Here's a new story!! I know I shouldn't start another one while still trying to work on what I have (for BOTH of my accounts, mind you), but these ideas have been circulating in my head and I can't focus on my other writings until I get these out! I already posted a super cool one-shot on my other page and now I have the forst chapter to this one here... so yay! Maybe I'll get my racing thoughts out of my system! lol...
Disclaimer: If I owned Twilight then I sure as hell wouldn't be doing a Snow White parody... actually, maybe I would... never mind. I still don't own it. Sadly.
Bella Swan and the Seven Cullens
Chapter 1: "I've watched over you since you were born, Bella. I wouldn't have ever been able to stand it if anything bad were to happen to you..."
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"ISABELLA!!"
Bella cringed at the use of her full name. She only knew of one who would call her such, and it was never a good thing to be summoned by this particular person. But Bella went anyway. She had no other choice; her Queen was calling.
"Yes, Your Majesty?" she answered, after hurrying up the two flights of stairs from the garden to reach the throne room, whose window her name had been shouted from. She bowed low to the ground and didn't dare lift her head to examine the look on her Queen's face. She already knew it had to be something bad.
"Where were you?" The harsh severity of the Queen's voice made Bella glad that she wasn't looking at her face.
"In the garden, Your Majesty," she answered as quickly as she dared, hoping to expedite the conversation.
"You're always there." Because you never venture there yourself...
"Yes, your highness."
"Wherever did you get that horrid dress?"
"From my wardrobe, your majesty." She didn't mention that it was one that was given as a gift from the queen herself when she was keeping up appearances; it wouldn't help her case.
"Fine, I shall discover for myself who would supply you with something so hideous and have them beheaded." Bella just barely managed to suppress a giggle. "Do not grimace like that in my presence!" Perhaps the giggle would have been better...
"I apologize, Your Majesty, I was just entertaining a private thought to myself. I didn't think of how it might offend you." As many years had taught her, she bowed even lower. It was a sign of deep respect, and it also would prevent the Queen from attacking her; she didn't like to physically exert herself, and Bella had put herself out of reach.
"Fine," the Queen stated in a cold voice. "Now look at me."
Bella did as she was told and the Queen gasped. How did this happen? It was just yesterday her face was still round with childhood, was it not? When had she turned into an adult? I thought I had more time before this happened, the Queen thought bitterly.
Bella noticed the Queen's reaction to her face and she felt horribly disappointed in herself. She knew she wasn't the most beautiful thing in the land, but she didn't think her face would cause such a negative reaction. Perhaps her looks were the reason the Queen had been so cold to her since the death of her father...
But Bella's thoughts were interrupted.
"Go, now, Isabella. I do not wish to see your face." She tried to hold in her tears and she bowed once more, stumbling a bit, and practically fled out of the room.
She went up to her bedchamber and sat at her window, staring out into the forest at nothing in particular.
She had never been outside her father's castle, and she never had the urge to leave before this moment. And the urge was so strong, that she had already half risen from her seat before noticing her actions.
She hastily sat back down and did a quick survey of the grounds, gratefully observing that no one had witnessed her fault. She tried to compose herself and put on a more ladylike appearance in case someone were to take a stroll just now. She straightened her back, put a serene smile on her face, and began to brush her dark hair.
Every so often, she would get the strange feeling that she was being watched, but of course it was her imagination getting the best of her. There was no one outside, and not even a peep from the animals in the woods. Her room was empty, and her mind was just playing tricks on her.
She had often felt this way during this time of night, as far back as she could remember, almost. The feeling was generated from some of the bedtime stories her maid used to tell her before bed about the dangers of the forest and why she should never venture into it alone. Wild vegetation to trip you up, creatures to eat you, and unruly spirits of those lost to the animals that wanted to keep you there forever. She didn't believe the stories, but there was always the nagging thought of what if she was right?? Perhaps these spirits were the ones watching her.
Rationally, she knew how false this was, but her heart still hammered in her chest and her breath grew ragged as she stared into the trees, willing herself to stop being so silly, but still feeling her palms get wet.
