In the days that followed, Mikhail had finally been allowed to practice his swordsmanship under the tutelage of a new mentor as William had busied himself with preparation of the Winter Ball.However, Mikhail's new mentor was not exactly pleased with being put in charge of teaching a man of low birth. He may have been blessed with the silver hair bestowed to those of the royal lineage but one of low birth will always remain inferior in comparison to those who came were raised in nobility.The mentor does teach Mikhail some small percentage of his necessary skills. However, he would always point out minor flaws to find a reason to maltreat him.As this training is considered a personal matter, not many people would take note of Mikhail's lessons aside from him and Susie. William would usually oversee his progress as well, but due to the upcoming preparations of the ball, he had to shift his attention to it and prepare the list of invitations before submitting the

"Oi, open the door." William knocked on the wooden door with an irritated expression etched on his already weary face. His eyebrows were knitted closer together as his lips twitched with the extended length of time he was required to stand outside the room door. There had never been an issue where he would have to resort for waiting for someone due to his high standing as crown prince, hence, he was growing increasingly impatient as the minutes idly ticked by. Finally, after what seemed like forever, William overheard a faint rustling from the other end of the door which led to his ceasing of the constant knockings on said door. However, unlike what he had thought would happen, the waiting game ensued. William tapped his index finger impatiently on his arm as he counted the seconds that went by before deciding to just head in, unlike the proper manner a royal should assume. "Why are you taking so long?!" the door was bur

The days to the long awaited Winter Ball were fast approaching. You could count them on the tips of your ice crusted fingers.The hustle and bustle of the castle reminded Mikhail of home as he roamed the palace halls. By now, he had grown quite accustomed to the layouts of the palace, but unlike the routes royalty would normally take, he follows the route servants and workers do during their daily chores.It was no longer a strange occurance to see one such head of silver in the midst of all the workers as he had been showing up much more frequently than most workers do. He had made himself comfortable to which it was a natural for him to be there."You're here again? Don't you have much better things to be doing?" one of the head chefs in the kitchen palace pointed his wooden spoon at Mikhail with a slightly frustrated sigh."Is it problematic for me to be here?" Mikhail scratched the back of his head awkwardly as the man let out a long sigh before a def

William heads back into the ballroom, yet no one looks his way nor comes up to greet him. The melodius symphony played by the orchestra filled the ballroom as couples danced to its beat.On a normal day, he would have been relieved of such behaviour but there was a growing feeling of envy surging within him. The words exchanged from the lips of the nobility present were either of business or gossip.William narrows his eyes and brushes past the deafening whispers of the nobility present. His sharp hearing picking up mentions of Mikhail and the striking difference of their silver hair. It was something he tried hard to ignore yet couldn't.Not to mention, the scene of Aria and Mikhail dancing together seemed to set his heart ablaze as he felt a different feeling compared to the usual nonchalant feeling he usually had around her. The minute whispers of the nobility who stated that the two of them looked good together sparked a bitter flame deep i

William makes his way down the corridor, back to his room in a hurry. He stops at nothing to find himself back in the comfort of his own room. Despite the greetings some of the palace maids offered to him, William does not opt to reply them unlike his usual mannerisms whereby he would reciprocate such notions. His mind had begun to fill with thoughts and regrets of his actions as well as the words he accidentally spoke out of frustration. Upon the familiar sight of his chamber, William entered straight inside with little to no reservations. The thought of losing sight of himself due to his emotions made him sick to his stomach. However, it had not been a foreign feeling. He had long resolved to toss aside his needless emotions, yet he gets hurt regardless when he opens up even a little. The signs had all been there, but he refused to acknowledge it. It is as people say, ignorance is bliss. As the doo