A/N: Personal note. My novella, Duplicity by Kristina M. Sanchez, is available through the end of the night (PST) on Amazon, so if you're interested, now is a good time! Thank you so much to all of you who've read and encouraged me. I'm stoked.

Now. About the fic. *holds your hands* Not an easy chapter. Breathe deep.


In the hustle and bustle of the castle, it was only by chance Edward was able to see Bella the day before the wedding. He'd been hurrying to get all his duties done, but the list seemed never ending. He didn't know how to get to Bella, only that he had to. As fate would have it, he passed her in the hall as she was going, unaccompanied, from her chambers to her mother's.

Without a word, he took her hand and pulled her into an alcove before they could be spotted. It felt as though eons had passed since last they'd touched, and it only took an instant for Edward to wonder how he would ever be able to survive this life they were doomed to.

When they were safely ensconced, they turned to each other in tandem. His arms went around her, and her hands went to his face. Their lips met in harmony and discord. They were so in love, but they were bound and helpless.

I love you, I love you, I love you. They were the only words in his head as his mouth moved with hers. Her body was warm against his, her fingers soft against the rough stubble of his face. She stroked his cheek with such gentle caresses, a direct contrast to the desperation of his kisses, he could have wept.

He cursed fate and every god who endeavoured to put them in this impossible space. Would their lives be simpler if they'd not fallen in love? For a woman in her position, a princess knowing she would marry for political gain, love was a liability, one more obstacle. Her duty was to be a biddable wife and bear healthy boy children. Their love could only ever be a weight on her heart. And for him, destined to a life of servitude, love could have been his one happiness if he hadn't fallen above his station.

And yet, how could he not fall to his knees and thank fate and every god who'd brought them together? If it had not been Renee and Charles who found him, if they had not brought him to the palace in Forkshire, if they had not made sure he was well taken care of, he would have been another lost child in a sea of unwanted children. A scamp or a ruffian or dead of exposure in that basket as a babe.

Instead, here he was, with a beautiful princess in his arms.

Edward sighed as he pulled back, and he kissed her cheek with gentle reverence. "I love you, Princess," he said against her ear.

"I've missed you. How I've missed you."

He took her hands in his and raised them to kiss her knuckles. "There is not a moment of the day I'm not with you. My every thought is of you."

She closed her eyes and leaned against him. "It cannot be. You deserve more than this, Edward. So much more."

"And you deserve more than your lot."

She raised her head again and freed her hands from his. Her eyes followed the lines of his face and she brought her fingers up to feel him. When her gaze met his again, he could see her tears. "Tomorrow," she began, but her voice cut off.

"Please, please. Let us not talk about tomorrow. Not yet." He pressed a kiss to her forehead, trying to breathe through the ache in his chest.

She shook her head and took his face between her hands. "Listen to me. I need you to know. I need you to understand. Tomorrow, when I take my vows, though it may be the prince's hand I hold, his name I speak, those words belong to no other but you. And I'm so sorry, my love. I cannot promise to keep my body only for you, but everything else I have, all I am, is yours."

Edward's throat was tight with emotion. He wanted to beg her to run with him. Run, and they would find a faraway kingdom where they could live in obscurity and peace. Run before it was well and truly too late.

He cupped his hand to her neck, tangling his fingers in her hair. "My princess, if my only accomplishment is to earn a single one of your smiles, then I will have lived a full life."

Her lips turned up and her eyes lit. She was stunning. "Prince of my heart, you have given me more happiness than I could have dreamed possible."

They came together again, their kisses now softer, slower, as though they had all the time in the world.

"Goodness, where has Bella got to. Have you seen her, Alice?" Queen Renee's voice drifted from somewhere down the hallway. Bella went stiff in Edward's arms.

They held their breaths, clinging to each other as the footfalls got closer.

"I thought she was in your chambers, my lady. I'm sure she got distracted. You know Bella. Isn't it just like her to get caught up in conversation?"

"Yes. That is our Bella. Please send her my way when you see her, Alice. We have so little time left, my girl and I."

"As you wish, your Highness."

Bella let out a breath as the footsteps faded away. Edward held her tight, not letting her disentangle herself from his arms just yet. He dipped his head and whispered wedding vows in his ears, the same vows she would take the next day.

He sealed his solemn oath with a final kiss before he had to let her go.

~0~

Emmett and Jasper tried to get him drunk before the sun came up.

All the servants were up and about early. There was much to be done, many guests to tend to. But Edward stopped them from mixing his morning drink with spirits.

"We'll help you, Edward. We can help with your share of the workload," Emmett said.

"There's no shame in it," Jasper added. "This day will be difficult enough to get through."

Edward shook his head and pushed their hands away. "She must bear it, and so will I. But I would ask of you one favor."

"Of course, brother. Whatever we can do."

Edward cast his gaze about and leaned closer so they would not be heard. He swallowed hard. "I wish to see the ceremony, or if I cannot see, at least to hear her. Everyone will be readying for the feast, so I should not be missed."

Emmett and Jasper were already nodding. "We'll be sure you are not."

