Chapter Three:

"Get up sleeping beauty! We need to make you pretttyyyy!"

I groaned and rolled over, covering my head with a pillow and my warm fluffy comforter.

"Jadey poo-"

"Shut up."

"Jaaaade,"

"I'm trying to sleep."

'Jay Jay Poo Poo."

"Be quiet."

"Its almost four-thirty."

That woke me up.

I sat up quickly from my bed and glanced at the clock which read four-thirty on the dot.

"WHYD YOU LET ME SLEEP IN SO LATE ANGEL!?" I shrieked, jumping from my bed and running to the en suite bathroom.

Angelica let out an evil cackle, her baby blue eyes wide with mischief. "because I knew when I woke you up you wouldn't resist me."

After the incident on Tuesday, I have been staying with Jackson and Angelica - which they gladly accepted - to avoid my fathers wrath for not doing his bidding and getting those chores done. I was too tired to complete them, and in a tired and crying mess I showed up at Jackson and Angelica's front doorstep, where they dragged me in, made me tea, and let me sleep in their guest bedroom.

"We only have an hour and a half to get me ready for the Prince's Ball!" I squeaked, running into the bathroom and quickly running a brush through my bed head hair. Its not that I was excited for the ball, I couldn't care less, it was the fact that if I didn't show up on time I would be putting a bad name on my "clean cut" family and if I didn't show up at all I could be thrown in prison for "obstructing the future kings chance at a queen" which I don't think would go over well with my family or society either.

"Put your dress on!" Angelica threw the dress at me, which I quickly caught and pulled on over my underwear. The dress was a nice fit, with white lace, which made mt tan skin look golden. 

"daaaaaammmmmnnnn," Angelica giggled as she stared at the dress that hugged my body. "It looks so much better on you then it does on me! Ugh You are so keeping that! "

"You think? My boobs feel like caged animals in this thing." I grumbled, pushing my boobs down into the bodice. I absolutely hate dressing up, and would much rather be curled up on the couch with a fluffy blanket and eating popcorn. I stared longingly at the black sweatpants that laid in a heap on the floor.  "Just get my makeup and hair done so that I can go to this ball, prove to you the prince is most definitely NOT my mate, and then I can come home and we can tell Jackson we are both on our periods so he will go out and buy us Ben and Jerry's while we have a movie night."

"I heard that!" Jackson shouted from outside the bathroom, to which Angelica and I rolled our eyes.

"Excellent!" she called after him, "That means you'll get the ice cream in advance!"

I burst out laughing when I heard a cry of annoyance  from outside and the slamming of the front door. That boy would do just about anything to make sure Angelica was happy, they were mates after all.

Angelica started doing my makeup and hair claiming that I had to "look so beautiful the prince gets a boner just by looking" which honestly would be a far cry from the truth.  

After doing my makeup and hair, she started applying concealer to the bruises around my neck and wrists without saying a word.

I love Angelica for that. She considers what she says before she says it, and knows when she should be quiet. She knows that my father isn't the kindest, and never speaks a word of it unless I speak about it first. Angelica cares for me like the sister I always wanted and for that I will always be grateful.

"Voi La!" Angelica squealed as she pulled me to my feet, turning me to face the mirror. Her bathroom was gigantic, and there were mirrors along all of the walls, and white tile made it look clean and fresh compared to what my bathroom looked like at home. 

"Wow," I whispered exasperated. I looked beautiful. The girl in the mirror in front of me didn't have bruises around her neck or wrists, she didn't have sunken dull eyes or a big zit on her forehead,. Every good feature on her face was more beautiful than I could ever rectify.  

"Thank you!" I gasped, jumping on her and enveloping her in a hug. Angelica let out a laugh before hugging me back. "No Problem sweetheart, that's what bestfriends are for." She sent me a toothy grin before leading me through the hallway and into the front room, where she gave me a mint, and muted bronze shoes. After eating the mint and outing on the shoes Angelica handed me a clutch that matched my dress with one hundred and fifty dollars - that Angelica had stolen prior to my incident on Tuesday - inside of it.