It was the same every night.
Tonight she would prove herself wrong, she decided. She set down her brush and snuck out through the servants' corridors and out to the empty expanse of the castle grounds. She stayed in the shadows as she walked around, back to her side of the large stone building, and only managed to run into two people, although they seemed to be too busy in their little nook to notice her or give her half a worry she might have been discovered. She shook the image of the couple out of her mind as she continued on her quest, and soon she found herself directly under her open window, five stories above her head.
She felt more exposed here, where the castle didn't shade her form and anyone looking out a window could see her, but she knew the risk going into this. She took a small step toward the forest and nearly screamed when she saw movement in there. It's only an animal, she told herself. And the rustling wasn't big enough to be a dangerous beast, so she took another hesitant step forward.
The rustling came again and she held her breath.
Then emerged a servant boy. He was roughly seventeen years of age, the same as her, and he was looking ahead, up toward the sky with a sad smile on his face. He stopped in his tracks when he saw her.
"I apologize, Your Highness, I didn't mean to interrupt your stroll," he said, bowing low before she could get a good look at his face.
"You have nothing to apologize for, kind sir," she curtsied in response, and he stood up, flabbergasted at the respect she would show one who was obviously of lower rank than she. It was at that moment that Jacob Black fell in love with the Princess Bella. He was snapped out of his thoughts when she continued her speech. "Might I inquire as to the reason for your trip into the woods? It isn't safe in there, I hear."
She smiled kindly at him, and it took him a moment to process what she said.
"I was taking a walk and I thought I heard a noise. I wanted to surprise my father with some venison, perhaps for dinner, so I went after it."
She noticed his empty hands and asked, "Was it not a rabbit? Or did it just run too fast?"
He grinned. "I don't know. By the time I reached the edge of the woods whatever had made the noise had vanished, and there's no sign of a trail."
"'Tis a shame. I'd wager your father would have enjoyed that meal. Venison stew is one of my favorites."
"I make an excellent venison stew," Jacob replied.
"Truly? Well, perhaps the next time it's served in your household I'll be inclined to join you," she teased.
"It would be an honor to have the Princess Isabella enter our humble abode," he bowed.
She didn't enjoy this display. She had thought that he might have been a true friend to her, but he saw her only as royalty. Of course. "Bella, please," she said, hoping to gain a more casual relationship.
"Princess Bella," he corrected himself.
"Bella," she smiled.
"Isn't that what I said?" he asked. She let out a small giggle and he nearly fell over himself at the beauty of the noise.
"I suppose it is," she agreed, giving up for the time being. "And you are?"
"I apologize, Princess!" he bowed again. "I am Jacob, of the House of Black."
"Jacob, of the House of Black," she acknowledged and he stood back up. "Do you go into the woods often?"
"Aye, Princess. We must catch our food if we are to eat; we don't have it served to us," he teased and she smiled back in return.
"And..." She didn't know how to phrase her question without sounding like a superstitious child. "Have you ever met anything in there that isn't of the usual?"
"Still worrying about bedtime stories, are you?" he asked, catching what she was asking and causing her to blush. "Nothing too out of the ordinary. Another hunter every so often, or a nomad, traveling though, but no spirits, Your Highness."
Bella sighed in relief.
"Was there a specific reason you ask?"
"Well..." she debated telling him before giving in to the impulse; she felt like she could trust him. "That is my room up there, and I always had a funny feeling when I would look out to the woods at Twilight. I was curious if it was just my mind playing tricks on me." She blushed at her confession.
"Perhaps it's your internal spirit that bothers you, rather than any specters running around. Twilight is quite sad, being how it's the end to the day, something that one sometimes wishes would never happen."
"Perhaps," our Princess agreed, easily. She wanted desperately to believe Jacob's words that there was nothing harmful thirty yards away from where she slept. "I thank you greatly for your company, Jacob Black, but I must retire now," she said as she curtsied and he made a hasty bow in return.
"The pleasure was mine, Princess. Do you require an escort back to the safety of your home?" he asked, offering his arm as if he were raised a proper gentleman of the court. This surprised the princess and she took his arm without thinking.
