Amberly

'Jared!' Anthony shouted from where he hung upside down dangling from the wires that kept him attached to the Column. However, that wasn't what had both Elliot and I in stitches, not to mention the crowd who had gathered to watch the race. Anthony had somehow lost his pants, leaving him upside down and clad only in his boxers, his pants dangling from a wire above his head.

'I told you something was different this year,' Jared laughed, 'This year I win. Have fun Anthony.' Jared called as he reached the top of the Column before all the other competitors. The crowd was a mix of loud cheering and uncontrollable laughter, the people not knowing which prince to focus their attention on.

'Amberly, are you going to help me or just stand there and laugh?' Anthony asked impatiently, trying to swing himself into an upright position. However, it only ended in his wires getting more tangled and his pants getting pulled further up the column, like a flag being raise up a flag pole. His demands were met with more laughter as I leant on a shaking Elliot for support.

'Ant,' Elliot gasped looking up at his brother as tears streamed down his face. 'You lost your pants.' He managed to get out before his laughter prevented him from saying anything else.

'I know Elliot,' Anthony growled in frustration. 'Can someone help me get down?' He asked staring daggers at me. However, due to his current situation there was no possible way for any of us to take him seriously.

'What's wrong Anthony? Don't you like being embarrassed in front of the entire country?' Jared asked as he repelled down the column landing heavily on the ground and unhooking himself from the column.

'Jared, I promise you when I get down from here you're going to regret doing this to me,' Anthony tried to threaten, but again his current predicament made any threat laughable.

'You know I think most of the world might see this as well,' Jared mused, evilly. It was the same look both his father and Anthony got when they were pulling off a devilish prank. What had happened to the quiet, reserved Jared I had met when I first arrived in England? I looked over to where some of the press had gathered for the race and noticed they were all frantically scrambling to get the best shot of the disgraced prince. The man who was set to take ever the country.

'Jared, I can't believe you,' Anthony yelled, still twisting viciously to get out of the wires. 'When did you become so evil?'

'I always have been, you and father have just been too busy fighting each other to notice,' he answered smugly.

'What?' Anthony asked outraged.

'Who do you think started this little war between the two of you?' Jared asked with a devilish grin and I looked over at king Frederick to see a surprised look cross his face before it morphed into something that resembled pride. Queen Olivier's face wasn't quite so forgiving.

'It was dad, when I was twelve.' Anthony answered uncertainly, looking over at his father. I noticed by this time his face had gone red from hanging upside down for so long. Elliot and I were both watching the exchanged intently like spectators at a tennis match, our heads shifting back and forth between the two brothers.

'No Anthony,' Jared smiled. 'I just made it look like it was dad.'

'How, you would have been what, six?' Anthony asked in disbelief.

'Yes and even at that age I was smarter than the two of you.'

'What did he do?' I asked Elliot as Anthony began to yell at Jared who simply laughed at his trapped older brother.

'Anthony said the war started because dad filled his room with rotting fish. However, no one could find them at first because they were hidden. When Anthony finally found them the war began and has never ended.' Elliot explained.

'Did Anthony think to ask if your dad had done it?' I asked as the two brothers continued to argue with each other.

'No time for questions in a war,' Elliot answered before stepping away from me and I looked at him curiously watching his eyes as they met with his mother's. Something passed between the two and then everything happened quickly. All I could do was watch as the mayhem unfolded, my mouth dropping open in horror.

There was a secret signal between the queen and her youngest son and then there was complete pandemonium. Anthony dropped painfully from the wires where he had been hanging, falling into a crumpled heap at both is brother's and his father's feet, who had come over to join in the argument. As soon as he hit the ground bright pink sludge came falling from the sky.

At least thats what it looked like until I saw the people holding a large pipe which was expelling the sludge from the top of the Column and I recognised the people as some of the competitors. The three men's shouts quickly filled the air as they were thoroughly doused in pink and then as an added touch several children came running at the three men throwing handfuls of what appeared to be feathers and glitter, until they were covered from head to toe in pink sludge, glitter and feathers.

All anyone could do was stand and stare at the spectacle until strains of laughter filled the area as the crowd found it's senses. No one was more shocked by the display than the king and his two sons who were looking between each other in disbelief and then accusation. However, they weren't going to find the culprit among themselves because the true masterminds were standing beside me.

'Elliot?' I asked in disbelief, looking at the youngest prince as he beamed proudly at his devilish work. 'What just happened?'

