Jade followed the brown haired servant girl down the many stone corridors of the castle in completely silence. Her mind was preoccupied with the thoughts of the blonde haired knight followed them closely behind. Her thoughts had strayed from him the whole time she was getting ready. Her dress although stunning still had not been enough to make her think of anything else but him. She sighed and looked down at it. It was a strapless dress, the top being a covered in thousands of tiny diamonds and reflected the orange glow of the candle light that lit the dark corridors. The bottom of the dress was a deep blue colour, the same colour that she had seen on the Kingdom of Sky's flag. A demonstration of the Kingdom's strong alliance. The Princess from the Kingdom of Mountains wearing the Kingdom of Sky's colour. The bottom was made of tulle with a basque waistline and a black lace up back. The diamonds that covered the top half of the dress spread out over the top of the blue tulle fabric, the concentration of them getting thinner and thinner until the eventually they stopped mid way down her thigh. It must have cost a lot, then again she doubted that money has ever been a problem for the Princess. Her long hair had been brushed to perfection and pinned up into an elegant bun with a beautiful silver tiara decorated with yet more diamonds on her head. The party of three turned down one more corridor to the right and Jade saw Prince Francis waiting patiently in front of two large wooden doors. He was dressed in a white suit, complete with gold buttons and embroidery and a navy blue sash over his right shoulder. On Top of his golden hear sat a small but perfectly sized crown that seemed to fit him like a glove. He smiled when he saw Jade and held out his arm to her as she got closer.

"You look delightful." Francis told her as she took his arm. Jade smiled at him.

"Thank you, as do you." She joked making the young Prince chuckle. The brown haired maid that Jade the day with bowed and left. The two guards waiting by the door pushed them open and one of the two stepped forward into the room before Francis and Jade.

"His royal highness Prince Francis of the Kingdom of Sky and her royal highness Princess Jade of the Kingdom of Sky." His voice echoed of the stone walls of the castle ballroom and the two walked in. The room was full of people, all dressed in the most extravagant dresses and suits Jade had ever seen. The room has been lit with a thousands candles and there were long rows of tables on either side of the room full with delicate looking foods all bite sized and a rainbow of different colours. Francis and Jade stood still and watched as the room fell silent and all the guests turned and bowed in their direction. Jade searched the crowd, there was no Zachariah just as he said there would be. Jade glance to the side and watched as Ethan silent slid into the room just before the guards shut the door. Jade sighed and glance at Francis. His head was held high as he looked around the room at people twice his age bowing to him. He seemed like a nice young man, but proud with an overwhelming need to prove himself because of his young age and small stature. Everyone stood back up straight and returned to what they were doing. The room was soon filled with the sound of older women gossiping and gentleman laughing. The music as joyful and had the guests that were already a little drunk on the champagne being passed around dancing on the spot. Jade watched silently as an old man dressed in a red and black suit came over. The jacket he was wearing carried on at the back past his waist and was embroidered with gold along the front. His jacket remained slightly open at the top with reveal a brilliant white curvet that looked to be too tight around his neck. The red trousers had a single black stripe running down them. He smiled when he saw that he has caught booth Jade and Francis' attention, the wrinkles on his face becoming more prominent as he did. He stood right in front of them and bowed revealing a bald spot on the cross on his white haired head. He stood back up and looked to Jade.

"It's a pleasure to meet you my Lady, I am Lord Elbert. I work closely with the King and hopefully Prince Francis when he ascends the throne." He smiled at her. Jade sighed, she had to pretend to actually be interested. All she really wanted to to was go and hide in the shadows much like Ethan was doing. She put on hoer fake posh voice and flashed him a smile.

"A pleasure to meet you." She answered him. He nodded respectfully in her direction and then turned to Francis.

"I do not mean to separate you from your guest my Lord but there is something we must discuss alone, it is quite urgent I'm afraid." Francis nodded at him and looked to Jade.

"Do you mind? I do not imagine I shall be long."

"No I don't mind." Jade replied with a fake smile. Actually she did mind. She was in a room full of people that were expecting her to be someone that she just wasn't and she had to hide it all. Although the Prince was one of those people that she had to hide it from she felt comfortable with him, she knew that he was a friend. Yes not her friend, he was a friend of the Princess' but while she was in the room he was the closest thing to a real friend she was going to find.

