Rivalry Revealed

Jadelyn West sat in her chambers allowing her servants to brush out her long brown hair. Jadelyn's servants braided her hair adding into it streaks of color, at her command. She sat in her corset and other underthings. When her servants had finished with her hair they brought out her black dress and helped her into it.

"Must I go down?" Jadelyn asked her father as he entered her chambers when she was dressed.

"Yes Jadelyn it is a party that your mother and I are throwing. As the princess to our kingdom you must appear. Not to mention it will be a wonderful opportunity for you to meet possible suitors. Please try to be a polite young lady tonight Jadelyn it is important that you are to marry soon."

"I do not wish to marry father," Jadelyn said as she walked out onto her balcony into the crisp air that set her skin on a chilled fire.

"Jadelyn you must marry you cannot live here with your mother and I all of your life." Her father came out onto the balcony with her and stroked her arm gently.

"Father I do not wish to marry any of the men around here. None are worthy that I've seen so far and that's every man except the boy from the Oli-"

"Jadelyn!" her father roared in ferocious anger.

"It's the truth father the Oliver boy is the only one I haven't seen yet."

"You know our families are sworn enemies Jadelyn. I will not have any scum of the Oliver family courting my jewel of a daughter." Jadelyn turned from her balcony and reentered her chambers. "The party is about to start darling," her father told her "I must go down to greet everyone be down no later than thirty more minutes Jadelyn."

"Yes father," Jadelyn said as she sat on her bed.

About an hour later Jadelyn walked down the stairs and appeared at the party. She glanced over at her father and he shot her a very annoyed glance, she smirked in response. Jadelyn found the one table away from everyone else in the room.

"Dude I so should not be here," Beckett told his friend anxiously.

"You'll be fine," Andre assured him sipping his Champaign.

"Our families hate each other," Beckett emphasized. "I'm not only in trouble if they catch me but I'm in trouble if my own family finds out too. I don't know how you talked me into this."

"You weren't going to leave me alone to try and swim through this social gathering by myself."

"Oh ya I forgot," Andre stared at the young princess as Beckett spoke.

"You know," Andre said eyes still lingering on the princess. "Someone should go talk to her, she looks awfully lonely. You should go."

"I tell you that I'm trying to avoid being caught and you send me into the lion's den?" Beckett whispered fiercely.

"Look at her man she looks lonely," Andre said. Beckett looked over to the beautiful girl she did look mournful. Her eyes were fixated on the ceiling and she swished her wine glass automatically.

"Fine," Beckett said gulping down the last of his wine for good measure and heading towards her.