The manor staff was in a buzz for the next days, getting the house ready for Alice and Emmett and Esme and I went on with our daily routines that we had established the very first week I arrived here. Each of us was putting off the goodbye that would likely be coming.
And that day did come, it what seemed like I had only taken a breath I was standing out on the porch and watching the approach of Alice and Emmett's horses with Alice's petite form and Emmett's large one on top of them.
"Bells!" Alice called as she dismounted from her horse without even waiting for Emmett to help her, instead he took the horses and handed them to the stable hand as Alice picked up her skirts and came running towards me and tugged me tightly.
"I missed you so! Without you there the king is miserable and the rest of us have tried everything to cheer him, but the result is a lot of sulking," Alice complained as Emmett came over and hugged me tightly, I called them his bear hugs.
"Hello little sister," He kissed my forehead and slung his arm around my shoulder while Alice chattered on and we went into the manor.
"I have someone I would like to introduce you to," I told them as I swatted Emmett's arm away from my shoulder and led them into the parlor.
"This is Lady Esme Cullen," I told them as I went over and hugged her by the side while they gapped at me in little discretion.
"It is a pleasure," Emmett stepped forward and bowed before taking her hand and kissing it while Alice curtsied and tried to compose herself.
"Isabella, why have you not told us you were in the company of the king's mother?" Emmett asked me with a raised eyebrow and an accusing glance that told me we were going to talk about it.
"You never inquired who I was living with," I said simply, raising one of my eyebrows right back at him, daring him to say more, he sighed.
"This is Mary Alice, and Emmett," I gestured to each of them and she smiled and nodded to them.
"What brings you to my home?" She asked them with a kind smile after inviting them to sit on the chairs by the fire to warm up while she and I sat on the couch.
"I have brought a letter addressed from the king and we have missed you sister," Alice said and handed me a folded piece of parchment. I took it and I saw Esme wink at me with a smile as she started to engage in a conversation with Alice and Emmett.
I took a deep breath and tore the royal seal and unfolded the paper.
My Isabella,
I know not how to put this into the form of words, they will not come off of my quill but I must make an effort for you. I can, and will not begin to express the sorrow I feel without you here, you have taken my heart with you and I have been in low spirits since I heard of your departure. I privately spoke with Sir Newton and he defended you and said the same thing you had told me. I can't explain the remorse I feel and no one can relieve me of it but you. Please come back to court with your brother and sister, for it is nothing without you.
Give my love to my mother and tell her she can come back if she wishes, I will write to her soon. I hope to see you as soon as possible.
E.C.
"You'll have to excuse Isabella and me for a moment," Esme said as she rose from the couch and I followed her out to the hall where we could talk privately.
"The king sends you his love," I informed her with a smile as she smiled vulnerably, thinking of her golden boy.
"You must give him mine when you return," She said, telling me to correct her if she was wrong with her eyes, she was not.
"I will," I promised her with a smile, also telling her that I would be leaving, it made tears come to my eyes to think about leaving her.
"Dear this is your time to shine, be the young women that you are, don't be sad to leave me, the king needs you though if you don't visit me, I am coming to court," She threatened and I smiled as the moisture started spill over my eyes.
"Oh stop crying, you'll have me crying in seconds if you don't halt this instance," I laughed, making the tears spill down my cheeks as hers started to water.
"Look what you've done," She sighed and brought her hanker chief to her eyes to dab them, though it didn't stop the water.
She pulled me into her arms and we cried together, I cried for the mother I was losing, she cried for the daughter that was leaving, we both cried in fear of goodbye.
"Enough. I was queen of England, you are well on your way to becoming the next, we shan't spend our time crying like an infant," She said as we both wiped our tears before smiling and going back into the parlor as if nothing had happened in the minutes we were away.
"We leave tomorrow Isabella, at dawn's light we will depart, are you coming with?" Emmett asked as we sat down, I knew I didn't have a choice, father and uncle order me too, I could tell from the way he asked the question.
"Of course," I sighed, already exhausted by the idea of court.
"I think you'll find it to your liking, the court will be so merry with you, there is a winter's end masque that will be held in three nights," Alice started talking excitedly and I tried to pay attention politely, and so did Esme- she did much better then me.
It was getting late and as much as I was glad to have my brother and sister with me again I wasn't in the mood to talk much, I went to bed early and slept, but at the same time trying to put off tomorrow, and saying goodbye to the only mother I've ever known.
I cried a little that night and when I woke up in the morning I got dresses like any other day, and then I remembered I was departing today. Esme was in the hall sitting one of the chairs. She rose when I came out and I went into her arms.
The maids were bringing out my things and the trunk that Esme had given me full of clothes and taking them down to where our horses were waiting.
"You will write to me, I must know what is happening, spear no detail, if you do not I swear Isabella I am coming to court," She said to me and I held back the tears and hugged her tightly.
"I will come in the summer," I told her, hoping that she would understand if the court would not allow me to do so.
"Okay, shine my dear," She kissed my forehead and brushed my hair out of my eyes and I gave her one last hug before I forced myself to walk down the stairs with her following to see me off.
Alice and Emmett were just mounting onto their horses when I walked out and a man lifted me onto Lady, Alice and Emmett turned their horses down the path without a word and I waved at Esme, who was looking at me proud, like a mother letting her child into the word. She was proud of me and as she waved to me, I knew we would be okay.
I waved back and smiled sadly before I turned my horse and galloped to catch up with my siblings as Esme waved at us until we were out of site. The tears leaked down my eyes as I looked forward and towards my future, the direction of the court.
I felt very weak the entire ride, I felt vulnerable and especially chilly as we were riding straight into the wind with snowflakes coming towards us.
