Princes and Balls

Chapter 1

Warnings: Misgendering
It started, well it seemed to start the moment they were born, as that was the time they were told of the arrangement. In hushed whispers as they were rocked to sleep, they listened to their fathers and mothers explain to them that they would be married to another and join their kingdoms together in harmony and love and passion and things they did not comprehend yet. Perhaps, it was out of spite of being told such alien things that they resented the decision they were to marry before they even met. Well, that or the rude comments they sent to each other through letters until they met, on one of their fifteenth birthdays.
Roman dreaded the day to high hell like no other day. He even insisted to his father that he was incredibly ill to get out of the occasion, then his father told him he was to stay the night with his arranged partner for doing such a thing. Roman dropped attempting to run from his problems at that point and resolved to suck it up and continue. He went through the motions of getting dressed for such an event as to the one he was addressing, putting on his white royal attire with his red sash to represent his kingdom. Roman packed a bag since he was being punished by being forced to stay at the witch's home, then got in the carriage and set upon his destination, the kingdom of Lovell, where his arranged partner ruled as a princess.
Roman arrived to the kingdom of Lovell with loud trumpets that made himself, and someone else he could barely see outside of the carriage, grip their heads and close their eyes from the incredibly loud and painful sound. He stumbled out the carriage while the barrage of loud loud trumpets continued to flutter with wings and cries of a falcon. He stepped to the front steps where two men and one woman stood, all smiling so brightly and fakely, except for one of the men, dressed in a suit of lapis and ebony, while the kingdom was of cornflower and paper, but the man was the youngest of the three, possibly the princess's brother, if his luck would have it.
Perhaps they would run off together, using the magic of the kingdom the other prince was born in, they could escape all of their responsibilities and run far far from this horrible patch of land called the two kingdoms they were born to. They could leave and never return again, free to choose who to love and who to marry, not to have it chosen for them, but Roman was stuck here, having to marry this witch of a princess, who was not even batting on the same team, so he was cursed to simply gaze at this beautiful prince while being married to a witch who wrote him so many demonizing letters that Roman had snuck into the fire pit. He just wished this dashing prince in front of him would be the man to marry him, not the witch he was to marry.
"Dear, prince Roman." The fellow prince spoke, bowing with a tight frown on his lips that ever suited his features, "I would like to meet your acquaintance as Lo Lovell, pr-"
The queen, as Roman now realized by her age and shimmering crown, cleared her throat in an attempt to stop her son, "Miranda Lovell, the princess," she spoke like she was reminding a young child, making Roman's stomach churn at the disrespect and with the realization of who this dashing prince was, his fiance. The man who called him the lowest of names and never hesitated to do so, was standing before him, still beautiful, but that beauty was far too tainted to give reason to fantasize.
Lo glared at the ground, continuing from where he was interrupted, "prince of the Lovell kingdom." He stood up and folded his arms behind his back, "I hope for you to enjoy your stay tonight." Then, he turned and walked all too gracefully up the stairs.
Roman scowled at the brief interaction, then sighed in relief at the fact he didn't have to talk to such a vile man for so long. He smiled just as fake as the king and queen, introducing himself and making their acquaintance. He made certain to refer to Lo as his pronouns, which upset the king and queen slightly, but it was worth it to put doubt into their minds about if this was the right boy to marry theirs while also rebelling against his father through acts of respect.
Roman was rushed to a guest room, which was across from Logan's.
Logan's and Roman's eyes met on the way to their rooms. Logan glared in that elegant but cold method that let Roman's heart almost burn with disbelief.
In retort, Roman stuck his tongue out at Logan and made it clear he did not care for dancing around the subject of despisal.
Logan sighed, "go back home and play with the other knights." He rolled his eyes, then went into his own room, slamming the door.
Roman was left, staring at the door, his tongue still out, trying to think of a reason to what just happened. At least he knew one thing: the hatred was very mutual.