The Most Beautiful Woman in the World

Rosalie's PoV

I, the queen of Port Angeles, sat in front of my dressing table mirror. With calm measured movements I brushed out my silken gold tresses. One stroke, two strokes, three strokes. I sat very still my eyes never wavering from my reflection. After all it was the most beautiful object in the room, why wouldn't you look at it? It was also much less complicated for me to focus on my beauty than on my thoughts. That was a dead end.

The door slammed open.

"What the hell are you doing?! I told you to prepare yourself and you're not even dressed yet! I thought I was married to a queen not some airhead whore. How the hell am I supposed to be impressive when my own wife won't even obey me!"

I didn't even flinch or turn away from the mirror. I was so used to Royce's rants. It hadn't been long after our marriage when his charming façade dropped. I tried to blank it out, these things hurt to face.

"LOOK AT ME WHEN I TALK TO YOU!" bellowed the King. And when his queen didn't respond fast enough for him he lunged at me, seizing a handful of my golden hair and forcing me to my feet. Forcing me to look at him.

"Don't you dare embarrass me tonight, Rosalie." He hissed at me, his repulsive breath breezing over my faultless features. I failed repress a shudder.

He laughed humourlessly under his breath. Abruptly he released my arm and raised his hand bringing it down again sharply, the back of his hand and his knuckles colliding hard with my cheek. I made absolutely no attempt to withstand the blow and crumpled at his feet.

The door slammed again at his exit. I didn't move, allowing my hair to fall across my face obscuring it from eyes that weren't there. I had remained so stoically silent throughout the confrontation and I still refused to let a gasp escape my lips now, despite the throbbing pain. But a single tear fell down my pale cheek. I wept not from the pain of the blow but because I was trapped, caged. No means of escape for the "most powerful woman in Port Angeles".

I lay there unmoving for several moments and then rose gracefully to my feet and sat once more in front of the mirror. After running a critical glance over the shadow of a bruise forming on my cheekbone I picked up my brush again and returned to my preparations from the night ahead.

Jasper's PoV

"Tell me again why I have to be here," Prince Emmett, my brother, hissed under his breath to me as we entered the Port Angeles royal banquet hall.

It seemed that I was not only the elder of the brothers (and the heir to the Forksian throne) but also the only one with any sense. Yet again my theory that my brother is an idiot seems to have been proved. I barely managed to restrain from rolling my eyes at him.

"I've told you before," I snapped back quietly "because being here will help relations between Forks and Port Angeles, as you know, and will hopefully put an end to the feuding which threatens our border lands."

"I know why we're here, but why am I here?" Emmett responded irritably. My temper flared at this point.

"You know that I want to be here even less than you do, Emmett. Do I really need to remind you that my wedding has been postponed to this trip? It's bad enough being here as it is you don't have to make it worse, so could you possibly just shut up for a couple of days."

"Oh, so that's why you're so touchy right now. Missing Alice, are we? Has she got you so whipped you can't stand a couple of days away from her?" Emmett chuckled, suddenly amused by the whole situation.

I walked away muttering profanities about my brother under my breath. I heard Emmett follow me with a sigh. I tried to console myself that, after all, it was only a couple of days and then we would be returning home, probably having made no difference to the state of affairs between the two neighbouring countries. King Royce was an ambitious, warmonger and no amount of diplomacy would ever change that. He was probably just weighing up our strength now.

Emmett and I sat down side by side at the table where I set forth trying to make civil conversation with King Royce. It wasn't easy and Emmett didn't help at all; he simply ignored everyone including me. We had agreed this was for the best, tact not being Emmett's strong point. The conversation and Emmett's inattention was interrupted by the sound of the doors opening. We all glanced up.

In that second the fates of everyone in the entirety of Port Angeles and Forks was changed to at least some degree. The lives of us around this table were irrevocably changed, even if we didn't know it yet. Some of us would lose their lives. Emmett would never be the same again.

For Queen Rosalie, the most beautiful living thing in existence, that had ever been had just entered the room. At least that was what she was known as, in my opinion my Alice exceeded her beauty but I am biased. But Emmett, my little brother and the younger prince of her rival kingdom fell in love with her in that second. Almost as if some electric charge had run through her drawing her to him she looked up and met his eyes. And we were all doomed.

She glided gracefully over to the table and took her seat to the left of Royce. She calmly smoothed down the deep purple silk of her dress, I could tell she was hoping that no one noticed the blush in her cheeks. Emmett noticed though. How could he miss it when his eyes never left her throughout the duration of the feast?

I was on edge with fear that Royce would notice too and take it badly. Royce did notice; but he seemed actually pleased. Pleased, probably because he had wanted to impress us and show us that he possessed things they could only dream of.

Emmett leant forwards with the intention of engaging the queen in conversation but I stopped him with a sharp kick to his ankle.

"At least try to be subtle," I hissed at him, "wait until after the feast to talk to her if you have to."

Emmett glanced at me and took in the small frown of disapproval on my face. He then quickly returned his gaze to Rosalie just in time to see her watching him. She ducked her head a small smile playing about her lips.

Rosalie's PoV

I clenched her hands in my lap, trying to stop them visibly shaking. My heart was pumping so hard. And to think only this afternoon I had been condemning myself to a lonely and miserable existence as Royce's prisoner. And now hope had rekindled itself in my heart without my permission to do so. Why had I suddenly become so foolish and fanciful, what had come over me? One thing I know though, is I have to find a way to talk to him without being eavesdropped on by nosy courtiers of Royce's spies, I thought.

