As always, I'm blown away by all the response to the last chapter! You all seriously make my tedious days THAT much more awesome! :)

And much love to my babes Pinkaquaclouds for putting up with all the wordiness! ;)

Chapter 10- Secrets and Stables

My lips are tingling and my feet are on automatic as I am taken to my second home in the manor, Peter Thorn's office.

What happens next happens while I am still in a post-kiss daze. I recall the events from the Creeper in the hallway and Thorn listens to me intently. It doesn't escape my notice that he's being a lot nicer than he usually is to me. I have the feeling that it has something to do with the fact that His Royal Sexiness is not pleased with him, and he knows it.

There's also video footage of the whole thing with me and James, so there's honestly know way I can get in trouble for it.

Peter lets me off the hook, and tells me that James Sullivan has been taken in for questioning away from the manor. You know, somewhere they actually practice the law the right way.

I make sure to let Peter know about what Eric told me, and he seems deeply disturbed. He's not happy about how Kevin's been running things, and he thanks me for telling him and assures me that he'll take care of it.

Edward's already taking care of it, I think.

Tired and still a little woozy, I go back to my bedroom. I assume that Alice is still working, so I take that opportunity to lie down on my bed and ponder… everything.

I put a finger to my lips. They have stopped tingling. I lick them and they burn just a little. It's really strange because I've never felt anything like this. There are still butterflies in my stomach, but it isn't nerves. It's a strange kind of happiness, but also excitement for things new and unheard of.

I wonder what this means for me and Edward. Calling him Prince Edward in my head just doesn't cut it anymore. It sounds weird and even a little silly.

Edward.

I test his name out in my mind before saying it out loud.

"Edward."

It sounds sexy.

"Edward. Edward." I say it in a singsong voice. "Edwaaaard."

I snort at my stupidity and shake my head. What the hell is going on with me? I'm getting all giddy over some royal prince that probably doesn't even return the feelings.

Then again, he did kiss me back. Does he expect me to forget the feeling of both his lips wrapping around my upper? No. Not gonna be forgetting that anytime soon.

Not at all.

I suddenly remember that holy crap, he's engaged!

The thought disturbs me only for a short second but then I decide to just screw it. I honestly don't know what he sees in Tanya, and even if he really did have genuine feelings of love for her, why would he be responding to my letters and then kissing me back?

It makes me wonder if he's been forced into the engagement. That would make sense. Then again, knowing Edward, he wouldn't have done something he didn't want to. His personality just seems so… demanding. He knows what he wants.

So does he really want Tanya, and is he just messing around with me for kicks?

I sigh and roll over onto my stomach, burying my face in the pillows. I briefly wonder if I should write him a letter, but push the thought aside. I don't know if it's a good idea at this point.

My thoughts and emotions are all over the place again and I have no idea what this means for me. I'm not used to not knowing the path that my life is going down. I'm so accustomed to having a plan that when life throws something random at me- like handsome princes with wicked fiancés- my head spins.

After a moment I go into the bathroom and look at myself in the mirror. The bruise is about the size of a quarter and rests right along my cheekbone. It looks awful and I develop a renewed hatred for Kevin. My other cheek is flushed a little more than usual. My hair is a mess and I've looked better.

My head turns to the bathroom door when I hear someone enter the bedroom. Knowing it's Alice, I walk out.

Alice squeals when she sees me and she covers her mouth with one hand, her eyes wide with fright.

"Whoa, chill out, Al," I tell her. "Does this bruise make me hideous?"

She puts a hand to her heart. "You scared me. What happened to your face?"

I'm about to answer her, but I'm distracted by her appearance.

She looks… disheveled.

"Alice? Why is your shirt on backwards?"

Her eyes widen even further and she's frozen before she runs over to the mirror that hangs on the bathroom door.

"Oh my God!" she shrieks, and right before my eyes she pulls her shirt off and fixes it.

Huh. This is fishy… Very fishy…

Once she looks presentable, she turns to me and grins so widely she almost looks crazy. Her cheeks are pink and she's… glowing.

She totally got laid!

I put my hands on my hips and smirk at her. "Spill."

Alice's grin falls and she starts to look sheepish. She starts pacing back and forth and wringing her wrists in anxiety.

"I wish I could," she says in despair. "I just…"

"Alice, come on," I say, grabbing her arm. I'm burning with curiosity. "Tell me. Who is he?"

"He? Who he? What makes you think there's a he?"