'Mommy said they needed to learn a lesson,' he answered, never taking his eyes off the other men in his family.

'What? Queen Olivier?' I gasped, my mind reeling.

'A woman can only take so much,' she answered me calmly, gazing at her masterpiece.

'But..but…' I stuttered, staring up at her in shock as the men slipped over in the pink sludge trying to wipe it from their faces. 'I thought you were the sane ones.'

'Living with those three?' She chuckled as Jared flung a huge piece of goo at his older brother. 'No one would ever be able to retain their sanity.'

I looked over at the pink messes and saw the eldest man trying to pull his two sons off one another as he said something to them. Suddenly, three bright pink heads turned to us and I knew they had figured out who had done this to them. Unfortunately I was with the guilty party and I didn't like the sly smiles that were sneaking across the three men's faces.

'Oh no,' Elliot said beside me as they drew closer to us, feathers and all.

'What?' I asked nervously looking between the queen and Elliot.

'Oh Amberly,' I heard Anthony sing and I looked over at him, my eyes wide. 'I'm ready for my kiss love.'

'You…you didn't win,' I answered anxiously, taking a step back.

'I've been terribly embarrassed Amberly,' he pouted. 'You don't think you could give me one to lift my spirits?'

'I'm sure your ego will recover.' I answered with a slight roll of my eyes.

'Jared, I am your mother. You take one more step towards me and you'll be in serious trouble,' Queen Olivier warned her other son beside me. Anthony took advantage of the distraction and suddenly his arms were wrapped tightly around me, pink sludge covering my skin and clothes in a sticky mess.

'Anthony,' I squealed as the king wrapped his youngest son in a tight hug causing his bell like laughter to ring out over the noises of the crowd. Jared was quick to wrap up his mother and it wasn't long before all of us were covered in the mess.

'How about that kiss now love?' Anthony murmured, holding me against him tightly.

'Your parents are watching,' I answered anxiously casting a glance at queen Olivier who had finally shaken her son off and was watching the two of us with a small smile on her face. I couldn't see the king but I figured he was watching us as well.

'I'm your fiancé Amberly,' he pointed out.

'What about all the people?' I asked anxiously.

'I'm sure they won't mind me kissing you either,' he chuckled softly, his lips inches from mine.

'But-'

'How many more excuses are you going to give me before you finally give in love?' He asked, his breath warming my face as my lips tingled in anticipation.

'I can think of a few more,' I smiled, finally wrapping my arms around his neck.

'Save them, you can use them another time,' he muttered, finally getting what he had been begging for. I was completely lost in our kiss until king Frederick's joking voice broke through.

'I thought you were never going to kiss him,' he teased, as I blinked rapidly remembering where we were.

'Thank goodness she let you kiss her Anthony. I did not want to deal with your moping on the way home,' Jared joked, earning a harsh glare from Anthony.

'However, your family does have a knack of interrupting you son,' the king mused and Anthony threw him an uncertain look, glancing at his mother for a moment and I realised what king Frederick was doing.

'Elliot is very good at that,' Anthony said in a warning tone to his father.

'No, I was thinking about this morning,' Frederick smiled devilishly and I rested my forehead against Anthony's chest as I realised what he was about to do. 'When I walked in on the two of you-'

'Dad!' Anthony exclaimed at the same moment I heard the queen's voice cut across her son.

'Anthony, what were you doing?' She demanded.

'Nothing mum,' he assured her stepping away from me and I looked over to find both the king and Jared trying to hold back their laughter whilst poor Elliot looked between everyone with a confused look on his face.

'Dad, what did Anthony do?' He asked innocently but his father was in no shape to answer and neither was Anthony who was trying to reassure his mother of our innocence. I had no intention to help him with the queen. She only just gave me her approval I wasn't going to test that relationship.

'Amberly?' Elliot asked, taking my hand so he could get my attention.

'Err, maybe when you're older Elliot,' I answered uncomfortably as our guards readied for us to head back to our cars.

'I'm eight, I'm old enough,' Elliot reasoned and I just shook my head at him as Anthony and his mother continued to argue. 'Fine,' Elliot huffed pulling his hand from mine to cross them over his chest angrily. Or he would have except his hand appeared to be stuck in mine.