"Thank you. Truly."

~0~

Edward climbed through a window so as not to be seen. He traced his way backward, hiding himself in a balcony that had been closed off for repairs. He stood in the shadows, watching the chaos below. So many nobles and royals, but he only had eyes for one.

At first glance, Bella stole his breath. He had known her as a clumsy, giggling child. He had known her as a lovely young woman. He had known her as a lover, knew what her body looked like beneath her clothing and how it reacted to his touch. But now. Now he saw her as a queen. She was regal and stunning. Captivating. Her gown glittered in the sunlight from the windows. Her hair, coiled ornately about her head, shone even beneath the thin veil. She was the definition of majesty.

Soft music accompanied her as she walked, on her uncle's arm, to the front of the room. Her head was high, her back straight, her gait stately.

She did not smile.

Edward let his eyes close before she reached James at the head of the room. He pictured her in his mind's eye, walking not to the prince but to him. He imagined her not in the ostentatious gown he knew she would have little love for, but in a long, simple dress such as she wore in the summers back in Forkshire. Were this their wedding, they would be in a beautiful meadow. She would wear a wreath of flowers around her head and more tucked into a long braid, perhaps with a ribbon wound throughout. She would walk to him with light in her eyes and the barest of smiles tugging at her lips.

The ceremony got underway, and Edward imagined the weight of her hands in his, the soft feel of her skin beneath his roughened fingertips. When the priest led her in her vows, there was true love in her voice, pleasure in her sincerity.

She'd kept her promise. Those words belonged to him. Her vow was to him alone.

Edward's heart felt too big to keep in his chest. For seconds, he was sure he would expire. He could not hold this joy, this love.

And when the prince spoke his vows, Edward murmured them quietly, fervently, hoping that somehow, she could hear him.

~0~

All day long, Bella had been near to tears. She'd shed a few the evening before when her mother kissed her goodnight. Renee had assumed she was just as overwhelmed as any bride before her wedding. When her mother had gone, she'd let herself cry. She'd sobbed into her pillows until her eyes were sore. Alice held her and rubbed her back and whispered that she was sorry.

But in the morning, as she was cleaned and buffed and combed, she was straight-faced. She had shut away her aching heart, breathed through the pain in her chest, and concentrated on her duty. She knew her role. All her life had been in preparation for this.

She spoke when it was expected and tried to feel nothing except when it came time for her vows. Then, her eyes blurred, and she let two tears well, concentrating with everything she had to envision Edward standing before her.

Now she sat at the head table, sipping wine that helped the spread of numbness through her body as she watched the festivities play out before her. She occupied herself by trying to remember the names of all the Kings, Queens, and other dignitaries. She'd met an absurd number of nobles in her new kingdom these last two weeks, let alone those she'd known most of her life.

She glanced at the end of the table and smiled back when her mother smiled at her. To her left, Aro was leaning across the table, his hand clasped with King Marcus of Volterra. She tapped on her goblet, eyebrows furrowed as she considered.

Volterra, Forkshire, and Nomadia, three of the more powerful kingdoms in the world, were aligned. There was a common denominator here - her Uncle Aro. Though he was not a royal himself, he had orchestrated unions for his siblings. Renee had ended up Queen of Forkshire, Marcus - their nephew, Bella's cousin - was King of Volterra, and now Bella was set to become Queen of Nomadia. And if Bella had not misheard the whispers about court, Aro sought to arrange a marriage between Renee and King Philip of Dwyer.

For a kingmaker, her Uncle Aro held a considerable amount of power.

Certainly, he had power over her life. Had he not given her life away this day?

"My wife. You've not touched this fine meal prepared in our honor. Does it not please you?"

Bella forced a smile as she turned to Prince James, to her husband. "Of course, my prince. It is all decadent and delicious. But today is my wedding day. I am so happy." She dropped her gaze, feigning shyness when she really felt disgust. She was anything but happy today. "And I am nervous, my prince. I can only hope I will please you."

He chuckled and pressed his hand to her cheek. Bella had to force herself not to recoil. "Don't be nervous, my sweet. I will be good to you, gentle."

Bella closed her eyes as he leaned forward to kiss her. To his word, it was a soft kiss. He did not try to thrust his tongue in her mouth, and he was not rough. He tasted of wine and the sweet sauce from the roast.

If she had not seen his true nature, if she had not seen the way he'd beat upon Edward at the smallest excuse, if she had not been subject to his harsh grasp when he was drunk and she'd turned away from him, perhaps she would have been comforted by his charming demeanor. She knew she should try. He was to be her husband for the rest of her life or his. The wise thing to do would be to find some common ground. He could be sweet. He could be charming. She should let herself be charmed, if only to make things easier on herself.

James broke their kiss and patted her cheek.

King Caius banged his chalice against the wooden table. "Countrymen! Honored guests!" he called out over the hall.

The room hushed, and Bella's stomach began to twist. Her eyes swept wildly over the crowd, and she didn't know who she was looking for until she saw him. Edward stood with a few of the other servants at the back of the room. He hadn't been there most of the night, but he was there now, and though his head was bowed, he was looking up at her from underneath his eyelashes.

