I don't own Twilight. all Stephenie Meyer.

Chapter Ten

Falling in love For the first Time

I woke up in the morning with a smile on my face. The ceremony had gone off without a hitch and Edward had been perfect. When the ball was finally over he walked me back to my suite and even agreed to stay with me.

Once we were changed out of our ball attire and settled under the covers, he pulled me close to his body and brought one of his hands up to slowly trace my face. He spent a lot of our alone time together memorizing the contours of my face, running his gentle fingers lightly over my skin.

The soft movement of his fingertips helped me to relax even more and I found myself yawning involuntarily.

Edward just chuckled and kissed me on the forehead. He pulled me a little closer to him and buried his face in the crook of my hair while I snuggled into his chest.

When I woke up in the morning I realized that he was gone, but he left a little surprise for me on the pillow he had slept on. There was an orange blossom and a piece of paper underneath.

I picked up the flower and delicately brought it to my nose and sniffed the beautiful smell. I then picked up the paper to read what was written on it and paused. Instead of a hand written note he had put brail it.

How cute.

The door to my room opened and the hyper little pixie Alice cam in. "Good morning, Bella." She greeted me.

"Good morning." I rubbed one of my eyes sleepily, still staring at the note Edward had left for me. I would have to decipher it later.

Alice daintily tossed some clothes on my bed and then jumped on it, sitting next to me. "What do we have there?"

I brought the note to my chest, feeling protective of the gesture. "Something Edward left for me." I sat up and stretched slightly.

She smiled, knowingly. "Well, since the boys are going to be in important meetings all day, I figured we could have a girl's day. Do some shopping with Rosalie and Esme; get a little pampering done before we come back?" She had a big smile on her face that quickly turned into the famous Cullen pout when she saw my hesitancy at the idea of shopping. "Please, Bella, it will be fun. I promise."

There was no way I could say no to her. Stupid Cullen's and their abilities to make me crack. "Fine Alice, it sounds like fun."

She squealed excitedly and jumped down from my bed. "Great. I'll see you at breakfast." She kissed my cheek and left quickly.

I shook my head, smiling at her enthusiasm and climbed out of the bed. I went to the bathroom and got cleaned up and then came out and dressed. Just as I was about to leave I noticed the note from Edward and bit my lip.

Deciding that Alice and the others could wait a few more minutes I went over to the computer that Esme and Carlisle had graciously gotten me for my birthday. I did some research and was finally able to decipher what he had written.

'You are my life now. Meet me in the gardens for a dinner under the stars at 7:30.'

My heart melted and my cheeks became instantly inflamed. Perhaps he really did feel the same why I did. I was smiling with giddiness when I noticed a link from the website I had been looking at.

The link lead me to a doctor's website that specialized in high risk eye surgeries. He had been performing these of operations for at least twenty years and had success story after success story from each patient. A discovery had recently been made about optical nerve damage that struck me.

I didn't have time to read it all, so I printed it out and reluctantly left my room to have breakfast.

Lauren glared at me as I passed her by the stairwell, but I barely paid her any attention.

My thoughts were still on the information I had found. It didn't matter to me that Edward was blind, I loved him because of who he was, but the fact that there was the possibility that he could get his sight back excited me. I knew how badly he berated himself for the accident and wished that he could change it.

If he was in a good mood tonight maybe I could bring it up.

When I got to the dining room Alice and Esme were next to each other, talking excitedly, and Rosalie was across from me as I slid quietly into my chair.

Her glare was obvious and sent chills down my spine. I don't know what I did to anger her, but it was hard to deny it when she openly sent death rays at me.

Someone placed an omelet in front of me and a glass of juice. I ate quietly, trying to ignore Rosalie and finally breathed a sigh of relief when Alice broke the silence.

"Okay, so I figured that we could go to a few out of the way boutiques. It will keep us out of the way of any nosy reporters." She smiled, very pleased. "Once we are done with that, we'll come back here for an afternoon of pampering." She was practically bouncing out of her seat.

I rolled my eyes, but smiled good naturedly. I figured letting Alice have her way would make things a whole lot easier.

"So, Bella," Alice kept her eyes on her coffee, but had a smile on her lips that made me nervous. "I noticed Edward leaving your room early this morning. Are you and my brother doing anything that I wouldn't want details about?"

"Alice." Esme chided.

I was grateful for her stepping in, but became very aware of their eyes on me, eagerly awaiting my answer.

Nervously chewing on my lip I pushed my plate aside and looked up at them. "Well, um, Edward has been sleeping with me at night, but only sleeping. We haven't even kissed yet."

Rosalie huffed. "Right."

"He's been a perfect gentleman about it." I added, my face beyond scarlet.

Esme nodded her head. "Of course he has. Don't mind these two, Bella." She demurely patted her mouth with a napkin and then placed it on her plate. "What do you say we get started?" She smiled.