"Thank you, I shall return shortly." He told her before leaving with the old Lord. Jade sighed and watched as a male servant walked right by her with a tray of champagne glasses. She reached out and took one without even thinking about it. The boy carried on and she took a sip. She had never been a big drinker, she had always been a lightweight but the stifling atmosphere of the situation she was in made her feel the need or it. Something just to make her feel less nervous, something to help her breathing return to normal. She took another sip, a bigger on this time. She kept drinking and before she knew it the thin champagne glass was empty. Another servant walked by with a tray of champagne. Jade put the empty glass down with one hand and picked another up with the other. It was really sweet and fast working. She could already feel herself loosening up or maybe that has been her desperate mind believe what it wanted to rather than facing reality.

"Princess Jade." Said a very high pitched female voice from behind. Jade removed the glass from her lips and turned to see and important looking middle aged woman before her. She wore a simple beige dress that clung to he figure like it's life depended on it. Her hands were covered in oversized rings and there was a diamond necklace around her thin and slightly wrinkled neck. Her chocolate coloured hair had been softly curled without a hair out of place. "My how you have grown. The last time you and I encountered each other you much have been only 12 years of age. You have grown into quite the young lady." She smiled at Jade while her brown eyes drifted up and down her.

"Eh...yes thank you. You are looking exquisite yourself." Jade has never used that word before in her life.

"Thank you. I seem to remember you calling me an old toad last time." Jade couldn't help but laugh. The champagne was making it harder to act the part of the perfect princess. The woman gave her a surprised look and Jade even in her slightly merry state could sense that she was getting offended. Jade stopped laughing and composed herself.

"I do apologise for my outburst and my previous comment. It was wrong of me to ever compare you to a toad." Although Jade could see where her other self was coming from. There was a slight toad like resemblance to the woman, not that she would ever say such a thing to anyone but she guess that being a Princess meant that her other self could get away with saying just about anything.

"Well consider the incident forgotten." She replied with fake smile. Jade downed the rest of the champagne in her glass without thinking about the on looking woman. She didn't say anything but she clearly thought something but was biting her tongue. Jade smiled, being a Princess did appear to have it's perks at times. Jade spotted Franice coming towards her and smiled at him. He looked worried, there was a deep frown on his young face that made Jade think his conversation with Lord Elbert wasn't a pleasant one. He flashed Jade a quick smile and stopped by Jade's guest's side.

"So glad you could make it Lady Cordelia." He said loudly. The woman smiled at him, almost appearing relieved that he had turned up. Thought she wouldn't have been the only one, Jade was thankful to not have to continue talking to the woman alone anymore.

"It's an honour to be here your majesty. I offer my deepest condolences for your Father and am praying for his recovery."

"Thank you as I am. However if you don't mind there is something I need to discuss with Princess Jade." The woman looked from the Prince to Jade and smiled before bowing to the two of them.

"Have a wonderful night." She said before turning and leaving them alone. Jade and Francis silently watched until the back of the woman had been consumed by the many dancing bodied all around. Then the Princes turned to her.

"Let us go somewhere a little more private." He said holding out his arm. Jade could sense that he was nervous, she wasn't going to like this next conversation. She silently took his arm and let him lead her from the ballroom, leaving her empty champagne glass on the edge of a table as she did. Francis opened a small side door, hidden in the shadows of one of the enormous flags. He held it open for Jade to follow him, she looked back around the room. Desperately searching for Ethan. She spotted him on the other side of the room, he was stood with his hands behind his back next to another guard. He was watching her closely but made no move to stop her from followed the young Prince. She sighed and left with him, she looked up at the moon. It was full and shone a hypnotising silverlight on her pale skin. The cool nights air provided her with the change to breath, something which she had been struggling with the atmosphere that had been weighing down on her in the ballroom. She felt calm, something which she was sure the champagne had helped with.

"So what is it that you wanted to speak to me about?" Jade asked turning her attention from the moon to the uneasy Prince.

"It is about my meeting with Lord Elbert just now."

"I thought as much, what did you and he speak about?"

"You as a matter of fact. He and the council met earlier today, after your arrival. They had proposed an alternative to me ruling with a regent by my side."

"And how does that involve me?" She frowned at him slightly, she wasn't sure she liked where this was going.