Oh, Alice. You open book.

I raise a brow at her; she's crazy if she thinks I'm buying it.

Alice sighs in defeat and plops down onto my bed, sprawling out like a starfish.

"I'm going to be in so much shit if this gets out," she mumbles.

"Why?" I ask, trying to contain my curiosity. I sit down on the edge of the bed. "What's the big deal if you slept with someone?"

Alice closes her eyes and groans. "He's not just anyone. That's the thing. He's a someone, a really, really important someone. I'm the no one, I'm the nobody."

"Okay, you've lost me."

She starts to rub her eyes with the heels of her hands. "I shouldn't do this, I shouldn't do this, I shouldn't do this…"

"Hey, if you don't want to tell me, that's cool," I say, getting up and taking my shoes off. I have to quash my disappointment.

Alice bites her lip and stares at me, conflict clearly written on her face. I resist the urge to smirk, because I know Alice pretty well by now and I'm sure that she can't keep a secret when someone finds out she has one.

A look of defeat crosses her face and then she covers her face with both hands.

"Isepitterapper," she squeaks.

"In standard American English, please…?"

Alice peeks at me from in between her fingers and when she speaks it's muffled. "I slept with herapper."

"A rapper?"

"I slept with Sir Jasper!" she cries.

My jaw drops and all the air leaves my body. Alice's face gets bright red and she eyes me warily.

No. Way.

"No. Way." My jaw is still open like a damn fish and I sit next to her on the bed as she moves into a sitting position. "Alice! You did not!"

I cannot wipe the grin off of my face and I am extremely excited by this news.

"I did," Alice says in despair.

"How… what… when… what?"

"I know, I know," she nods grimly and then grabs both of my hands, holding them so tightly that it hurts. "Bella, you can't tell anyone. I'll be in so much trouble, Bella, please."

"I won't say a word," I promise her. "But tell me everything."

Alice starts to tell me how she's been secretly seeing Sir Jasper for two months now- two months! She had to put his laundry away one day and they hit it off. They would see each other almost every single day, unless he wasn't at the manor, and they'd only just recently started sleeping together.

According to Alice, he is the "sweetest, most gentlemanly, kindest, most ravishing man" she has ever met. He has a passion for horses but a love for all animals in general. He has a heart of "shiny gold", eyes of "the deepest sea blue", and an ass of "the roundest hills".

I start giggling so bad that my stomach hurts. "Oh my God, Alice, the roundest hills?"

She blushes furiously and hits me with a pillow. "Stop, it's true!"

Her happy expression is suddenly replaced with worry and my giggles start to taper off.

"I'm just really, really scared," Alice mumbles. "This type of thing, this affair… it'll cost me my job if anyone finds out. Bella, I really, really, really care about him. And he feels the same way about me, I just… I don't see it lasting."

Her depressed expression is too much to take. "Why not?"

Alice laughs bitterly and tears spring to her eyes. That's an Alice first.

"I'm a fucking servant, Bella," she says it like it's the most obvious thing in the world, because it is. "He's part of the royal family. Servants and royalty don't mix, ever. Not unless it's some fairytale shit. I thought I was living a fairytale but now I realize that it's reality and it's not going to last."

Alice, the pessimist? That's another first.

"Hey, he cares about you, right?" I ask gently. She nods and wipes away a tear. "He'll make it work. He'll do something about it."

"He doesn't have that much power, Bella," Alice says, and for a moment I think of Edward. "He may be royalty, but it's not like he's the king or the prince. If we get caught, I'm screwed. This type of thing is strongly against the rules and we're going to be forced apart, one way or another."

My heart skips a beat and I selfishly start thinking about me and Edward. What does this mean for us? Yes, I kissed him, but he kissed me back. That means something, doesn't it? How far would we be able to go through with this?

I grab a Kleenex from the side table and hand it to her. Seeing Alice cry breaks my heart.

"Babes, it's not against the rules to be in love," I tell her, squeezing her hands.

"It is if you're a servant in this manor and you're in love with someone superior," she retorts.

"If you two are happy, that's all that matters. I honestly don't think they'd fire you for some love affair. It's not even an affair! The man is single!"

Alice lets out an exasperated huff. "I don't know what to do."

"Don't dwell on the negatives. Just take things in stride."

Alice smiles a little and nods, and I can see my little pep talk is working.

I put on my best gossip face. "Also, you wanna know a little secret?"

Her eyes widen and she scoots closer to me.