As they began walking, her mind started racing. She was touching a man without a chaperone present! The scandal of it all! She looked around herself quickly and was satisfied not to see any outraged faces. She relaxed back into easy conversation with Jacob, and blushed as she explained how she had to sneak out the back, when he had simply brought her to the closest door. He laughed, but she could tell he wasn't making fun of her, so she didn't object.
When they passed the couple in the hall again, Jacob hastily switched sides so she was walking on the outside, away from the scene, and covered her ears and made her close her eyes until they were far enough away. They both knew he was overdoing it to protect her innocence, and it was truly hilarious, especially when Bella saw the look on his face after telling him that she had already seen them on the way out.
He didn't mind the display as much as he pretended to. It gave him an opportunity to touch the beautiful princess's silky skin, and also made him feel like more of a man worthy of her, rather than just a servant boy, when he knew he had the power to protect her from witnessing such things. She didn't seem to mind, but he enjoyed imagining her as extremely appreciative of his efforts, even though they were fruitless attempts due to her trip out from the castle. He would have to have a talk with Sam about the proper place to rendezvous with his love, Emily, the next time he saw him, just the same.
Too soon for either's liking, they reached the stairwell where they would part. He wasn't to enter a place of sleeping with a lady, even if it they did have a chaperone, not to mention that with his stature in society, one would automatically assume he was taking advantage of the princess. He was lucky no one had come across them yet or he would have been thrown in the stocks for a week. Not that it wouldn't have been worth it, to spend this time with the Princess Bella...
"Remember to send word of your venison soup," she supplied when it seemed an awkward silence would have to suffice for a farewell.
He was grateful of her attempts at conversation. "Indeed. I'll send a specter to your window with the scent of it, to let you know to come get it!"
"That sounds wonderful," she played along, much to his delight. "I'll just pray that you send a friendly specter, rather than a poltergeist or an incubus."
"I would never do that to you, my Princess," he bowed low, and she was touched by the sincerity in his voice. She knew she had to leave before she did something unladylike, such as hug the friendly boy. She took a step toward the stairwell, and he stood up straight. "Fare thee well, Princess, until my spirit seeks you out."
She smiled. "Fare thee well, Jacob, of the House of Black." And then she turned and scurried up to her rooms as fast as she could without tripping.
When she reached her destination, she collapsed back onto her window seat, once again looking out into the forest. But this time she knew there were no spirits hiding from her in there; only charming young men, it seemed. She smiled, and then she went to bed.
When she awoke in the morning, she called in a maid to help her dress for breakfast. She didn't even spare a glance to the trees that had haunted her for so long. After devouring her breakfast at a pace that would have made her father chuckle, she hurried off to the grounds, to perhaps take a wander into the forest, now that she knew no harm could come of it.
Still, despite her better judgement, she was wary as she ventured her first steps in. Soon, though, her cautiousness turned into exhilaration; she had never been this far before. It was a silly thing, since she could still see the stone turrets looming through the trees, but that didn't take away the excitement from the situation.
She took a straight path and ventured out. She had walked for almost an hour, she'd guess by the position of the sun through the trees, when she heard it. A sound in the trees. She knew that she needn't be afraid, but she couldn't help it; she hid behind a large oak tree.
Moments later, she saw a figure emerge in the clearing she was just about to walk in to. It was a man, and by his finery, he wasn't another servant boy like Jacob. Perhaps he got lost on a hunt he was attending, or he was a noble exploring as she was, but she didn't believe his messy bronze colored hair to belong to anyone she had yet come into acquaintance with.
He came closer and her first thought was, maybe he was a spirit, for he was the most handsome man she had ever seen. His face was smooth and pale as if it belonged to an angel, while his eyes were greener than the grass that was currently staining her pretty yellow dress. He passed right by where she sat, muttering words that sounded like a confession to his loved one. Once she was sure he was gone, she started back, making up stories about the handsome man/spirit in her head.