The king was carrying on about the future of the kingdom and how one day, James and Bella would rule, but Bella hardly heard him. The rest of the world faded away, and for the first time that day, it felt as though she could take a deep breath.

She remembered her vows. In her heart, in her soul, she was married to Edward. She lifted a hand and pressed it over her heart in a subtle gesture. He raised his head and touched his hand to his chest, returning her silent oath of love.

Then, the world snapped back to reality as someone, the king, took her by the arm, pulling her to her feet. She blinked, shocked that he was so close and trying to catch up with what he was saying.

"Look at you, my dear. Such fine features. You will do credit to our line."

Bella suppressed a shudder as he leered, his eyes sweeping down her body as his hand fell to her waist. Caius laughed. "Such narrow hips though. You will have trouble in the birthing bed, but I do get ahead of myself." He curled his hand in a summoning motion to the crowd. "Come. Let us bear the happy couple away to their wedding bed. The future of the kingdom has to begin somewhere, eh?"

The crowd cheered, and before Bella could process what was happening, she found herself borne up onto someone's shoulders. She gasped. There were grinning, leering faces all around her, hands on her body, and she was being propelled toward the door. She cast a desperate look over her shoulder, catching her mother's eye for just a heartbeat. Renee looked sympathetic, but she did not move.

Of course. She could not.

Bella glanced around again and saw James was similarly hoisted up above the shoulders of the men. Unlike her, he seemed to be in good spirits. She heard his hearty laugh as the clamoring wedding guests worked them toward the door.

Just before she was out of the room, Bella caught Edward's eye again. His body was poised, as if he was ready to run through the crowd. His fists were clenched at his sides. But behind him, a restraining hand on each of his shoulders, were Jasper and Emmett.

Bella sent up a silent prayer of thanks that he had them.

James and Bella were carried up the main stairwell and up to James's quarters. When Bella was set on her feet, again she was engulfed by hands. They took the pins from her hair so it cascaded down loose. Someone took the teardrop tiara from her head. Someone else took her jewels. All of it was made to take, of course. That was part of the wedding custom in Nomadia. It was considered good luck to end up with a bauble or something larger. Even Bella's gown was made to come off with ease, and off it came.

Beneath her gown, she was wearing a much simpler cloth. It was meant to make her humble in the eyes of her lord, her husband, the man who was to have dominion over her body and life.

Tears stung at her eyes, but Bella refused to cry.

Finally, when she was wearing nothing but that plain cloth dress, the hands pushed her in the doorway where her husband, still clothed in all his finery, waited. He took her hand and pulled her to him. Playing to the crowd, he held her tight, dipping her backward as he kissed her. This was not a gentle kiss. This kiss was meant to show the onlookers that he was a man taking possession of what was his. Bella willed herself to melt against him rather than fight him.

The door closed, and James loosened his hold. Bella panted. She was trembling. She flinched when he stroked her cheek. "Shhh, shhh, my lovely. My sweet." He kissed her cheek. "Sweet." He kissed her nose. "Girl." He kissed her mouth.

Bella's heart beat frantically against her ribcage as James's lips encouraged hers to open. She whimpered, but she let his tongue slip into her mouth. Her hands came up, and she wanted more than anything to push him away, but she could not. Her hands came down on his chest, and she gripped his shirt in her fists in rage, helplessness, and fear.

James bent, not breaking their kiss as he swept her up into his arms. He walked with her to his bed and sat with her on his lap. For minutes, he petted and kissed her, his hands roaming her body freely. Bella bit the inside of her cheek hard, trying to calm her erratic breaths.

Her memories brought back the one stolen night she and Edward had together. She remembered his reverent touch and the love that shone in his eyes.

Bella slammed the door on those memories, pushing them away and locking them up tight. She would not think of Edward. Not now. Not with James's hands on her.

Twin tears spilled over her cheeks as James pressed his palm between her legs. Bella couldn't help it. Her body jerked away from him. She protested, but he held her fast. In the next heartbeat, he had her beneath him on the bed, her wrists pinned on either side of her head. In the candlelight, she could see the irritation in his stare, but he took a deep breath before he spoke. "You will obey me. You will do your duty this night.

Two more tears fell from the corners of her eyes. "Y-yes, my Prince. I-I'm sorry." Her voice was hardly louder than a breath.

She flinched when he raised his hand, but he only wiped her tears away with the back of his knuckles. "You be a good girl. You may well come to enjoy your time. Some women do, believe me." His laugh was arrogant.

His body on hers may as well have been made of lead. Bella sniffled, but she nodded.

Pleased with her compliance, James ducked his head to kiss her neck. As his hands moved down her body, Bella closed her eyes. She imagined she was in the gardens of Forkshire with Alice nearby and nothing at all was wrong.


A/N: Taking a quick moment to thank FallingSnow for my pretty banner (take a look!), songster and barburella for support.

Sooooo um... hi? Are we okay out there?