Viktor sat by his desk, staring into seemingly nothingness as he impatiently tapped his fingers against the polished wood. It wasn't the first, and certainly wouldn't be the last time that he was completely and utterly lost in thought as he stared up at his ceiling. It was a common occurrence- to the point where he could swear that he'd go insane.

The sun began rising, casting a palette of beautiful colours across the sky and lighting his dull room up. Viktor had always loved the sunrise, especially the beauty of it as the rays of light cast across his kingdom. Every other morning, he would have been sitting by his window, watching as the sight unfolded in front of him- but not today.

Viktor couldn't deny that he was lonely. He longed for someone. He felt empty. He'd been deprived of life and love for 24 years. He already knew of the high expectations of the people for him, and with his twenty fifth birthday around the corner as well as his coronation, he knew that he needed to find someone soon or the people of the Kingdom might see him as a unworthy heir to the throne. Viktor had yearned for love for years, but every beautiful woman that was introduced to him never caught his interest and he began to think he might spend his whole life in solitude.

Of course, Viktor didn't want to marry just anyone. He absolutely despised the thought of arranged marriages, and was desperate not to go down that road. He would marry for love, and love only; whether it be a man or a woman. His concept angered his advisor, Yakov, who had lectured him plenty of times that it was a woman, and a woman only that he was going to marry, and that him marrying another man would anger the kingdom. Viktor was more than happy to ignore him whenever he got lectured on such things, because who the hell was he to tell him who to fall in love with and not?

Viktor had always been popular with the women of the kingdom- his handsomeness and beauty bewitched women left right and centre. He had more than enough choice of women for a bride; he was enough to make anyone fall to their knees, but Viktor didn't want that. He wanted someone that loved him for being Viktor, not Prince Viktor. Most people liked him for his looks and wealth; hardly anyone appreciated his kindness and fairness. Maybe that's why he felt so lonely. People wanted him for all the wrong reasons.

Viktor was so caught up in thought that he didn't realise his advisor had entered the room and was startled when he suddenly cleared his throat. Viktor let out a loud sigh and got up from his desk to stand by the window.

"Spare me the lecture, I know why you're here." Viktor huffed as he observed the kingdom that he would be ruling in just over three months. Yakov had been put in charge of ruling the kingdom for now by the former king before he passed away, and the crown was to be passed down to Viktor once he was 25 years old and happily married.

"Vitya, I don't think you understand how serious this matter is." Yakov grumbled as he took a few steps towards Viktor. "I have told you thousands of times that You need to find yourself a suitable bride. For the love of god, you're approaching 25 years old and you have yet to engage in conversation with any suitable women. You're too... you're too picky."

"Yakov, I have informed you a number of times that if I am going to marry, it'll be for love only, and I won't let some petty old fool tell me otherwise." Viktor rubbed his forehead and began pacing back and forth. "I am not picky either; I am just waiting for the right person to show up"

"Your highness, I will not be spoken to in such a way and if you think that you can wait around for possibly a lifetime without finding yourself a worthy queen, then think again because we'll have to resort to arranged marriages!" Yakov spat at the prince. Viktor could tell that his anger was rising by the minute, and found it rather amusing.

"Yakov, my dear old man, do I have to repeat myself again? I have made it crystal clear that I will not be forced into marriage by any means, and that I will marry whoever I desire to." Viktor repeated himself and took a sip of his water. "Whether It be a man or a woman."

"Don't start on this again, we've been over it plenty of times: You are to marry a suitable woman who will give birth to the next generation of your family, and that is the end of it. That's what your father ordered before he died, and I'm sure that's what your mother would have wanted." Yakov sighed. He'd been over and over it hundreds of times, but the prince didn't seem to understand.

"Don't you dare bring my parents I to this to make me feel guilty!" Viktor turned and snapped at his advisor. "You and I know full well that mother would have wanted me to marry the person I see most fitting, regardless of gender. As for my father; I could not care less about that incompetent fool. He never cared for us so why should I care about him?"

"Vitya, your father was a great and powerful man, do not speak of him in such a way!" Yakov snapped and slammed his fist down on the desk.

"Power and wealth don't mean anything unless you have a kind heart, and he most certainly did not." Viktor shot back and sat back down in his chair again, pausing to think for a moment. "When I become king, I'm going to make sure that everyone has their rights and everyone will be treated as an equal."

"You can talk about what you'll do all you want, but until you've found yourself a fitting partner you aren't going to be king." Yakov sighed. "You have just over three months until your twenty fifth birthday, you must embark of finding someone immediately."