After the feast ended we all made their way into the ballroom. The King and the Princes took seats at the head of the room as Royce endeavoured to impress and them with his talk of the strength and high quality of life that Port Angeles had. We had strength maybe but high quality of life? Hardly, our people barely managed to stay alive at all under his rule. I could see that neither of the princes were convinced. I sat demurely to one side of the men, pretending to watch the couples dancing.

Prince Emmett was also staring fixedly at the floor. I was sure that he was doing it in order to keep anyone from noticing what had passed between us when our eyes first met. My heart was beating so hard. I could feel the eyes of the other prince on me. He had seen the way I had reacted to the sight of his brother.

I saw from the corner of my eye Royce look from Prince Jasper to me and back again, taking in the prince's scrutiny of me, and misinterpreting it. He took it for fascination for me, which was the reaction I brought out of almost all men. I could see a small cunning smile curl his lips; this was yet another opportunity to show off what he had that Forks didn't. In a falsely gracious voice he turned to Prince Jasper and said,

"I'm certain that you will have heard of my queen'saccomplishment on the dance floor. I am equally certain that she will be deign to dance with you now, your highness."

It wasn't so much an offer as a challenge. He wanted to make this awkward for the princes and as he had yet to meet a man that wasn't overcame by desire when faced with me he felt assured that this ploy would succeed in setting the prince of guard and on edge.

Prince Jasper didn't seem to be particularly affected by this though. I felt a small stab of annoyance at this, I hated those rare occasions where I met a man who was I impervious to my beauty; it was like I was with that damn Lord Edward again. Prince Emmett on the other hand suddenly got a strained look on his face and I knew beyond doubt that it was envy that was causing that. My heart soared; this was just further confirmation that he felt for me what I felt for him.

The prince took my hand and led me out onto the dance floor where he took one of my hands in his and placed his other hand at my waist. I could feel that he was tense. And then we began to dance. I couldn't stop myself from staring over his shoulder, trying to keep his brother in my sight the whole time we were dancing. Unfortunately this didn't go unnoticed.

"May I ask what it is about my brother that fascinates you so much?" he asked me politely. His unexpected voice startled me from my musings. My eyes snapped up to his and for a moment I looked at him appraisingly. Then I lowered them with a slight blush.

"I cannot honestly say," I murmured truthfully and encouraged by the kindness in the prince's eyes I continued, "There's just something about him that I'm drawn to."

"Perhaps it the sight of someone looking at you with the desire to love you rather than possess and abuse you that you find appealing?" he questioned me in a quiet voice.

"How do you know that Royce hurts me?" I gasped in surprise. For answer he merely dropped his gaze to my right wrist. My sleeve had slid back slightly revealing a dark bruise on my pale skin, testimony of my husbands violence.

I stared up at him pleadingly trusting in the kindness I saw there "I would give anything to be able to speak with your brother, even if only for a moment." He seemed to debate with himself for a moment, as his eyes never wavered from my face. Then he sighed and stepped away from me and taking my hand he led me back over to where his brother and Royce sat. I noted that Prince Emmett looked exceedingly uncomfortable.

"I wish to continue my conversations with the king, my lady" Prince Jasper said in a clear carrying voice to me as we approached, ensuring that he had Royce's and Prince Emmett's attention, "I am sure that my brother will take my place and finish this dance with you." My heart leaped as I realised his plan.

Royce's eyebrows rose slightly but he did not comment. The prince rose quickly, stumbling slightly in his haste. He then stepped forwards and took my hand. As they touched an electric charge seemed to jump between us. I couldn't contain a small gasp and my heart began to pound again.

Emmett's PoV

Yes! I love my brother.

I was actually holding the hand of the most perfect creature in existence leading her out to dance. I couldn't believe my luck. I thought I was hallucinating when she first walked in, no one could be that beautiful and still be real. But then I was watched her throughout the feast I could see that she wasn't perfect. She was unhappy. An angel shouldn't be unhappy. Her eyes were shadowed and she was bruised, my heart felt bruised just by looking at her in her pain. I felt an overpowering urge to gather her in my arms and run away with her to somewhere where we could be happy together. The problem with being a prince is that you learn to control your every instinct and move.

But now she was in my arms. She moved so perfectly as we danced. I realised with a jolt that we had spoken a word to each other; we had simply been staring into each other's eyes as we swirled around together. I hadn't even heard her voice!

"Your Majesty, I…" I began but she cut me off.

"Please, just call me Rosalie." She said her voice barely above a whisper. She even sounded like an angel.

"Only if you call me Emmett." I responded unable to hold back a grin.

She responded with a dazzling smile. "Emmett…" she whispered as if trying out the sound.

"Rosalie." I returned grinning down at her. And we fell back into silence as we continued to gaze enraptured into each other's eyes.

We stayed this way for a while until I could not bear not hearing her voice any longer.

"Rosa…" I began but was cut off by King Royce's voice.

"You cannot claim all of Prince Emmett's attention all night long Rosalie, you must hand him back at some point." Even though it sounded like a joke the king said it all unsmilingly. He was staring at his queen with a cold angry look in his eyes. Rosalie instantly pulled away from me. I opened my mouth to thank her for the dance but my words died in my throat as I saw the fear in her face. She then turned on her heel and fled the room, looking close to tears. The sight broke my heart.

I turned slowly and went to sit beside Jasper again, unable to conjure up my courtier smile.