Princess Luna of Soul was not amused at all. Where was the quiet dinner she had asked for? Where was the peaceful evening she had been craving? Certainly not here in this castle- and it was all thanks to her parents. Luna sighed inwardly. She should have known her extravagant parents would never let her have such a small party. They were, after all, known as the king and queen of gaiety. But still, Luna thought, couldn't they have kept the number of guests to a minimum of 300 instead of inviting 600 people? Luna glared at her reflection in the full-length mirror. She could hardly believe what her mother (her own mother!) had forced her into. She wore a floor-length own, the color of fresh plums, with silver glitter shimmering across the chest. Admittedly, the dress was gorgeous, but the slit that stretched to her upper right thigh was not. At least she had a mask covering most of her face. Her mother, ever the romantic, insisted that the party be a masquerade ball. Luna's long brown hair hung in waves across her shoulders while a silver tiara sat upon the crown of her head.

       "Luna, darling! Come out, everyone's waiting for you", her mother called. Luna groaned loudly and rubbed her face in exasperation, but with one last look in the mirror, she left the sanctuary of her room.  

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      The castle’s ballroom was exquisitely adorned, Luna observed grudgingly. The room, which was massive and consisted of many sets of open rooms, was usually a bright and airy place. However, tonight, it had been darkened to the point where it was like being inside a cave. Soft, mellow lights had been strategically positioned in secluded corners while plush loveseats stood, waiting for zealous lovers, near the edges of the room. Heavy, deep purple curtains with gilded designs were hung on the walls, giving a feeling of luxury and relaxation. All these decorations were lovely, but the mass of guests were what made the ballroom even better.

          Luna, as an artist herself, could not help but admire the beauty of her guests’ outfits. Gowns of dark hues, looking as if they were stitched from silky shadows, dressed the women while simple black suits dressed the men. The masks were also incredible with feathers, glitter, jewels and paint everywhere. They looked like a magnificent work of art.

          “Luna! Pay attention,” said her mother. “You’re about to meet Prince Luhan of Exodus. He’s a very important person to your father and me.”

          Luna gave her mother a questioning look, trying to act like her heart wasn’t about to give out at the mention of Luhan. “What do you mean mother?”

          “I mean, Prince Luhan’s father, King Mashi, has recently gained a lot of land in the Eastern Isles. So, your father and I want to, let’s say, set up a nice relationship with his family”, my mother whispered. She winked at Luna, who rolled her eyes. Luna’s parents were extremely wealthy, but they wanted even more wealth. It was rumored that the Eastern Isles contained thousands of riches. Of course, Luna’s parents had been trying, unsuccessfully, to gain some land in that area.    

          “Oh, look, here he comes! Play nice Luna!” With a pat on Luna’s shoulder, her mother left.

          Luna was left alone, surprised and anxious. What the hell, she thought, what am I supposed to do now?

          “Hey Luna!” Someone tapped her shoulder.

          It was Luhan. Gorgeous, gorgeous Luhan. He looked like a tall, black-haired angel in Luna’s eyes.        

          “Hi Luhan! Long time no see.” Luna tried to act cool. But it was so hard, especially with her heart beating like a hummingbird’s and with those warm eyes of his staring at her.

          “I know, right? I haven’t seen in, what, five years”, said Luhan. He smiled at Luna, unknowingly sending Luna’s insides aflame. “I missed you, best friend.” Luhan punched her lightly in the shoulder.

          Although it was not a hard punch, Luna was unprepared for it and she stumbled a bit. “Oops”, she said as she fixed herself, cheeks blushing.

          “Still clumsy as ever, I see”, Luhan nodded as if confirming something important.

          “Shut up Luhan”, Luna said. Now that she had had her awkward moment, she felt more comfortable with him, like 5 years ago.

                                                  5 Years Ago

      It was a sweet, spring day and sunlight was spilling over the kingdom of Soul. Luna was out in the Keyro Forest, searching for flowers to decorate her room with when someone popped out of the trees with a yell.

      “AAAHHHH!” Luna screamed as she fell over her bouquet and face-planted in the dirt. “Someone help meeee!!!”

         “Oh! I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you that bad”, a male voice said, a hint of laughter betraying him.

     Luna, face full of earth, struggled to get up. She spat the dirt out in the direction of the voice and wiped her eyes. “Well, you did, you jerk!”

    Luna, with her eyes finally free from dirt, turned to the jerk. He was someone she had never seen before, which meant he wasn’t from around there. Luna, as the princess, knew everybody in her kingdom. His hair was as black as the depths of the sea and his face was one of a god. Honey eyes stared back at her, kind and soft.   

    “Who are you,” she asked accusingly. Her voice trembled slightly. He was really handsome... But she didn't know him, and that made him dangerous. Maybe one day someone would find her dead body her, lying in the grass, cold and forgotten. Just the idea scared Luna out of her wits. "Who are you", she repeated, stronger this time.

     The guy reached for her hand and pulled Luna up from the ground. He smiled. "I'm Luhan, prince of Exodus."