"Well you see you are of age to rule without a regent and you come from our most loyal and powerful ally but our kingdoms alliance has been built only on trust all these years...they have proposed a more permanent alliance...one that would secure my rule as well as uniting our kingdoms...thought marriage." There is was, the big bomb shell. Jade felt herself freeze up, all the calm that the champagne and the nights air brought her vanished and she was left feeling even more suffocated than before.

"M-marriage?" She stuttered.

"Yes I know. It is not ideal, you and I have been friends since we were children. You are more like a sister to me than a wife but marriage have always been the strongest form of alliances. You knew this when you agreed to marry Prince Tyrell, our enemy. A marriage based on the fact that we needed to secure a strong alliance with them to prevent a war."

"Yes I know but our Kingdoms are already allies. We have proven that we are loyal to you, proven that we will stick by your side no matter what. That was the reason I called of my engagement to him." It felt weird saying 'we' when referring to the Kingdoms of Mountains. It was not her Kingdom, not her home and it was not really her that had called off that engagement yet she was confident that her other self, Princess Jade wouldn't be happy marrying this young boy before her. He was only 15, the thought of it was making her sick to the core.

"I know and I completely understand that but at the moment, as far as the books are concerned our kingdoms alliance is little more than spoken words. People see it as something that can easily be broken, that's why the Kingdom of Grass attacked my Kingdom in the first place. At least with our marriage our alliance will be set in stone, unbreakable for anyone to see."

"But our Kingdoms have been alliened since the fall of the Kingdom of Hearts, we have helped each other through thick and thin. Our alliance is already unbreakable." Jade's voice cracked a little at the end, she was getting upset. It wasn't her Kingdom and yet she suddenly felt incredibly passionate about it. Maybe this was the feelings of the sleeping spirit of the real Princess inside her, or maybe it was simply the alcohol coursing through her veins.

"Yes I agree." Jade groaned in frustration and began to pace. She needed to let of some pent up anger.

"Then why is this marriage necessary?"

"Because it would allow me to rule as King now, I would not have to wait until I turn 18."

"Then I am only seeing that this marriage would benefit YOU and YOUR Kingdom, what about mine? What would my Kingdom get out of this?"

"Half of the Kingdom of Sky, you would rule by my side as my equal. Your Kingdom would have my Kingdom's undying support."

"I thought that was something we already had. Are you telling me that if I don't agree to this you plan to turn your back on us?"

"No of course not. You are my friend, the only real friend I have ever had. I would never dream of doing that but you also need a husband to rule. Your Father has spent months searching for suitors, lord from rich families that no doubt only wish to marry you for the seat upon the throne that comes with you. At least with me you know I will not try to take your power away, I will not undermine you. You would be free to rule your Kingdom as it's Queen and be my wife in name only, just to appease everyone."

"And what happens when we have to make an heir?" Jade retaliated remembering the fact that the Queen had labelled making an heir to be 'her duty,' when she first arrived. "They will expect one as soon as we are wed, an heir proves assurance. Stabily."

"I know but we do not have to try for many years." Jade sighed in frustration as her pacing became slightly faster.

"You should have gone to my Father with this and not me."

"Politically yes I should have but as your friend, I believed you needed to hear this news first and from me." He told her in a calm and saddened voice. Jade's pacing slowed down. His statement and calm attitude having a calming effect on her. He didn't want this anymore than she didn't.

"You don't want this either." She commented looking at his face. Francis sighed, his face looked far too pent up with stress and worry for someone so young.

"I do not. I believe you to be beautiful and that any man would be lucky to call you his wife but I am not and never wish to be that man. My heart lies with another I'm afraid, a girl I planned to marry once I sat on the throne." Jade stopped pacing. Heart break was written all over his face.

"So...how do we stop it?" She asked him. He looked up at her.

"I have no idea." He replied simply. Jade sighed and looked up at the moon again, she had completely calmed down now.

"For royals we really don't have any power at all do we?"

"No, not really. The idea that the power of a Kingdom lies with it's monarch is a lie, all the power lies with the nobles of the land. The 'old farts' as you say." Jade smiled and let out a small chuckle. Francis returned her smile but it quickly faded for both of them. "I will do all that I can to stop this marriage however the council are putting a massive amount of pressure on me to at least present it to your Father as an option. I'm afraid I have no option in that part."

"I understand, let us hope that he refuses the proposal."

"Yes I'm afraid that's really all we can do..."