"I kissed Edward," I whisper.

"What!" Alice screeches and then covers her mouth with her hand. I quickly tell her everything that happened between me and Edward, and Alice is ecstatic that she isn't the only one breaking the rules.

She doesn't say it in those exact words, but I know she's thinking it and I'm cool with that.

Internally, I feel proud of Alice for going after what she wants, despite the stupid rules.

Alice and Bella, rebels of the manor.

I like the sound of that.

I don't see Edward again for three days. For three days, whenever I leave the bedroom, I'm a little skittish. Rosalie notices this as I serve her breakfast or when I put her laundry away, and she is not pleased.

I'm not too happy with myself, either. One kiss and I stop acting like myself.

Word in the manor is that Edward has gone to New York with Tanya.

Fucking Tanya…

The fact that he goes to New York with her so soon after our kiss bugs me a little more than it should. I start to doubt whether or not he actually has feelings for her, but maybe the trip across the country is so he can reassure himself?

Whatever the reason, it baffles me. I find my mood going downhill every day that I don't see him. I feel oddly annoyed by the empty feeling in me when I think about him.

It's the middle of the week and I'm in the break room during lunchtime. The TV is on some celebrity gossip channel, as usual, and I'm shoveling a spoonful of mac n' cheese into my mouth when my ears perk up.

"And it's Prince Edward, looking absolutely trashed coming out of Amnesia Nightclub in New York City…"

My head snaps to the television and sure enough there are paparazzi pictures of a very, very drunk man leaving a club. His hair is a mess, his mouth hangs open like he's yelling at someone, and his jeans and dress shirt are tousled. He is being held up by a large, bulky man.

"Hey, that's Emmett!" Alice says, and upon closer inspection I see that she's right. It's Emmett in a t-shirt and jeans, without the SS suit or sunglasses. He looks concerned as he helps Edward over to a car.

The gossip reporter starts talking about how Prince Edward was the last person they'd expect to get trashed, in a nightclub of all places. They start analyzing his reasons for drinking so much, and once they start talking about fiancé drama I look away from the screen.

My own curiosity is piqued. Why was he drinking so much? Was it really because of problems with Tanya? God, I hope so.

"Well that's a first," Jacob saunters over to us and sits down in between me and Alice. "You never see the prince doing things like that. He's always so clean-cut and perfect. Must be a shock to his parents."

"I wonder what made him get wasted," Alice muses, and she glances at me for only a second. In one second of her eyes meeting mine, her question is clear.

Do you think it's because of you?

Alice might have a point. Is Edward conflicted about his emotions right now? Was his kissing me back more than just a testosterone fuelled reflex?

I get my answer that same night.

Bzzz.

I'm in a dreamless sleep and my subconscious tells me that someone is deciding to remember me at an ungodly hour. I decide to ignore it.

Bzzz.

Whatever…

Bzzz.

I can't ignore it anymore so I pull myself out of my precious slumber and glance at my phone.

I have three new text messages from an unknown number.

Y U do thi me?

I dkw hy I want ui …

We shllud takj …

I stare at the messages, unsure if my disoriented state is making the words look like gibberish or if the person who is texting me is a prankster.

I contemplate whether or not I should reply. Honestly, I'm pissed this person has awoken me with their nonsense.

I decide to reply and see if the idiot responds.

Who is this?

I don't get a reply for almost ten minutes, and just when I'm about to fall asleep again, my phone lights up.

Sorry.

I cock an eyebrow at my phone. All of a sudden he/she knows how to spell? Still, I'm curious to know who they are.

Who is this and how did you get my number?

The reply is almost instantaneous.

U dnt wanna knpow

Yes, I do want to know.

E

E? That's it, I get one letter?

Then, it clicks.

Edward!

Edward?

Wait… what?

I sit up in bed and blink at my phone. Could Edward really be texting me all the way from New York?

Holy shit, he must be drunk again.

But how did he get my number?

All this and more is going through my head.

Uh... Hi… You okay?

I wait three hours for a reply but don't get one.

I am cranky from lack of sleep but I try to reign in the sleep deprivation induced bitchiness before I head over to Rosalie.

It's really easy working for her. I can tell she doesn't even want people waiting on her; she's just used to it.

Today I actually get to leave her bedroom to do something for her. She loves flowers, and the ones that she usually has sitting on her coffee table and on her balcony are dying. It's my job to go chat with the gardeners and pick new ones. She wants two bouquets of some very specific flowers and I had to write them down because there was no way in hell that I'd remember.