It was well into the after noon when we finally arrived back at the palace, we had stopped for a meal and rest but we had went straight through the entire time and I was exhausted. I slipped in through the side doors with some men following me with my trunks and went straight to my room with Alice and I fell into the bed and right to sleep, not thinking of the king who must have heard of our arrival.
My thoughts were of Esme, and what she would be doing at this second, if she was thinking about me, missing me as I missed her.
I consoled myself by thinking planning the letter I would write to her in the morning and if the queen would dismiss me for the summer, so I could visit her.
"Come in Your Majesty," I heard Alice's voice say softly right as I came out of a dreamless sleep, I didn't open my eyes but noted hw uncomfortable to was to sleep with your body tightened from the waist up.
"Is she alright?" The king's voice asked urgently and loudly, I listened to Alice shush him.
"She is exhausted from the journey," Alice explained quietly, I had no idea what time it was but my stomach was rumbling.
"Shall I come back?" He asked her uncertainly, I took it as my cue to wake up, I rolled over and let my eyelids flutter open to see Alice and the king standing closer then I thought, the king looked relived and Alice cleverly slipped out of the room as he sat down where my waist was on the bed and I scooted onto my pillows a little bit more so I was sitting up.
"You've been crying," He said, touching my cheek gently in concern, he was so handsome at this moment and his eyes were full of concern. I just nodded and swallowed the dryness in my throat.
"Why?" He asked me, tilting his head a little to the side.
"I miss your mother," I croaked out, and then cringed at the noise my voice had made, it was coated with sleep, along with my face, it felt heavy from my slumber.
"Come here my love," He opened his arms up to me with the tenderest expression on his face. I sat up and adjusted myself so that I was nuzzled into his chest, inhaling his scent, so much like Esme's.
"She's an amazing woman, she has been like my mother, you are so fortunate," I didn't want to cry and I couldn't, I couldn't for two reasons, the first was my face was pressed into the king of England's chest and he did not need tear stains on his tunic, and second was crying took to much effort.
"I wanted to send for you sooner, but I knew the two of you would form a great bond and I didn't want you to hate me for sending for you. Do you hate me?" He asked me, taking my face softly with both of his hands and had me look at him, his green eyes were burning with intensity.
"Of course I do not. I shall like to visit her in the summer though," I told him, biting my lip, hoping that would be alright.
"We'll see when the time comes," He smiled and kissed my lips lightly, and then his eyes filled with sorrow as his faced turned solemn.
"Isabella, I cannot express the grief and shame that I feel, you should not have been treated so. I should have believed you, my deepest apologizes," He said, taking my hand kissing it.
"I forgive you Your Grace," I said, for I truly did understand and forgive him the moment that Esme had told me his story.
"You know not of the burden you have just lifted off of my chest," He sighed in relief, though if I hadn't forgave him I still would have had to act like it, he is king.
"I am glad," I told him, taking one of his big hands into both of mine and rubbing my thumb on the back of it, lightly brushing against his skin.
"Now, how is my mother?" He asked me with his crooked grin, I grinned at him.
"She does not look a day over 30, she sends her love to you," I told him as I kept stroking his hand, he got a childish, soft smile on his face as he thought about his mother.
"Aye," he said thoughtfully, "So how did the two of you entertain yourselves?" He questioned me with inquisitiveness on his face, and so I told him the activities we did, the sing, riding, ice skating, I spared some of the details of my talk, I feared it would upset him that I knew of his past.
"Now I feel like a monster, how could I have separated the two of you?" He had interrupted me during my reminiscing, a voice told me I needed to perk up and flirt with him, for I was plain Jane.
"Nay, you're just a man who knows what he wants, you want me don't you?" I asked him with a sly smile, he smirked a little bit at me, but something in his eyes gave me his answer.
"Yes," He licked his lips just a tiny bit.
"You want me under you, screaming your name when you give me the greatest pleasure known to man, you want me to devour you just as much as I want to," I was a virgin whore, that is what I am from this moment on, no other virgin would be talking in this filthy manor.
"For months," He agreed, his entire body dazed by the idea, I look down at my hands and smirked the tiniest bit. We had just gone to discussion about his lovely mother to the sex talk of lovers.
"I'm sorry Your Majesty, but I must rest again from my journey, I am exhausted as Mary Alice said before," I informed him, as I yawned and covered my mouth daintily.
"Very well, goodnight my love," He kissed my forehead before he rose from the bed we had been seated on, he nodded to me and I returned the gesture before he slipped through our doors and out to the halls.
Just as I was about to call a maid to come in and unlace my gown for me, Alice darted inside the room and shut the door as if a cue.
"That went well," She smiled innocently at me, too innocently.
"Alice," I groaned, "You were listening?" I complained in a voice that is normally only reserved for a spoiled child.
"Possibly," She winked at me, before turning me and pulling at the string and unlacing it before helping me step out of it and into my night gown.
"We all want you under him, screaming his name," Alice smirked as I undid her gown and I blushed.
"Oh hush Alice, I'm doing as told," I scolded her and helped her out of the dress and she got into her own night gown and had her night cap on before I could even pick mine up.
"You were told to catch the king, not one person said you must act like a slut to do so," She contradicted me as we climbed into the bed and blew out the candles.
"Unless I have an arranged marriage, I must," I disagreed with her in a mumble before I fell asleep on an empty stomach.
Dang, couldn't fit the SHOWDOWN in this chapter...;)
I think I got 25 reviews so here you go. Sorry it wasn't yesterday. Oh and the person who sent all the annoymous reviews. I only counted them as one.
Reviews will give you chapters sooner!
~Carmen