Yes another story, Very different from my last. I hope you enjoy reading it. If anybody could be my Beta it would be much appreciated. Have any questions ask me and I will quite glad to answer them! Ok on with the story!
Once upon a time, there lived a little girl…
Year 1690
"Jacob, Jacob," I screamed in delight. "Father is coming home tomorrow!" I was so excited. My Father's name was Charles Swan. He had been away for a fortnight training all the new castle guards and was finally coming home. I had missed him dearly. I had been looked after by the cook Ms. Cope, who was a lovely lady but had a wagging tongue.
"That's great Bella!" Cried Jacob, I had known Jacob for forever. He was only a year older than and was my best friend, we did everything together every chance we got. Jacob was the son of Lord Bill Black of La Push, and was currently living near the palace because of Lord Black's bad health.
"So Jacob what can we do today?" I asked "Because tomorrow can't come soon enough." The seconds seemed to drag on forever. All my life it had only been my father and I. My mother had passed away shortly after I had been born. We were all each other had.
"Well we could go swimming in the lake; we haven't done that in ages." Jacob decided. I agreed straight away with that idea. He was right; we hadn't gone swimming in a long time, it was mid autumn and the lake would be too cold soon when winter arrived.
"Race you there Jacob" I giggled.
"Your on Bella," he challenged back "just don't trip." We raced down to the lake, I had stumbled a few times but I had made it in one piece. I of course didn't win.
"Ha, Bella, I won," gloated Jacob as we walk the final steps toward the lake.
"Well, try running in a dress," I huffed. Ms. Cope had deemed that I was too old to be wearing boy's clothes and I needed to start dressing like a girl. Every since I turned 7 a month ago, everyone decided I needed to start learning to be a Lady and nothing I said could change their minds.
"Well you should have thought of that before you challenged me to a race!" he teased. I glared at him.
"Jacob could you please undo these fastenings I can't reach," I begged, I planned to go swimming in my smock that was under my dress. I hated how I had to ask for help, but I simply could not reach the fastening on my back.
Jacob was now laughing at my dilemma and came over and undid the blasted dress. The second he undid the final fastening, I discarded the dress and ran straight into the water, enjoying the freedom of movement that was now otherwise restricted by my more "appropriate attire." Jacob joined me wearing his breeches he had left the rest of his clothes next to my discarded dress.
"Bella your It," said Jacob as he tagged me. We spent the rest of the day playing in the lake, pretending to be great explorers discovering new lands as well as sea-folk living in grand palaces. When we were finally dry enough we put out clothes on again. After that we ran back to the manor. Ms. Cope had left afternoon tea for us in my room. It was late after-noon when Jacob had finally left. He was going back to La push for a few days to see his elder sisters. I was going to miss him while he was gone.
That night I had a lot of trouble getting asleep I was so excited to see my father the next morning. When I got up the next morning, I was bouncing off the walls with anticipation. I made my way down to the kitchen for breakfast which Ms. Cope had prepared for me.
"Good morning Bella," Ms. Cope greeted me "I bet you're awfully excited that your father is coming home today."
"Yes, I can't wait!" I agreed "Do you know what time today he will be arriving? I want to be waiting at the front door when he does." She smiled at my excitement, she knew how much I missed my father when he left for long lengths of time, and fortunately they were few and far between.
"I believe you father will be arriving in the next two hours or so darling." My smile widened with this information. I ate breakfast quickly and scampered back upstairs to get dressed. Ms. Cope insisted on me wearing a pale yellow dress with lace trailing from the sleeves. After fastening the dress she sat me down and combed my hair.
"Bella, do you let birds make home in your hair?" she asked me, while struggling with yet another tangle. My hair was down to my waist and was a deep brown. "I can never understand why you look after this lovely hair, many women would die for their hair to be as lovely as yours." She sighed. My hair was down to my waist and was a deep brown; I never understood what was so "lovely" about it.
"It's not my fault my hair is so tangled up, it is the pixies, they attack me while I sleep" I giggled.
"So was it the gremlins that told you that using your father's best handkerchief to clean an old sickle you found was a good idea?" she asked me in good humor. She finally managed to comb out all the tangles and braid my hair into two neat plaits. "My, My don't we look pretty today." She laughed. I blushed at her compliment.
After she was done with me I raced to the front door to wait for my father's arrival. I knew he wouldn't be there for a while yet but I didn't want to risk not seeing him the second he arrived.
While I was waiting, I was thinking of the palace. My father never let me go there, unless it was for special occasions. He said that it was no place for a child to be. I couldn't wait for when I was older so I could go with him and not be apart.