"Okay, so that's Gerb-eera… Gerbay-ra…? And daisy poms, button poms, solidago and salal… Is that even English?"

Eleazer gives me a lopsided grin. He's in his late sixties, with suntanned, wrinkly skin and a hunchback. We are in the Garfield, in one of the massive gardens, and he's pulling the appropriate flowers as I read him Rosalie's "order".

"Solidago is just another word for goldenrod," he tells me in a rough voice. He stoops down to pull out said flowers and I marvel at how bouquets are made the old fashioned way at the manor. "Salal is Gaultheria in Britain or just shallon."

Um, okay… Sure…

I nod and let him do his thing, asking him if he needs help every now and then. I feel bad watching him working out in the sun, especially since he's pretty much in retirement age. When I ask him why he doesn't retire, he says it's because he loves his job and would rather be here than in a nursing home.

Once he has gathered the flowers for one bouquet, which is a combo of yellow and white, he hands them to me to hold while I tell him what flowers the other bouquet should contain.

My left hand holds the flowers, which are getting dirt on my hands, and my right is holding the piece of paper so when I feel my phone buzz in my pocket, I'm unable to check it.

When Eleazar has picked the flowers for the second bouquet, which is a mix of pink, lavender, and white flowers with complicated names, we head over to the greenhouse, where the bouquets are made.

The greenhouse is massive and it smells strongly of plants and some sort of chemical, and by the time we reach the back room where a worker named Siobhan will make the bouquets, I smell like the earth.

Once my hands are empty, except for the dirt on my left palm, I ask how long the bouquets will take (an hour) before going for a walk.

I am halfway across the Garfield when I remember the text I got. It's almost a half hour old now.

Stables. Last stall on the left.

I stare at it quizzically, especially since I don't know the number. A quick check at my old texts tells me that it's the same number as last night. It's Edward again.

After adding the number to my contacts as His Royal Mysteriousness, I type a quick reply.

Are you still there?

Yes.

He is so articulate.

My stomach flip-flops as I turn to my left and head towards the stables, which are past the gardens and right by the dirt road used for horseback riding.

There are more stables than horses, and the last stall on the left happens to be home to a pretty gray horse. All the horses at the manor are pretty. I start to wonder if they're specially bred to be beautiful.

I cautiously look around before walking towards the stall. There's no one around except for a few gardeners way outdoors, and even if anyone saw me they'd think I was working.

I peek into the stall and don't see him until he stands. His face is in shadow but the little light that filters in shows the way his full lips turn up just a little on one side.

I involuntary lick my lips before opening the door to the stall. The horse neighs angrily at me and I eye it warily. Edward puts his hand on the horse and it calms down a little.

I close the stall door behind me. "How long have you been waiting?" I ask.

Edward shrugs, his shadowed face impassive. The stall is fairly large; there's just enough room to stand and even sit. He smells different today; the scent of cologne and shower gel isn't as prominent as it usually is. I blame the horse next to us.

"I didn't think you'd come," he says quietly. The air between us is charged. At first it feels like tension, but the longer I stand in front of him the sooner I realize that it's something else.

It's some kind of relief… We missed each other.

There's a warmth in me, a feeling of odd wholeness and happiness. I can't help but smile at him.

"I was working," I explain. "My hands were full and then I forgot."

He nods and then it's quiet.

Why did he call me in here? Ugh, I smell like dirt and now I smell like horse.

He licks his lips and my eyes are immediately drawn to them. His brows furrow and he looks at the ground with his hands in his pockets, like he's trying to figure out how to say something.

I take a step towards him, my hands tingling with the urge to touch him, and his head snaps up. His gaze is intense, and I freeze. Judging by his eyes, he either wants to fuck me or choke me. Or both. In that order.

"I'm sorry," he says urgently and I blink at him.

"For…?"

He lets out a frustrated huff and runs both hands through his hair. "The text messages. I was drunk and…" He exhales angrily one more time.

"It's okay," I assure him. "I knew you weren't exactly… sober. How did you get my number?"

He looks uncomfortable. "Emmett."

"How did Emmett get my number?"

"Rosalie."

"Oh…"

He shakes his head, clenching and unclenching his jaw. "I'm such an idiot," he says.

Jeez, he's really worked up about this.