"He was a prince a century ago, who fell in love with one of the ladies of the court, though he could not marry her. He was the eldest, and therefore the one to inherit the kingdom, and his own father had already promised him away to another Princess of the country they were at war with, hoping this union would bear peace between the nations. But he still longed for his lady, Mathilde, yes, that seems a good name for her. He already knew that his younger brother was jealous of the fact that he was to rule, so he decided to profess his love for Mathilde, and they would run away together, letting his brother inherit the crown. He came out to the woods to ponder what to say to her, when a bear attacked him. Now he's stuck here, forever wandering and forever waiting to meet with Mathilde and tell her his true feelings."
Smiled in satisfaction with her tale before frowning. No, that wasn't it at all. Something was wrong with it.
"He was a noble named Robert from another kingdom. He had heard legends of the Princess from here, and how she was not quite stable in her mind. He offered a quest to his King, to discover the truth of this statement, for the King was to accept this princess as a daughter-in-law soon, and he didn't approve of a lame woman for his son, even if it was Geoffrey, the son he despised. The offer of such a wife would be an insult to him, and his Kingdom. So the King approved of Robert's quest, and he slunk through the forest to try to see the Princess with his own eyes. But when he did, he was stunned, for the Princess was beautiful beyond words, beyond compare. He fell in love with her instantly. But he was loyal to his King and would never have taken something that wasn't his, so he returned to his home and reported that though she was sane, she was ugly and bitter. The King didn't want a woman like that residing near him, so he agreed to let the engagement lapse, without harm on either side. When Robert heard this news, he set out at once, rushing back to the land where his beloved waited for him, whether she knew it or not. But the King noticed him setting out again, and had him followed. It was discovered that he was a liar and he was executed in these woods, while still deciding how best to approach his Princess."
She thought for a moment. This tale seemed somehow more accurate, which she knew was silly... none of this truly happened... but somehow, something was still off with her account. She had almost reached the edge of the woods again before she could understand what was wrong with her account.
Then she saw a shape in front of her. Her breath caught as she imagined meeting her angelic specter face-to-face.
"My Princess!" came a voice she had not expected. "What are you doing out here?"
"Jacob," she sighed. "I was just looking for a hare for you!"
"What a coincidence, for I was doing the same for you, Your Highness," he bowed, smiling at the continuation of their joke. He was glad she had not forgotten his face, or their teasing, for he had enjoyed it so. Then he noticed the green patch on her otherwise flawless dress and he was instantly worried. "Are you alright? Did you fall down?"
"I beg your pardon? OH! No, I was," she blushed, "I was hiding from a fictional ghost. I went for a walk and then I saw him... and he was so beautiful with green eyes and bronze hair, I swear he must have been an angel walking on earth... have you ever witnessed a site such as that in the woods before?" she asked earnestly.
Jacob didn't appreciate hearing his princess speak of someone else in such a flattering light. He knew that he could never expect her to love him, but he also didn't expect her to tell him of her affections for someone else so blatantly.
"Jacob?" she asked again when he didn't answer her.
"Yes, I have, once. I was leaving the woods and an angel stepped directly in my path and spoke to me."
"Really?" she asked. He noted how adorable she looked when she was excited. "Do you think it was the same angel as the one I just witnessed?"
"No, my angel was a beautiful woman. And she's flesh and blood."
"I see," she said, disappointed. She attributed this feeling to mean that he hadn't seen her angel.
"And I don't recommend you walk in these woods alone, Princess. There may not be evil spirits, and there may be angels, but therein also waits large animals and men who would not let morals stop them if they saw you."
His words confused her. Would they want to murder her? Why? What had she ever done to them? "What do you mean, Jacob?"
He blushed. "I mean... some men would be likely to take advantage of a situation when they found themselves alone with a beautiful princess."
"Oh..." she said. Then she understood. "Oh!" he gave a dark chuckle at her reaction.
"Yes, 'Oh!'" he quoted. "So I suggest you not wander far enough that you might meet this angel of yours again, in case he's not quite as angelic as he appears, do you understand?"
She nodded vigorously.
"Good. Now as you've failed to catch us some venison soup, I shall have a go. Do you wish to accompany me?"