With a final hug, "go get him tiger!"  and bid farewell, I silently wished that Angelica could come with me. Only unmated females eighteen and older were allowed to attend the gala, which made the entire thing more awkward. Most of my friends had mates by now, and the ones who didn't were out of town, searching for their mates. I, of course, preferred tending to my studies instead of searching for a soulmate that didn't exist.

----

"Woah," I stared at the building in front of me in awe. It was one of the most beautiful things I had ever laid eyes on, the golden glow from the lights inside made it more exciting and enticingly magnificent.

I was already ten minutes late, which wasn't as bad as I was expecting, so I scampered towards the front doors, to the guard who held the list of women invited.

"Jade Harvingston?" The man asked in a deep voice, glancing up at me in a judging manor. He knew how late I was, and considered it slightly disrespectful, which was obvious by the way he glanced and raised an eyebrow at me.  I nodded my head silently, anxiety climbing into my chest as the guard whispered in the ear of the footman beside him. The footman nodded, before sending me a flirty wink which I rolled my eyes at.

The doors opened suddenly and I was immediately standing in front of over a hundred of beautiful women dressed in elegant gowns and pristine makeup. I straightened my posture slightly and raised my head stepping forward, trying to give off an air of striking confidence. A couple of gasps escaped the lips of the women, which made me quirk an eyebrow.

"Miss Jade Harvingston of Esterhaven!" The footman announced before nodding to me to walk forward, I sent him a slight smile and a nod in return before making my way down the stairs and stepping into the crowd.

The room that I was standing in was large, maybe have the size of a football field, the ceiling was decorated with paintings that looked older than I had ever seen in real life, and each window was highly arched. It was shaped in a octogan, with a stage at the very front, and the ceiling was a dome, with a gigantic chandelier dangling from the middle. 

As soon as I was submerged with the people in the crowd, most eyes were off me, which allowed me to relax slightly.   The ladies put themselves back into conversation which left me to wonder what I should do. I didn't know most of the women here, and if I did know anyone, I hadn't seen them.

What the hell are you supposed to do if you don't have any friends here?

A tap on my shoulder made me turn around to face a young man, perhaps only fifteen who gave me a sly smile. I automatically recognized him as the Crowned Prince's younger brother who was to tag along with the crowned prince.

"Prince Felix," I smiled bowing my head in respect. The young boy smiled brightly at me before bowing and bending over holding out his hand, "Would you give me the honor of having this dance with me?" His cheeks tinged a bright pink and I let out a laugh.

"Of course." I smiled at his sheepishness and took his hand. He immediately pulled me closer to him as we began ballroom dancing to the beat of the song that the orchestra was playing.

"And what is a lovely lady like you doing in a mating gala such as this one? I'm sure someone as beautiful as you must already have a mate." Prince Felix Complimented as we did the box step. I chuckled at his politeness, "My name, Little Prince," I taunted, "Is Jade. And as of now, I do not have a soulmate." I smiled cheekily at him and he blushed more.

"I wouldn't call myself little, Jade, I am much taller than you." He winked as he tossed me into a spin and then twirled me back into him, one of his arms resting on my waist.

Prince Felix was maybe four inches taller than me, which made me seem short, considering that I am 5'5". He had light pale blonde hair that fell into his eyes, pale features, dark eyebrows compared to his hair, and pale green eyes that would make any girl swoon. 

"Unfortunately," I sighed overdramatically at him, and I heard him chuckle as he spun me again. I knew it was inappropriate for me to be talking to a prince in the manner I was -informally and not well mannered - but I'm sure the kid needed a break from the adults treating him like an adult when he was only fifteen, and I would give that to him even if I got in trouble.

"I like you," He smiled, flashing me his white teeth clad with braces, his eyes held a hint of mischief in them which made a nervous feeling rise in the pit of my stomach ,  "but I'm sure my brother will like you more."

Prince Felix suddenly spun me out of his arms and let go, only for me to land in the arms of another.

The Crowned Prince Of Aldmist.