'What the?' I tried to pull my hand away but it wouldn't budge. It appeared that the pink goo had hardened, trapping mine and Elliot's hands together and I realised the rest had turned hard as well, my dress moving at awkward angles where it had stiffened. Looking back over my shoulder at Anthony I saw that he had acquired a new pair of pants and he didn't seem very happy about it either.

'Mum, what have you done?' He demanded trying to walk with straight legs.

'Oh Anthony,' she laughed, covering her giggles with her hand.

'I can't believe this,' he muttered, walking over to me awkwardly and I desperately tried to hide my own amusement.

'Ant, you're walking funny,' Elliot laughed and Anthony sighed in exasperation.

'Elliot, why don't you go with mum and dad I want to walk with Amberly?' Anthony asked tiredly.

'I can't silly,' Elliot giggled. 'Our hands are stuck together.'

'What?' He looked up at me and I raised our joint hands with a sheepish shrug of my shoulders. 'I can't believe this, no pants, then pink pants and now I can't even hold my fiancé's hand,' he grumbled, stalking ahead of all of us in his straight legged pants. I looked over to Elliot and for a second we shared a silent look before bursting into uncontrollable laughter.

Maxon

I could already feel my head pounding, after hours of sitting in this budget meeting and getting nowhere. It didn't help that my son, the future ruler of this country still wouldn't even look at me. I didn't know another way to make him understand me or what happened all those years ago. I would have done anything to protect America but I hadn't known my father had taken her. Why couldn't he understand that?

'The only option I see is for us to take funding away from the failing schooling system and put it into the war effort,' one of my least favourite advisors, Michaels, suggested. I almost groaned before catching myself and readying to defend the struggling school program we had been trying to keep running for twenty years. However, before I could speak up another person jumped in to defend the school system.

'You can't possibly think that would be the only solution,' Adam spoke up and I looked at him in shock. Before I left he would have never spoken out against an advisor. Despite all his training I knew he felt underprepared to ever handle the matters of the country. He was still very young and I knew he felt uncomfortable speaking up to the ageing men from our council of advisors. He was the last person I expected to speak out against one of the more vocal and opinionated advisors.

'War is coming Prince Adam,' Michaels replied looking at my son condescendingly and I sat back and waited for how Adam would respond. My first instinct was to step in for him but I knew this was something he needed to do. If he failed I'd be there to pick up the pieces but this time he was going to have the option whether he succeeded or failed because I wasn't going to step in to save him. 'We need to make budget cuts to fund the war effort. Logically, we would take money away from failing area's of society and that means the schooling system. It was a noble pursuit but sacrifices need to be made for the security of this country.' Michaels continued an air of superiority filling his tone and it took all I had not to defend Adam.

'What, so those who have the least have to give up the most?' Adam demanded and I tried to send him a warning glance but his eyes were locked on Michaels and so were the rest of the rooms. 'You're from Claremont, correct Michaels?'

'Yes, your highness,' Michaels answered, still wearing an arrogant look on his face.

'From the wealthy area, where your children receive private education?'

'Of course,' he answered emphatically.

'Well, why should your own children receive a better education than others in our country? Education should be a basic right and yet still many Illean children don't receive any formal education,' Adam answered passionately.

'If their parents can't afford to send them to school then they can't attend. These people are just a drain on our resources. They sit in the streets not contributing to society and then demand that we feed them and provide them shelter,' Michaels shot back and the entire room was silent as it watched the argument between their prince, their future leader and one of their own. A lot rested on the outcome of this and if Adam was to ever to be considered a strong ruler in the eyes of these people he needed to win.

'How could they possibly ever contribute to society if people like you refuse to give them the education they need to better their lives?' Adam demanded, anger flashing in his eyes.

'Fine, educate them,' Michaels offered dismissively. 'But they don't need a full education. Give them enough to get by in the lowest jobs in society.'

'The castes don't exist anymore,' Adam shouted getting to his feet and if it were possible the room went even quieter. 'Each citizen of Illea deserves the same chance at education no matter their back ground. It's people like you who hold Illea back. Small minded people who don't recognise the potential of every person to make a difference. How do we know that one of those people you dismiss as a strain on society isn't holding the key to our salvation? How do you know that one of the greatest minds in science or a talented musician isn't freezing on our very own streets, being ignored and forgotten? You don't know and neither do I.

'Our schooling system may have its faults and yes it may be draining on our resources but no one can sit there and say that they are a waste. You are wasting my time even suggesting that we remove them so we can fund an effort that isn't even worth fighting if we act so callously to our own. Who would fight for a country that doesn't even respect its own people?' Adam demanded, the room filled with a tense silence.