"I'm going for a walk to clear my head; if you'd excuse me." Viktor signalled towards the door and Yakov sighed before making his way out of the room.

Viktor opened his massive closet and pulled out a bag of clothes that lay hidden at the very bottom of his wardrobe. He kept them there for good reason, because Yakov would go mad if he ever found them. They were commoners clothes. Viktor didn't feel like talking to anyone so quickly dressed himself in them, knowing that he'd blend in quite well with the rest of the people of the kingdom. He put on his black velvet cape before rushing out of his room and down to the local market. He tried his best to hide from the guards, knowing that he wasn't supposed to leave the castle.

It was nice to see the real kingdom for once, the hustle and bustle of everyday life made a faint smile appear on Viktor's face. Of course it was different from watching it from his bedroom window. He felt more alive as he walked down the busy streets. He couldn't quite believe he'd be ruling all of this come a few months time. It was nice to see everyone so happy and friendly. It was pretty much the opposite of the castle he lived in; everything seemed to be fading ever since his father died. His siblings and him remained close but the overall lively feel was gone. The feeling of powerlessness had gone too, and Viktor was so grateful for that because sometimes his father's presence became too overwhelming for him to bear.

He kept his gaze to the floor as he shuffled about the markets, lost in thought. Yakov was right- he was going to have to marry soon. He was going to have to find someone to rule the kingdom with him. He didn't like the thought of being forced into marriage so he'd agreed to take matters into his own hands, except that wasn't working at all. He had met a few fair high class women before, but none of them caught his attention or general interest. He still felt just as empty. He still felt just as lonely.

When Viktor finally managed to snap out of his thoughts, he realised he was completely lost. He wasn't in the marketplace any longer, no. He was in some back alley that he'd never seen before in his life. He was lost and confused. The place seemed lifeless until he heard some chattering voices and made his way towards them in hope of getting some help.

The sudden sound of a Violin playing filled Viktor with warmth and he made his way towards the sweet sound. He stumbled around for a bit, careful not to trip over some of the boxes and crates that were in his way, because Viktor was known for being clumsy sometimes.

Viktor was pressed up against the wall as he dared himself to peak around the corner for a few seconds, and thank god he did because he was greeted with one of the most beautiful sights he'd ever seen.

There was a man. A beautiful man. His body moved to the melody that the Violin was playing with such grace that Viktor seemed to be fixated on him. He watched as the man jumped and spun with elegance. He was so light on his feet that Viktor could have sworn that he was floating. More than anything though, Viktor noticed the raw emotion that he was pouring into his routine, and it warmed his heart in a way that he'd never experienced before.

Viktor would have immediately introduced himself to the man and his companion who was expertly playing the Violin if it wasn't for the fact that he was trying to disguise himself and he really should be back in the palace. He was intrigued by the man and wanted to get to know him better because from what he'd just seen, he was absolutely breathtaking.

An idea popped into Viktor's head and he didn't think twice before running up the alley, knocking over a few crates. He slowed down as he tried to find his way back to the palace, and finally did after following some people around for a little while. He came out of the alley he was in and was immediately greeted by the crowd of people at the market place again. It was nice to know that business was going well for nearly everyone.

He snuck past the guards somehow and made it back into the palace without being caught. He quickly made his way back to his room, locking the door after him. He stripped of his clothes and immediately dressed in one of his navy suits. That was another thing he hated about being a prince- wearing suits each day was such a hassle that Viktor would probably end up strangling himself with a tie one day.

He looked at his watch and realised that it was approaching dinner time and swiftly made his way to the dining hall where he was greeted by Yakov. They sat down and Yakov yet again started rambling on about the marriage business.

"Yakov, my dear old man, could I possibly make a suggestion to put a stop to your rambling?" Viktor interrupted his advisor in the middle of a Sentence, making the old man grumble.

"Of course you may, as long as it is within reason." Yakov replied. Viktor smiled before sitting up in his seat.

"I am to hold a ball, and every eligible person from this kingdom will be invited, along with royalty from other countries. There will be food, drink, and a lot of dancing. I might even meet someone." Viktor suggested, hoping that his advisor would side with him.

"On one condition though, your Highness."

"And what would that be?"

"You must choose a fitting woman to marry out of the people invited, no matter how long it takes."

•••••••
Published: 08/01/17
Words: 2091

I've wanted to write a Royalty au for a long time now, so I hope this is alright for a first chapter.

Thank you for reading!