"I fear not. The Queen expects me for tea at midday, which is in..." she looked up at the sun, "an hour. And I must change into something presentable for her by then."
"I wish you luck and bid thee adieu," he bowed. It was a well known fact how callous the Queen had become since her husband's death. Bella thought it was sweet of him to send her well wishes for her meeting.
"And you as well," she curtsied. He walked off into the trees, and she meandered over to the stairwell she had seen the couple in the night before. It was empty now, and she let it lead her away to her chamber to once again dress for the day. She only hoped the soil would come out of this dress when it was washed.
After she had changed into her favorite dark blue gown, she went to meet the Queen for their daily showing of "affection" to the rest of the court. But when she arrived, a messenger told her that the Queen had requested that they take their tea in the garden.
This news surprised our Princess Bella. Hadn't the Queen so recently voiced her distaste of that place? Any why dine together when there would be no one to witness the false act of family bonding? All these questions swirled in her mind as she walked outside.
The Queen waited, and immediately dismissed all present. This wouldn't be good.
"You are my heir."
"I am." Bella was greatly confused as to why this was being spoken of now, considering how it was common knowledge.
"Who, do you suppose, would take your place if you decided to... I don't know, run away with a servant boy by the name Black?"
Her eyes widened. So that was what this was about... but she had it all mistaken.
"My Queen, nothing of a questionable nature has occurred, I assure you!"
"And why would I take the word of a harlot?"
"I am not!" she exclaimed, tears coming to her eyes.
"Perhaps," the Queen stated. "But if there was even a question of it, you would never find a willing husband. And you would never rule. So it is your duty to tell me who would be next in line." Her voice was deathly calm, and Bella knew that didn't bode well. She decided to tread lightly and answer as correctly as possible.
"Riley, Your Majesty," Bella said. Victoria had married in to the crown, her husband being a noble who had died in battle. The King had taken pity on her and they were wed, though only recently had she produced more children, Riley being the eldest of these children at three years old. She had several more recent children though, all could still be considered toddlers and newborns, sets of triplets each.
"But Riley is young, yet. Who else would wear the crown?"
"I don't know, I have no other relations. You would just keep it until your death or until Riley had matured fully."
"That's right. So I would wear it. Because I'm meant to. Because I was chosen and you were just born. Think of it this way, Isabella. 'Divine Right' is gone." Though she wasn't shouting, she was shaking with fury and her quiet words were laced with venom.
Bella was frightened. She had never seen the Queen quite so angry before, and she had no hope that anyone would intercede, for she had sent everyone away.
"But I haven't done anything, Your Majesty!" she pleaded.
"Not yet. But you will. Your father loved you more, and James does as well! You aren't as beautiful as me! You can't be!"
This confused her. Of course her father loved her more: she was his daughter, and the Queen was his charity case since his true love had died and he had to keep trying to produce heirs. Unfortunately, the new queen hadn't been successful at this until just before the King had passed. And Bella knew no one named James, whom the queen might mean.
And of course the Queen was more beautiful. Bella didn't even try to dispute this in her mind.
"What do you want from me?" Bella asked, tears in her eyes.
The Queen ignored her. "Laurent! Charles!"
Two men appeared almost out of nowhere in front of them, and Bella blinked in surprise.
"Laurent, I want you to escort our Princess into the woods and dispose of her in any way you wish. Bring me her heart as a keepsake. And Charles, retrieve her 'lover' Jacob Black. Say that Bella wished to meet with him for a walk through the woods. Then, they'll disappear off into the sunset together and no one in the kingdom will know what truly happened to them. Go. Now!" The man named Charles shot a glance over his shoulder at Bella, and she was surprised that she recognized him. He was the one who had brought the news to her of her father's demise, and had taken care of her for as long as she could remember. It hurt her to know that he was going to allow the Queen to do this to her. She shot him a look of betrayal before the man named Laurent grabbed her arm and tugged her roughly toward the woods, stumbling most of the way.
They traveled until the sun was an hour from setting when Laurent stopped abruptly. Bella was relieved, thinking that perhaps he would listen to her pleas at last. But then he shoved her to the ground and drew a small dagger from his belt. He raised it to her throat and her breathing stopped.