"Really, don't worry about it, it's-"

"No, it's not okay," he snaps. I raise my brow at his tone and he tries to pace but then stops when he remembers there's no room.

"I'm ruining everything," he shakes his head again and then rests his forehead on the horse.

To see him in despair over something like drunk text messages is unnerving and pretty strange.

I take a few more steps toward him and put my hand on his shoulder. He stiffens, but then relaxes under my touch.

Shit, his shoulder is broad…and firm… and hard…

"This is a big deal for you, isn't it?" I ask. My voice is almost a whisper.

He turns his head so that he's gazing at me.

"It is," he mumbles, and I almost don't hear him.

"Why?"

He stares at me and then stands up straight; my hand slips off his shoulder and falls limply to my side.

He takes a deep breath and absentmindedly strokes the horse.

"I'm not used to not being in control of any given situation," he says quietly. I notice for the first time how his face looks tired and sunken. Like he's lost a little weight and didn't sleep. That lickable jaw of his is very prominent.

"I can't control how I feel about you," he adds. His tone is almost regretful and I'm too afraid to meet his gaze so I look away.

"How do you feel about me?" I stare at the hay on the floor as I ask my question.

He chuckles, but it's short. "I think you know."

I glance up at him and he's smiling shyly.

Fucking god, he is so adorable.

I shrug and return his sheepish look. "I could be wrong."

We stare at each other and I wonder if he wants to kiss me as much as I want to kiss him.

His eyes move down to my mouth and that's all the answer I need.

One step later his hand is at the back of my neck and the skin there immediately heats up. He lowers his head and the look on his face is one of intense concentration, like it takes him a lot of effort to kiss me.

He glances at me, almost like he's asking me if it's okay, and when I don't respond he takes that as a yes.

Once his lips softly press against mine, all is lost.

My hands slide over his chest, up his neck, and into his hair and his tongue tentatively pushes its way into my mouth. I welcome it with a moan and that's when he groans and then pulls away.

Edward rests his forehead against mine, breathing a little heavily. "This isn't going to work."

"Don't say that."

He lets go of me and steps back, watching me like he's watching me leave.

"There's something about you…" he says it like it's something he can't put his finger on.

"There's something about you too," I respond calmly.

His face goes blank. "What are we doing?"

"I wish I knew."

We stare at each other some more and it has to be one of the strangest, most awkward experiences I have ever had with him.

We both have feelings for each other, that's a fact. The problem is that we don't know what to do with them.

"Why are you meeting me in a horse's stall?" I ask randomly, cocking my head to one side.

The corner of his mouth lifts up again and he raises a brow. "No cameras."

I blink at him. "Really?"

"Really."

I giggle and his little smirk gets wider.

"What other places lack cameras?" I ask curiously. "That's something I'd like to know."

"The bedrooms don't."

"I figured as much."

"There are blind spots all over the manor, such as the library. There are no cameras in the prison either, other than the front office."

"Do you know where all the blind spots are?"

"Most of them."

My mind goes to all the different places we could make out without getting caught.

There is an elephant- well, a horse, actually - in the room that we aren't discussing, that elephant being this thing between us. I'm not so sure what it is, but whatever it is, it's strong and it's going to get us knee deep in shit.

I decide to broach the topic. No time like the present, and all that.

"So…" I rock back and forth on my heels. "What are we going to do about…this?" I wave a hand between our bodies.

He stares at me with a solemn expression and his gaze holds mine like a magnet to steel. He has the most expressive eyes- I see worry and guilt and… hey, is that lust?

"I'm trying really hard not to think ahead," he says grimly. He's frowning.

"Why?"

He looks away and stares at the horse. "I don't know if I should continue to… pursue you."

I start to fidget uncomfortably. "Why not?"

"Because I won't be able to keep you."

Hear that sound? It's the sound of my heart breaking just a little.

I bite my lip and try not to throw my arms around him. "Don't… Don't say that." My voice comes out as a whisper.

He huffs and runs a hand through his glorious hair. "What else am I supposed to say?"

"Say that you don't care. Say that it doesn't matter. You're clearly making no effort to stay away from me. You're sending me drunk texts and meeting me secretly in the stables… You know what you feel. Iknow what you feel. There's no point in trying to fight it…. It is what it is."

The last part comes out in a whisper as well and he blinks at me. I can tell he's absorbing everything.

"You're right," he breathes, and the look he gives me makes me all tingly on the inside.

"You make me tingly," I tell him without thinking.