No one dared to even move as Adam glared down at the man who had suggested something that greatly offended their prince. When the tension became stifling I cleared my throat, drawing all the attention of the room to me except Adam and Michaels' who continued to glare at each other.

'Why don't we take a break and we'll begin discussions when we return from lunch?' I dismissed. The other advisors got to their feet slowly, still in shock over Adam's outburst. Michaels was the last to leave, until there was only my son and I who remained.

'Adam, what was that?' I asked finally, when it seemed the silence would never be broken between us.

'The truth, we can't give up now just because there is another crisis bearing down upon us.' He answered tiredly, still standing and glaring down at where Michaels had been sitting.

'You've never been like that before, you rarely say anything in these meetings,' I said cautiously, not knowing how close to the surface his emotions were.

'I know,' he sighed, slumping in his chair.

'I'm proud of you Adam,' I said softly and he only answered with a nod of his head, the silence falling between us again.

'Adam, I know you're still mad at me.' I offered, knowing he was reluctant to speak with me because of the fight we had before America and I had left.

'I'm not mad at you dad,' he answered flatly. 'I might not understand what happened back then and I may never understand how you could ever let our grandfather do that but I don't want to be mad at you anymore.'

'You've grown so much in just the few days your mother and I were away Adam,' I answered gently.

'A lot has changed,' he replied getting to his feet and I mirrored the motion watching the familiar weight I felt on my own shoulders rest on my son's. It was an inheritance I was reluctant to give him but knew he needed to bear.

I watched him sadly as he made his way to the door and then stopped just before he reached it.

'If you cared for my mother anywhere near as much as I care Aisling, I know what happened to her must have been painful,' He said looking at the ground.

'I love her more than anything Adam. I would tear the world apart to see her safe,' I answered sadly.

'I know,' Adam answered and I knew there was more behind his words but I wasn't going to push him. Not now.

'I'll see you at lunch Adam,' he nodded and left and I felt a weight lift off my shoulders. I didn't want to fight with my son. Something was coming and it wasn't just the war. Adam was going to need all the help he could get because as much as he wanted to deny it, he had always had more of me in him than his mother. I knew the same troubles which plagued my mind were sure to trouble him as well. I knew he would do anything to keep Aisling safe even if it meant hurting himself in the process.

Aisling

'Giant Teacups!' Princess Harmonia said excitedly when she joined Alice and I in the women's room to help with the ball preparations. Melody was there too, but she offered no help and instead had been constantly staring out the window dreamily. I didn't mind ignoring her because every time I looked at her I was reminded of who she was with before she came in here.

'That would be amazing.' Harmonia squealed and I groaned, resting my head in my arms as Alice and Harmonia started bouncing insane ideas off one another. I may have been labeled a dreamer all my life but I didn't live in an alternate universe.

'Alice, we have two days left, how are we going to find giant teacups?' I glared at her. Alice simply shrugged and continued her conversation with Harmonia, who hadn't even noticed I'd spoken.

'There has to be dancing,' Harmonia announced to both of us, getting up to twirl before sitting back down in her chair. She hadn't been able to sit still since she had joined us.

'Of course there will be dancing, wouldn't want to miss an opportunity to dance with lover boy,' Alice smiled and confusion spread across Harmonia's face. I also noticed Melody sat up in her chair eagerly awaiting the identity of the young princess's love.

'Lover boy?' Harmonia asked, frowning at Alice and I shook my head disapprovingly.

'Alice sometimes you should keep your theories to yourself,' I mumbled, shuffling some of the hundreds of papers on the table between us that held our rough plans.

'Why?' Alice shrugged, looking back at Harmonia. 'That boy you were with earlier.'

'Justin?' Harmonia supplied uncertainly.

'The one you went to the stables with,' Alice confirmed.

'Stables?' Melody asked, probably confused why a princess would be seen with a boy who wasn't royalty.

'He's my best friend, I don't love him that way,' she scoffed, looking at Alice like she had lost her mind but I was fairly certain it was never in there to begin with.

'You couldn't be with him anyway and why would you want to,' Melody mumbled, slumping back in her chair, tired of the conversation. I glared at her before Alice started to speak again.

'Well, I think-

'Alice,' I said warningly, shooting her a look.

'What, what do you think?' Harmonia asked impatiently, obviously not hearing Melody's comment.