"That's right. If you hold still it will hurt less," he soothed, a smirk on his face.
"More or less makes no difference if you plan on killing me either way. I'm only concerned about time."
"I see," he said, obviously surprised at her words. "Well, I'll tell you that time is in fact of the essence, so we shall be quick. Feel free to scream all you wish, though," he began as he started pulling her skirts up. "No one will hear you anyway."
And then Jacob's words came back into her mind: I don't recommend you walk in these woods alone, Princess. Therein waits men who would not let morals stop them if they saw you... some men would be likely to take advantage of a situation when they found themselves alone with a beautiful princess...
And so she did scream. She screamed for him to stop and for her angel to come rescue her and for someone to find them as she thrashed about, earning her a cut across her neck; nothing lethal, but the blood was running down to stain the front of her pretty dress and that annoyed her.
After a couple minutes of struggling, Laurent was thrown off her and hit a tree. He slid down to the floor unconscious.
Bella looked up at her savior, only to see her angel from that morning looking down at her. His hair was even messier, as if he had been running, and his eyes were wild.
He grabbed her hand, hauled her up, and tried to lead her away, but she wouldn't budge.
"Come on, Princess, we have to go before he wakes up!"
But she still didn't move. She didn't know if it was because her angel was here, talking to her, if it was because the last time she got taken into the woods the person had tried to kill her, or if it was because said person has just attacked her seconds before.
"Princess, come on!"
He looked at her face and saw the mental battle waging in her mind, so he stopped pulling and stepped directly in front of her. "Bella," he said, and her eyes immediately met his. "I'm not going to hurt you, but you have to trust me. We need to go because I would hate for him to wake up and then need to slay him in front of you. But we have to go now, alright?"
She just nodded. At the action, he noticed more blood spilling from her skin. He gestured for her to walk, and then followed behind, ripping the sleeve of his shirt as he went. He touched the cloth to her neck and she jumped at the sudden touch, but relaxed and took over for him when she saw what was happening.
They had been walking for maybe half an hour when Bella suddenly stopped.
"What is it, Princess?"
"What about Jacob?! We left, and Charles was going to-"
"Keep your voice down. Charles was going to tell him to run away, and then go find Laurent and finish what was started. He's the one who found me and my family years ago, and he came to me when he was faced with the situation of killing the girl he had watched over since she was an infant or face death himself. Charlie would never betray you, Princess, so might we continue on?" he asked, his voice fast and low.
"So Jacob is safe?" she asked.
"Yes," he said, slightly angry. "Now may we continue? We have a long journey ahead of us."
She nodded and let him lead her through the woods, keeping one hand on her back to guide her, and occasionally using his other hand to hold her elbow to help her over any rocks or logs that were in their path. She pretended not to notice her heart hammering at the touch, just as he pretended not to enjoy the feel of her body as it moved with each step.
He glanced down at her and noticed how beautiful she was in the light of the setting sun, and how nicely her skin went with the color of her gown, though it was probably ruined now from the blood that had fallen on it. And that directed his attention back to her neck, which curved elegantly, and how slender it looked, even with the thick strip of cloth wrapped around it. He was very disappointed in himself for not coming sooner. He had temporarily lost the trail after they waded through a river and was in the process of finding it again when he heard her screams for mercy, rescue, and even help from the angels. That last one tore at his heart; he was hardly an angel if he couldn't stop her from being hurt.
"Are you in pain?" he suddenly asked.
"No, why?" she responded, looking at him and therefore tripping over a root. He caught her, of course, and they both felt the electricity when his hands grazed the bare skin of her forearms.
"Because you nearly had your throat slit open, Princess, that's why! And I can't believe I didn't think to check you for other injuries! Do you have any scrapes? bruises? Did he actually..."
"No, all is well, Sir..." she paused. She had almost called him 'Robert' like the Nobleman of her story, and now she realized that she didn't know her angel's real name.
"Edward," he supplied.
"Sir Edward."
