open to anyone, and Dan has to be wary of who he decides to dance with — marrying a commoner could stir up some political problems for them.

A maid comes and gives Dan his mask, then curtsies and quickly runs off to help with the preparations. He's had some things changed last minute; it's now adorned with silver and covers his signature curly hair well enough to be anonymous. "Daniel, I know you haven't been too excited about this," his father says, voice stern as always. "But you have to try your best. There are some people from other kingdoms coming, and we need to have a good first impression. Understand?" Dan doesn't bother answering, just nods and puts on the mask. He's too tired to discuss politics and marriage for land right now.

He leaves through the back exit and goes to make an entrance through the front. There's a lot of people still arriving at the salon, and he stumbles on a man. Dan rushes to apologise, but cuts himself off when he looks at his face — he's got a golden mask on, but Dan can still see eyes as blue as the ocean itself behind it, and they're gorgeous. "Don't worry about it," the man says and smiles, leaving a dumbfounded prince behind.

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His mother and father look shocked at the amount of people who have come. So is Dan: he might have a pretty face, but he's not clever or known for his good politics, so there isn't much point in marrying him for business.

He sways around the crowded hall for a while. Some girls stop him for a quick chat, but his thoughts are on the damned boy from earlier and his blue eyes. He remembers he had a shiny silver suit on and a golden mask, an unusual combination, but there's no way he'll find him that easily in this huge palace. Plus, men aren't supposed to dance with other men, and Dan could just get turned down. If this wasn't his own royal ball, he could get kicked out for it. Something in him tells him to keep going, though, and he does.

After walking for some more minutes, he sees him laughing with a young girl. Dan breathes in before approaching, and the man spots him halfway there. Surprisingly, he smiles and mock curtsies. "Hello," Dan says, cursing himself for his lack of a better vocabulary. Nobody's gonna dance with him if he's anything less than a dashing gentleman.

"Hello," the man says. "I see we have met again. Care to tell why you were after me after all this time?" Dan chokes. Is he supposed to tell the truth? Arguably, he could; the girl is no longer around, now clumsily dancing with a boy her age. But it could also be risky.