The Clash of Destinies

Chapter 1

The Prince, Ethan, and his cousin, Anna, walked down a set of stairs into the ballroom. "You ready to dance," she asked, he groaned and shook his head.

"You know as well as I do, I can't dance," he answered, adjusting his collar, she rolled her eyes.

"You'll be fine, just whatever girl you go up to and ask to dance, warn her in advance that you can't dance," she told him, he sighed and looked at all of the people watching them.

"I'm nervous, Anna."

She shook her head, "Just take a deep breath and relax, you'll be fine," she told him, he nodded. "Now, find somebody to go dance with."

He swallowed and his eyes landed on a girl with dark brown hair flowing to her waist. Her arms were crossed and she shook her head at an older man that Ethan recognized as Jaxon Winters, one of his father's friends and the old head of guard.

Anna looked at Ethan and smiled as he followed his line of sight, "Go," she said, Ethan looked at her, confused. "Go asked her to dance." He started to shake his head and she shoved him in the girl's direction. He glared at her and she pointed him in the other direction. He let out a breath and looked back at the girl, noticing a scar on her cheek. He tilted his head, how'd she get that?

***

"Why did I have to come," Autumn asked, her father sighed, shaking his head.

"Because, Fall, all single maidens are supposed to be here. Prince Ethan has come of age to start courting a young maiden," her father said, as she rolled her eyes, crossing her arms. She noticed that every other maiden was in the "correct" attire except Autumn, who wore her best blouse and trousers and she made no attempt at hiding the scar across her cheek.

Autumn refused to wear dresses and her father respected it, "Yes, I know, I showed up. Can I leave now?"

Jaxon sighed, rubbing his forehead, "You're coming of age too, men should start courting you soon," he said, Autumn scoffed.

"Who'd court me? They all know who I am and most don't like what they s-"

"Hello, Sir Winters," Autumn froze as her father smiled. "And this is," the prince trailed off, as Autumn turned and stood beside her father.

"Good to see you, Your Highness," Jaxon bowed, "you can just call me Jaxon."

Autumn bowed, looking up at him, "Your Highness," she said, straightening, he smiled and shook his head.

"Please, you don't need to do that," he said, she looked into his stormy gray eyes and nodded.

"I'm Autumn, his daughter," she told him, he nodded, tilting his head and noticing how her hazel eyes changed with the lighting which made them look silver.

"Well, Lady Autumn, may I have this dance," he asked, holding out his hand to her, she swallowed. She was not a great dancer, her father joked that it was because she didn't have a knife or a bow in her hands to balance her out.

She rubbed the back of her neck and swallowed, "I, um," she glanced at her father as he smiled at her and nodded. She let out a breath, looking back at the prince, "Yes, of course," she answered, Ethan smiled as she took his hand. He led her to the dance floor as a new song started, "I should warn you," she started, he looked at her. "I can't dance."

He grinned, "Great, cause I can't either," he answered, as they faced each other, he rested his free hand on her waist as she put her hand on his shoulder. "So, Lady Autumn, what do you do?"

"Please, just call me Autumn and I hunt and teach horseback riding," she said, and he smiled as she stepped on his foot. "I'm so sorry, Your Highness!"

He laughed, shaking his head, "It's perfectly fine, Autumn. Also, please call me Ethan," he asked, she smiled, shyly. "At least I know how my dance partners feel," he said, she grinned as he stepped on her foot. "Sorry! So sorry!"