Yikeesssss.

Short chapter, sorry, I wrote it in like an hour. SO get over yourselves, reread the last chapter, and review.

EPOV

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I did not understand why I was so angry. There were spies in the castle all the time, and I never got quite as fuming as I was now. Spies were something that every royal family had to deal with. They wormed their way into every palace to find out information from behind the enemies lines. From time to time, they would enter as slaves, or as wealthy merchants – once many years ago, a spy entered the castle disguised as a donkey.

But now that I had uncovered Isabella's true purpose of behind here I was quite possibly angrier than I had ever been in all of my eighteen years of life. I felt the rolls of hatred for the girl worming around in my gut like a snake; the fury of the betrayal licked my insides raw, and I felt sickened. I did not understand.

Isabella was just another spy, and nothing more. Never before had this happened, so why now?

I asked myself this question as I stormed down the staircase and down the corridor to my room, where I bolted the door shut. I just needed to think, without Elizabeth or a servant bursting in. I knew Bella would not dare enter my room. She knew her life was worth than that.

Bella seemed like such a carefree girl – the complete opposite of myself. Deep inside of me, I had been hoping that possibly, if I warmed up to her and if she stayed long enough, that she could be the one that would help me "loosen up," as Elizabeth put it. I knew I was somewhat pompous, and very edgy. I considered myself to be elusive to all other people, the people I did not get along with. Bella seemed… I did not know how to put it. Different, I suppose. Not like other girls.

But all my hopes were shattered now. Isabella must be banished from the castle for ever. The Masen family could not afford to have undercovers here, where there were so many meetings and plans hidden throughout the castle.

But I still had not answered my own question – why was I feeling such a rush of hatred to her? She was nothing extraordinary to me. I had disliked her from the beginning, and I was dim-witted to have not suspected her in the first place. She was far too defensive, with her head in the clouds. Mother doted on Isabella because of the fake friendliness Bella put on, the infectious laughter that her smile seemingly carried. That was probably why she was best for the spying job, wherever she was from.

Bella had an accent, somewhere southern, like France, for example. I should have a better knowledge of the countries around me, as I was to be king in a few short years' time, but at this moment, I could care less about her accent. I did not know why I was wasting daylight musing over her voice.

She had better be preparing to leave this castle – and hopefully this country. She should be returning Elizabeth's clothing and thanking my servants for treating her so kindly.

"But they all think I'm a common girl…" she had said. What else could that have meant besides practically screaming that she was a spy? I felt the rage inside of me squirm again.

But then, as my antagonistic thoughts dominated most of my feelings, there was a small stir of a different emotion, something I was quite shocked to feel. Disappointment was a rare sensation for me – I had been raised not to feel such trivial emotions. I swallowed, and now I was frightened, as well as bemused. What would Father say if he found out that I was disappointed – in a common spy, no less! – and how would he react to that? Would he push back my kingsmanship to a later date, under the assumption that I could not handle the title?

I growled out in frustration. If only I had not permitted myself to let my guard down, if I had forbidden Elizabeth from allowing Bella to stay as I should have, none of this would have been happening. I would not be feeling this way, I would not be having second opinions about my future, and I most certainly would not be questioning myself in my path like I was. Bella must be a hurricane, destroying anything and everything in her path until she got what she wanted.

Was this what she wanted? Was she aiming to muddle the thoughts of the future King of England? That must have been one of the reasons she was chosen for the undercover task. Isabella was alluring in all seriousness – a catching smile, a cheerful disposition, and a lustful demeanor. She even had the distressed walk that was somewhat awkward, giving off the impression she was more vulnerable than she let on. I noticed all these things in the short time I was with her.

But still, I reflected, I had even more unanswered questions than I had before. The only thing I had accomplished in my ponderings was figuring out why Isabella was chosen as the spy instead of a man, as was the general tradition.

Why was I so brimmed with hatred? Why was I disappointed in her, in myself? Why did I feel like I was being betrayed, or as though I was the one betraying her? And better yet, why did Isabella arrive here covered in filth? How did she possibly have the nerve to talk to me, much less look me in the eye or joke with me, when nearly every other commoner could barely come into a ten-foot radius of me without being intimidated? Did Bella realize what she was doing to me? Was it all part of her plan? Was she even really a spy at all?

All the questions made my brain throb. I sank onto my bed, burying my face in my hands.

"I want you out by the evening, or I shall have you beheaded," I had told her. But now that I thought about it, could I really behead her? Bella was different, I knew now. If I was being honest with myself, I actually wanted Isabella to stay. She was so open with her personality, yet so mysterious to me at the same time. I hated her, yes, but she was… intriguing. I did not understand.

Bella was a hurricane; there was no doubt of the assumption now. She destroyed my confidence, my emotions, my future, my family life – everything in her path until she got what she wanted.

