"A very good evening and warm welcome to the Palace of Dainia." The young, refined blond man, known throughout the kingdom as Crown Prince Eliezer paused for a brief moment before he continued. "The role of a king or queen is not to be taken lightly. It is not all lavish, and demands a tremendous amount of responsibility. You would be looked to by thousands for guidance and protection. Therefore, I would like to express my sincerest appreciation to every single young lady in this place, for your very presence conveys your willingness to rule Dainia by my side, to enter into this lifelong commitment. Regardless of the events that shall take place hereafter, I wish for all of you to have a lovely time here this evening."

Addressing a crowd was something that Prince Eliezer could do with ease. Unfortunately, the young royal did not fare as well up close and personal. The fact that he had been pressured by his parents to host a ball for the sole purpose of enabling him to interact with women was rather undignified, in his opinion, though, it was necessary, considering his lack of... experience, in the area. He stepped down from the podium after his speech to meet with his brother just as the orchestra started to play in the background.

Mathazar, who had been listening from a corner greeted his approaching twin. "Looking sharp as always, Eliezer."

"Thank you, I'll say the same for you, Mathazar," came the elder's predictable response.

"Well then, I believe it's time for me to leave you with these ladies," Mathazar stated with a playful smirk.

"Why don't you remain here?" Eliezer suggested. "Perhaps there is a lady for you as well."

"Oh, but this is your night, brother. I wouldn't want to get in your way," the secondborn seemed to finish off as he began to turn away.

Of course, the younger did not actually want to leave. His setup was complete, and staying behind to watch it all play out would entertain him significantly. He knew his brother well, and the reply he was waiting for came next, with a light touch on the arm.

"Stay, Mathazar, I insist."

Secretly satisfied, he let out a chuckle. "Hah, is our future king awkward around women?"

"You are aware that my discomfort in such situations is one of my flaws, brother," Eliezer admitted with a straight face.

"I merely jest, Eliezer. I very much wish for you to have a pleasant time as well." Mathazar then gestured for his brother to look over the crowd. "Look at this. This isn't just an obligation, but an opportunity. One to find true love. Do you understand?"

"I will keep that in mind," Eliezer replied, before looking his younger twin in the eye. "Your words truly mean the world to me, Mathazar, and so would your presence tonight."

At that point, Mathazar almost felt bad for what he had gotten the assassin to do. Almost. "Very well, since you have implored my presence, I shall happily grant it to you. I hope it shall provide you with the confidence to approach a few of these lovely ladies. I would start with the ones who are alone here tonight, they would very much appreciate such a gesture from their Crown Prince."

"I'm grateful for the advice, brother. Wish me the best," Eliezer ended off as he approached the crowd.

The Crown Prince scanned the area. The mood of the ballroom was generally lively, and there were a number of sociable noble women speaking in groups. After some time, a lone lady caught his eye. Something about her set her apart from the rest, though, he could not quite put his finger on what it was. Deciding that he had to start somewhere, he approached the dark-haired, fair-skinned lass, took a short bow and held his hand out to her.

"May I have this dance, my lady?"