After an hour of waiting I saw my Fathers chestnut horse approaching the house, I ran down the drive to meet him.
"Father, you're finally home, I missed you so much!" I exclaimed. He dismounted his horse and spun me around smiling.
"Well who do we have here; this little lady is most certainly not my Bella." He teased
"It's me I swear!" I laughed. Everything seemed million times better now my father was once again home. He put me down and tapped my nose with his finger.
"Now," he asked me in mock seriousness "have you been good for Ms. Cope?" I nodded my head. "Are you sure? No fires in the barns, no mice under the bed?" he asked me again.
"Nope nothing, I have been good like I promised." I said innocently, I might have put bugs in Ms. Copes bedding but I wasn't going to tell him that. "Did you get anymore books?" I asked, knowing that he had. It was a tradition; every time he went away he would bring back a book.
"Why yes I have, there was a new shipment that came from England so there was so many interesting books to choose from." He said building up suspense "I found this very interesting play called Romeo and Juliet, it was written by William Shakespeare, apparently he was a very gifted play writer." While saying all this he pulled out the play in question, I could not wait for us to read it together tonight.
"Lets me go and greet the rest of the household, ok Bella?" he said while grabbing the reins of his horse in one hand and holding my hand in the other.
Two days after my father had arrived back home he told me he had something important to tell me. I was very nervous as I stepped into his study.
"Isabella, you know always take number one spot in my heart right?" he started, playing his hands nervously. I nodded timidly.
"While I was in the palace a few months back I met somebody. I saw her this time as well." He carried on. I was still unsure where this was leading. "Well I am considering of asking her to marry me," he said quickly. I was shocked.
"Marry you?" I repeated trying to comprehend what he had just said.
"Yes, you need a mothering figure; we can be one big happy family. You would also get sisters. She has two daughters that are close to your age." He said trying to make it sound exciting. He seemed happy with the thought of marrying this lady. All I wanted was for him to be happy.
"What is her name?" I asked.
"Her name is Lady Victoria Maleficus. She is so very stunning, pale skin like you and flaming red hair. Her daughters names are Jessica and Lauren." The more he spoke of Victoria the happier he became.
"Father, she sounds beautiful, I am sure she will make a splendid mother for me." I said trying to sound happy for him. I was worried that he would no longer have time for me.
"So you agree?" he asked looking absolutely joyful with my answer.
"Yes father if she makes you happy I agree." I told him. He hugged me close to him and I hugged him back furiously, enjoying the most of the limited time of when he was only mine.
He rode out after morning tea to propose to Lady Victoria I watched him go with a sinking feeling in my heart. He arrived back home later that night and told us she had said yes to marrying him.
She would be coming to the manor the next morning so she could meet me and the rest of the house hold staff. I wished Jacob were here, so I would have had someone to talk about it, but he wouldn't be back from La Push for another two days.
That morning Ms. Cope dressed me in my finest dress. It was a light blue dress that went out at my waist, there was lace trailing from my sleeves as well as decorating the collar. My hair was combed so that there was not one single tangle in it.
I waited at the door with my father and the rest of the house hold; I was holding my breath prying that this woman my father was in love with, would like me. I saw a black carriage make its way up the drive way at a steady pace; it seemed to take forever for it to reach the front door where we were all standing.
The carriage driver stopped the horses and got down from his seat to open the door, when the door was opened out stepped Lady Victoria, Father was not lying when he said she was stunning. She was wearing a red gown that complemented her glowing white skin and matched her red hair, that was done up in complicated twists upon her head held in place with ruby pins. She radiated herself with confidence and poise.
After Victoria, two girls about my age stepped out of the carriage. One was shorter than me and had a mass of curly brown hair. While the other girl, had long blonde hair and was slightly taller. Both were quite pretty, but not stunning like their mother.
"Hello Charles my darling," she purred to my father "This must be your daughter Isabella," shifting her gaze in my direction. I curtsied to her, to avoid looking at her face.
"Yes this is my daughter Bella," he said. The rest of the household watched our exchange with fascination.
"How do you do Lady Victoria?" I said politely.
"Very well, Thank you," she replied, she then went on "I must introduce my daughters to you, this is my eldest Lauren," she said pointing to the girl with the blonde hair "and this is Jessica," she said indicating the other girl. They both bobbed in respect when their individual names were said.