Both his brows go up. "Tingly?"

"Yeah…"

"Tingly how?"

"I don't know, just… My skin and my insides…"

Oh my fucking god, what the hell am I saying?

He laughs loudly, throwing his head back, and the sound is loud in the enclosed space. It makes me giggle in return and I start to laugh along with him, mainly because I sounded like an idiot.

Tingly? Really? You sound so intelligent, Bella….

We both stop laughing and I wipe away a tear. Edward is grinning at me and my god, he's beautiful. He looks unearthly in the little stall and it's almost too much to bear.

The horse that accompanies us chooses that moment to fart.

Edward takes a huge step back, glaring at the horse, and I burst out laughing all over again.

"You just got farted on!" I cry through tears of laughter. I'm tingling on the inside again, and I feel giddy.

Edward sniffs himself and gives me a look of disapproval. "I don't see how that's funny."

"Shut up, you know it's hilarious."

He smirks at me. "I think you're the only person who's been able to tell me to shut up and get away with it."

"Why is that?"

He hesitates and then searches my face, briefly lifting his hand to push a lock of hair behind my ear. His fingertips against my temple send chills all the way down my spine and deep into my core, and a warm ache that I haven't felt in a while makes itself known.

Fuck, if he can do that by touching my hair…

Edward licks his lips, still thinking about how to answer my question. "You're genuine," he finally says. "You're not afraid to say what you want or how you feel. You don't pretend to be someone you're not, just because of the status I was born into. You're not… fake."

I smile at him. "You have to deal with a lot of fakeness, don't you?"

He frowns. "All the damn time."

"It's 'cause you're scary," I tell him matter-of-factly.

He snorts. "I'm sure I'm very frightening."

"Maybe intimidating is a better word," I muse. "Yeah, definitely intimidating."

"Do you find me intimidating?" he asks, pure curiosity laced in his tone.

I shrug and lean against the wall. "I did, at first. You being the prince and all… and you come off as intense sometimes."

He eyes me contemplatively for a while. "That's the first time I've heard that."

I shrug again and smile, kind of like silently saying "I just tell it like it is".

He lets out a short laugh and stares at me in disbelief, like he can't believe who I am.

"Come here," he says quietly.

I know what he wants.

I can't get enough of his taste. So when he chastely presses his lips against mine, I hold on for dear life. He tastes like mint and... vanilla? It's appealing. Very, very appealing.

Tentatively, I bite against his lower lip and he growls, pinning me to the wall with his hips.

Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit…

I'm holding my breath as his lips grow urgent and his hands slide down to my hips. My hands clutch his hair and I can feel the heat from our mouths traveling all the way down my body, like slow, burning fire.

I want this man way more than I should.

In this moment, we're not a prince and his maid. We're man and woman. We're two human beings that feel something for each other.

It's new.

Something vibrates against my thigh.

"What the fu…" I pull away from Edward and look down. It's my phone.

Oh.

When I see that it's Rosalie calling, the panic wells up.

Fuck, I'm screwed.

"Hello?" I grimace at Edward, letting him know that I'm in trouble.

"Where on earth are you?" Rosalie sounds highly irritated. "My interior designer is here, I need the flowers. You've been gone over half an hour."

I clench my eyes shut. "I'm so sorry… I'll get the flowers and be there in five minutes."

"Get here. Fast." She hangs up on me and I sigh, giving Edward a rueful look.

"Rosalie?" he asks knowingly.

"Yeah, she's gonna have my ass."

Edward frowns. "It's my fault. I shouldn't have kept you."

"No, it's fine," I tell him. "I'm glad you did."

It's awkward for a second and I don't know how I should say goodbye. I opt for a little wave and I give him one last smile before edging my way towards the stall door.

"Bella?"

I turn around again. "That's me."

"Library. Tonight. Nine. Where you crashed into me that one time and I gave you that Austen compilation."

I wink at him. "I'll see you there."

A/N: Hey, guess what? I'm going make a separate "story" called 'Royal Encounters', which will basically be the EPOV of Princeward's encounters with Maidella. It's not going to be RR in EPOV form, it's just going to be sort of like a collection of outtakes, starting from the night she ends up in his bed. They'll be fairly short, and so far I have their very first encounter written. It should be up this week, so throw me on those alerts if you're interested. :)

Oh, and just in case anyone is wondering, yes there will be a full chapter in EPOV in this story at some point. I just don't know when.

Next Chapter: Friday, March 18th