"Never go back on your word, Edward," Father had told me. I was twelve years old. "No matter what you say, you've got to do it. I suppose you could put it off for as long as you like, but it has got to happen sometime. If not, you should know you would not make a good King, and you should therefore resign your title and allow a different person the throne." I remembered staring straight into my father's eyes as he gripped the tops of my shoulders. "As a Masen man, if you go back on your word, Edward, you would rather kill yourself."

And that was that. It was a lesson that had stayed with me since that time, an example of information that struck me with adrenaline and fear.

There had never been a time when I had gone back on my father's advice. Never, in my wildest dreams, had I ever believed there would be a time when I would ever need to remember this advice like I was now. I had never expected a time to come when I would ever want to go back on my word.

Bella did not deserve to stay at this castle. She did not deserve to be washed or to wear my mother's clothes. She did not deserve my second thoughts, and she did not deserve my mercy. But I was giving it to her.

I had to keep her here. I had to find out the real reason behind her words, and I had to find out her past. I decided that as I grew to know her more, she would open up more to me. She had already told me so much – I was positive that worming the truth out of her would not take a very long time. That way, I would not – and could not, for that matter – go back on my word.

I would not give the hurricane what she wants.

I stood from my bed, went to unlock the door of my room, and strode into the corridor. Almost all my traces of anger were gone. I was feeling eager, knowing that I would soon be receiving answers to my questions.

On my way up to the guest room Bella was staying in, I ran into Eric, my servant.

"Ah, Eric," I said coolly. "Would you mind telling Mrs. Duncan in the kitchens to prepare a very intricate supper for tonight? We have a… guest that will be staying with us for a while, and I want her to feel… comfortable." I twisted the side of my face up into a smile.

Eric beamed in reply. "Yes sir, Prince Edward!" he said happily. He bounded off down the stairwell to the corridor below, cheerful as ever. I did not react to this, as I was far too accustomed to Eric's standoffish antics by this point.

"But they all think I'm a common girl…" Isabella was, I was certain, anything but a common girl. She was far more remarkable than that. How could one tiny person make me feel such strong emotions, how could someone so small pull apart my nerves until they are stretched out so far they were about to snap? It was unattainable how Bella could bend the rules so effortlessly, and how her confidence seemed to affect me like it was affecting me now.

I had reached the guest room Bella was staying in. I knocked. There was a cough, a bang! and a curse in a language I did not know, and the door opened. Bella stood there, gazing at me through long eyelashes, the door cracked just so that I could see a sliver of her body and nothing more.

She raised her eyebrows. "Hello, Prince Edward," she said, her voice mocking.

I smirked. "Good day, Isabella," I said. "May I come in?"

"Err, no!" Bella said, quickly enough to raise my suspicions. "No, you can't, because, uh, I am… changing clothes!" She laughed nervously and the door creaked so that the crack in the door grew smaller.

"Oh, are you?" My smirk slid off my face. "I suppose I will come back later."

"Oh, alright that sounds lovely," Bella said hastily, shutting the door. I swiftly stuck out my foot between the door and the frame so it would not close. Bella repeatedly rammed it against my foot, but the door merely bounced back. Bella glared at me. I looked back at her calmly. It seemed like so long ago I had told her I loathed her. I could not loathe someone like her; she was too effortless to be around, too much fun to disregard.

But that was until I heard the small sneeze from within the room. It could not have been Bella, because I was looking right at her and her brown-eyed stare would have been torn from mine. Being greatly stronger than Bella, I forced the door open. Bella retreated to press her back against the wall.

Sitting serenely on the large bed in the center of the room was the last person I had expected to see inside Bella's room.

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Beta'd by BubblyAmericanWriter1


A/N: I'm so evil. I don't update in forever and then I leave a cliffhanger. Muhahahahahahahahahahaa ect.

Fact 1) Band camp sucks.

Fact 2) the story will hopefully pick up from here.

Fact 3) School starts in five days and I'm having a party tomorrow.

Fact 4) I spent $300 at American Eagle today. Thumbs up for school shopping.

Fact 5) I finally finished My Notebook Will Explain. Whoooo.

Quote: "The band thinks we look buff when we use flags." HAHAHAHA. That's got to be the funniest thing I've ever heard in my life.

Song: When I Get Home, You're So Dead - Mayday Parade; Running From Lions - All Time Low

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B/N: Cliffy's suck! ): Oh, I start school in 11 days...I'm counting! I'm going to take a guess and say Alice is in the room! Or maybe Jacob?

Hmm. Ah well. My grandma's taking me shopping Monday or Tuesday! Hooray for school shopping!

Oh, and school starts on a Wednesday for me. Just lovely, isn't it?

Oh...what else...It's 11:46PM and I'm going to bed. Aren't I a lovely beta?

xxx

A/N: Ahhh Leah you rock the world. and crack me up. ahahahah.

REVIEW. or die.