We made out way to the formal dining room. The room was hardly ever used, because father and I normally ate supper in the kitchen with the staff. As I approached the table I saw that it was covered in an assortment of foods, each more delicious looking than the last. Ms. Cope sure went all out trying to make a good impression. Lunch was quiet; both Jessica and Lauren were whispering to each other, while Lady Victoria and my father were discussing politics. After lunch was done Victoria and her daughters went back to the palace court.
"So what do you think?" My father asked me eagerly after they left.
"Lady Victoria is very pretty and her daughters are my age so that's good. I like her," I told him.
"I knew you would Bella, you're finally going to have a mother to teach you how to be a lady of the court," he said excitedly. I could only nod and smile along.
By Mid- November they were married, the wedding was a lavish affair everything was beautiful. I had never seen my father happier so this gave me hope. Jessica, Lauren and I did not get along entirely well, they were content to stay inside and idly chat or do cross stitch, while I was still playing outside with Jacob.
Jacob did not like either of the Lady Victoria's daughters; we spent most of our time outside pretending to do dangerous deeds to save the Kingdom. All seem to be going good until a tragedy struck.
It was late December the weather was lot harsher than it had ever been before. My Father had left that morning after giving me a quick huge and sweet I love you and goodbye. He was riding back to the palace because there had been some trouble with a few guards and they needed him urgently to sort it out. He was supposed to be back that night but he never came. The next morning there was a knock on the door I raced down hoping it was my father but it wasn't it was Lord Black, his face showed that he had grim new to tell. I raced up to him asking him of my Father,
"Billy please tell me where my Father is," I begged while clinging onto his shirt. He bent down so he was eye level with me.
"I am so sorry Bella, there was and accident while your father was riding back, his horse got startled and he got thrown off at graylings pass." He told me gently, Jacob was standing behind him and I ran straight into his arms tears streaming down my face.
"He can't be gone," I sobbed clinging to my best friend "He can't be!" Jacob held me close trying to calm me down, I just stayed there and cried, I couldn't understand why my father wasn't coming home, he was the one who was always there, picking me up when I fall, telling me how much he loved me. I stayed in Jacobs arms for a long time just crying. I didn't pay attention to anything else outside horrible nightmare that I was trying to comprehend.
The funeral was to be held at the palace two days after his death, I was a complete mess I couldn't eat anything and spent my time sleeping and crying. When the day of his funeral arrived the whole house hold woke early, I dressed in a simply black dress and gathered all my strength and left my room to meet Lord Black and Jacob who were waiting for me at the door. The carriage ride was silent, no one speaking just thinking of what we were about to do and what it meant.
The funeral had all the court present I was standing next the Lady Victoria and her daughters. Many people gave glowing stories of my father strength and his kindness. I just sat there tears silently rolling down my cheeks. After all the speeches, they buried the casket. It finally hit he was really gone. I decided right then I was going to try to make the most of my life for my father and not look back.
When I looked around I saw the royal family sitting across the room. They were all so beautiful. King Carlisle and Queen Esme were holding each other hand. Their two children sat to the left of them. Princess Alice was small even for a child her age; she was also pale with ink black hair. Prince Edward was a year or two older than me; he had emerald green eyes and bronze hair. He caught me staring at him and offered me a small smile that held comfort, I blushed and looked away embarrassed.
Once the funeral was done we made our way to the palace. All the important people in my father's life gathered into one of the many sitting will, to hear the reading of his will.
My father's lawyer got up and started to read the will.
"I Charles Geoffrey Swan, give the manor and all my wealth to my wife Lady Victoria Swan-Maleficus. To my darling daughter Isabella I give her all my books and art work that I have collect through the years. If Lady Victoria finds another man to love and gets remarried, everything goes to Bella so she can have a stable future."
I smiled at the thoughts of getting my fathers collection. It reminded me of him I would treasure it forever. There were some gasps when the last bit of the will was read.
"I guess Lady Victoria can't remarry if she wants to live in comfort like she is now," said the lady behind me. Victoria looked extremely pale and I wondered what was wrong, did she want to remarry? After everything was done and said we made our way back to the manor.
That night I saw the true Victoria.
"I cannot believe the fool wrote that," she screamed, while throwing a pair of her gloves to the ground. She turned around and saw me standing in the door way. The look on her face was pure evil.
"Bella, now that your father is gone I can stop pretending about giving a damn about you." She said angrily. "You shall now help the household as a servant. That means no doing what you please. You understand me?" I could only meekly shake my head. "Good now we have that sorted out, you may go to bed." I ran as quickly as I could to my room.
My life changed forever that day.
A/N: OK what do you think? Next chapter will be her 10 yrs into the future. Please Review!!