'She thinks that it is none of her business,' I answered before Alice could. She smiled at Harmonia knowingly but said nothing else much to Harmonia's distress. She pleaded and begged but Alice kept her lips sealed, for once, as we started to finalise the decorations we would need to decorate the ballroom.

'Finished,' I announced ecstatically, pushing away from the table as Alice wrote the last thing we needed.

'This is going to be amazing,' Harmonia proclaimed standing from where she sat.

'Wonderful, its time for lunch,' Alice grinned standing and I did the same, eager to be out of the room.

'I hope Adam will be there,' Melody said dreamily, almost floating to the door and I felt my body tense. I didn't know I was scowling until Alice cleared her throat beside me and I quickly wiped the look from my face.

'This is another one of my theories,' she smiled. 'But I do believe that you might be jealous.'

'What? No,' I answered defensively.

'I see,' Alice laughed, walking ahead of me, following the rest of the girls out. I stood for a moment thinking it over and I came to an alarming realisation. I trudged angrily after Alice to the dining room not looking up once to make eye contact with anyone. I didn't want to be jealous.

'Aisling, are you all right?' Alice asked as we got to our feet after lunch. I had been angry through the entire meal, stabbing at my food until it was unrecognisable as Alice sat beside me, her smug expression never leaving her face. The only time I looked up was when Adam entered the room but he didn't spare any of us even a glance. His brow was furrowed in concentration. I glanced up at him a few times through the meal and saw him eating his food robotically, ignoring all attempts at conversation from his family or any attempt by the girls to get his attention. I caught Melody trying to draw his eye a few times and every time I did, fire ran through my veins and my food took another beating, much to Alice's amusement.

'I'm jealous okay, are you happy now?' I spat at Alice who broke out into body crippling laughter, almost doubling over as I glared at her. I was about to storm off when I heard Adam's voice and I looked up to see him watching us closely.

'Lady Aisling, may I have a word?' He asked sombrely and strangely I felt ice spread through my heart. What was going on?

Alice's laughter died immediately and she shot me a curious look before I shrugged and slowly started to make my way over to Adam. The other girls looked at me as they left the room but I ignored their stares, my focus on Adam's sad features.

When I finally reached him I fidgeted nervously, waiting for him to say something. I felt dread fill my heart and somehow I knew whatever he was going to tell me was going to be something I didn't want to hear.

Chaos, pandemonium and mayhem seem to follow Anthony wherever he goes. His entire family is involved and now he has suffered embarrassment in front of his entire country. It wouldn't be the first time... That's all fluffy and cute but what's Adam got to say to Aisling? I promise you it's probably not what you think it is :) But when is anything what it appears to be...

Sam, well I hope you loved this Amberly and Anthony scene, especially his pink pants :) I'm kinda just picturing him trying to walk and I crack up every time. I have chosen to stop reading around my brother because when I read I get so involved that I start talking with the book. Apparently, to him that's weird. Who knew? People always say the first sign of insanity is talking to yourself and I politely asked them what the second one was and they said that if you reply then you are already there. I simply looked at them and said, 'Well then, I'm in huge trouble.' :) Anyway, hope you enjoyed the chapter. Oh and I have no idea how long the story is meant to be, I had planned on thirty-five chapters like my last one but well, we're almost there and my story isn't quite finished yet.

Theoneforever, so Aisling had a very different realisation this chapter and Alice was more than willing to point it out to her but what does Adam have to say? Oh and Alice being sneaky and trying to nudge Harmonia in the right direction, or in the Justin direction ;) She probably needs to find that one out on her own :)

T, so there was quite a bit more Antherly fluff, or pink sludge... :) I hope you enjoyed it.

lol5147, hope you had a good chuckle at Anthony in this chapter, everyone else did :) Don't you just love little brothers they always know just how to annoy you. I have no idea what it's like to have a sister because I only have brothers so everything I know about sisters I've read from books or watched in movies. I think I'm alright being the only girl in the family after some of the things I've seen sister's do to each other. Who knows what shall happen at the ball, or more specifically, there may be something that's going to happen after the ball ;) hint hint. I didn't say that, you didn't read that :)

Thank you to all my wonderful readers and reviewers, you're amazing :) As an interesting piece of trivia I was reading a book about words and did you know that 'darling' actually means 'little dear'. So all this time whenever Maxon was calling America darling he was actually calling her little dear.

Happy reading story lovers :)