"Just Edward," he smiled. She wasn't sure if this was the same as when she tried to convince Jacob not to call her by her title or if he really wasn't noble. Either way...
"Edward, then. But only if you call me Bella." He already had, once, when he was trying to get her to leave, but he had resumed referring to her as a title since.
"Bella," he grinned, and the grin was crooked. It made her stop in her tracks and her knees turn to jelly. "What's the matter?"
"Oh, uh..." she searched for an excuse and started walking again. "Nothing. I'm just wondering what is happening with Jacob now."
"Jacob will be running in the opposite direction if he's smart," Edward replied. He didn't appreciate how when he had just saved her life, she couldn't stop thinking of another man. Not that he had a claim over her, of course, but it irked his heart.
"Why the opposite direction. Wouldn't Charles have sent him to us?"
"No, it would be too conspicuous if we were caught traveling together. But Charles himself will be joining us shortly," he added to lighten the subject.
"Truly? When? Where?" Her excitement was contagious. He couldn't stay in a foul mood when Bella smiled so happily at him.
"A riverbank about half a mile away, and he might already be there."
She immediately hurried forward and almost toppled over.
"Careful now, Bella. There's no rush. We have plenty of time now."
Soon they had reached the promised meeting spot, and there Charles was, sitting on a log. Bella was so grateful to see him that she ran the last several meters and threw herself at him. He was surprised, but hugged her back.
"Thank you for not aiding in the death of myself and my friend," she joked.
"I've watched over you since you were born, Bella. I wouldn't have ever been able to stand it if anything bad were to happen to you," he responded sincerely. Edward observed that she looked as if she was about to cry at his words.
"Thank you," she repeated.
"You choose your friends well, Princess," he spoke in a teasing voice. "That friend of yours was so worried about you that it took me an hour to convince him to leave, even when he saw Laurent disabled on the floor. He wanted to go after you, and make sure you were alright."
"Oh, but you convinced him I was, yes? He'll go off to safety?" she asked desperately, and Edward sighed. She couldn't stop worrying about the boy, could she?
"I believe so. I had to explain that I left her in the care of someone who would rather die than let her be harmed in any way." Edward shot him a panicked glance. "He has enough honor that he could never witness a crime and not want retribution, and he would never allow a lady to be harmed in his presence."
Edward calmed. He wasn't ready to admit his love to a woman whom he had only seen from afar the past several years. He had run away from home to escape his destiny and had traveled several days, only to end up outside the gardens of the castle. This was where he had spotted Bella the first time, and he was so captured by her beauty, and so pained by her sadness, that he wanted to approach her. He almost had, when Good Ole Charlie grabbed him by the neck and interrogated him. Charlie was always watching over her, even when she didn't know it. And in the past couple years, if Charlie wasn't, then Edward was, for he had been coming back once a month ever since. His parents didn't even seem to mind, since he had found himself a chaperone here. One of his older brothers would just escort him for the first length of the journey, and then Charlie would meet him here, at this riverbank, and would fill him in on everything about the girl, then lady, now woman he had fallen for all those years ago.
But he didn't want to tell her that right now. She had been through enough without his plea for her love in return, and he was afraid that she would give it for the reason alone that he had saved her. He had planned to visit the court as an ambassador from his home, meet her, gain her favor, and then confess. But the plan all changed when Charlie wasn't there to meet him.
He had worried that perhaps Charles was sick, and he hurried to the man's quarters, only to find a note pinned to his pillow: Bella in danger. Destroy this, then follow their path into the woods. I'll save the friend, and clean up your mess, then meet you two at our spot. HURRY.
And like that, he balled the note up, fed it to the lit candle and didn't even wait for it to finish burning before sprinting as fast as he could into the woods. He went to the garden first, since Bella loved being there so much, and was lucky enough to see the start of the trail. He saw her tiny footprints being dragged off by much larger ones. The fury in him built, and he ran faster than he ever had before to follow behind.
But he couldn't tell her this. Not yet.
Thoughts? Comments? Questions or opinions? I'm all ears!
Much Love,
Grace, the unGraceful