Alice bounced up excitedly.

The rest of the morning and part of the afternoon became a whirl wind of beautiful boutiques and dressing rooms. Apparently we needed to try on everything that we saw and bring home even more.

Most of the shops were in the suburbs, in smaller populated areas and seemed more high-end then some of the popular stores. I was shocked at the price tags and nearly threw a fit when Alice insisted on buying me the most expensive dress in one of the stores.

It didn't matter to me that they had more money than even the richest people in the world knew what to do with. I would never feel comfortable with people spending money on me. But, since it was Alice she did eventually wear me down.

We had more embarrassing conversations leading to discussions I never wanted to talk about, especially with my future in laws. It was just too weird.

By the time we returned to the palace I was completely worn out. I just wanted to go up to my room and sleep until my dinner with Edward, but Alice would have none of that.

She insisted that we each go change into some comfortable clothing, meaning some shorts and a tank top. We were all supposed to meet in her room and there our spa treatments were set up.

My jaw dropped when I saw everything that was there. There were foot tubs and massaging chairs for our pedicures, tables for massages, and mixes for facials.

The one thing I was not prepared for was the fact that Alice decided I needed to have a bikini wax and get my legs waxed. I glared at her for a long time after it was done, although it wasn't all that impressive with tears still streaming down my face.

The facial was amazing and the manicures and pedicures were perfect. I had never been treated so well in my life, it still felt unreal.

When our nails were dry Rosalie stormed off, not having spoken a word to me all day and Esme pressed her cheek to mine. She smiled apologetically before leaving.

Alice had me change into one of the outfits we had purchased on out outing and grinned as she glanced at the clock. "Perfect timing."

"I'm not even going to ask how you know." I shook my head.

She waved me off. "A faerie never reveals her secrets. Now go have a marvelous time."

I took off, tripping a few times along the way.

Amber was waiting by the doors that led out to the gardens along with Ben. "Everything's ready for you, Princess." She curtseyed.

That was going to take some getting used to. It still felt weird to hear the staff refer to me as a royal.

Edward was a little further out the doors, waiting in a sectioned off portion of the gardens near a table. He had his glasses removed and his skin was glowing under the light creating the perfect ambiance setting.

His grin got even bigger when I reached him and he wrapped his arms securely around my waist. "I missed you so much." He pulled me close to him.

The joy that filled me when he said that was overwhelming. "Me, too. Your evil pixie sister kidnapped me and forced me to go shopping with her and Rosalie." I pouted.

Shaking his head he lifted his hand up to my face and ran his fingers gently over my lips. He burst out laughing when he felt the pout and pressed his own lips to my forehead. "You silly girl." He said it as an endearment.

I blushed. "It wasn't all bad, but I hated being away from you." I was still nervous admitting how much I needed him.

"You have no idea." He pressed his forehead to mine for a moment. "Maybe we should take a weekend trip, just the two of us. It would be nice to get away and have some time together." He suggested.

Getting away from prying eyes and ears would be nice, especially after that mortifying conversation I had with his mother and sisters earlier that day. "That does sound nice, Edward."

"Wonderful, I'll get it all set up." He pulled back slightly and put his hand on the table next to him. "Shall we?"

I patted his shoulders and released my hold on him. I smiled as he held my chair out for me and waited until he got himself seated. "Thank you so much for the flower. It was beautiful."

He shook his head. "I'm sure it paled in comparison to you."

My cheeks were going to be permanently red around him. "Well, thank you just the same."

"You are most welcome." He assured me.

With that out of the way began eating our dinner. Edward seemed deliriously happy; I had never seen him in such high spirits before. His cheeks were slightly flushed, his mannerism were lighter, even the way he spoke seemed different. I could hardly believe this was the same Edward.

I loved seeing him happy, even his laugh was breathtaking. I vowed to do everything I could to get him to make that musical sound as often as possible.

Seeing him in such a light hearted mood had left me breathless. I had thought he was the picture of perfection before, but now he was even more stunning.

"Why are you so quiet? Is everything alright, Bella?" He asked me as we finished our meals.

Taking his hand in mine I just smiled. "Everything is fine, Edward. I'm just happy."

He brought my hand up to his lips and brushed his lips lightly over my knuckles. "So am I. I have never felt so alive before."

We really were on the same page. That filled me with such hope.

I remembered my discovery from earlier that day and decided to try and broach the subject now since he was jubilant. "Can we discuss something?"

"Of course. What is it?" He turned his head slightly so I knew that he was giving me his full attention.

"This morning when I did some research online to figure out what your note said, I found a link to a pretty interesting website." I started off.

He remained much the same, holding my hand in his and his focus still on me.

"It was for a doctor that specializes in high risk eye surgeries." I was about to continue when I noticed Edward's jaw tense. Neither of us said anything and the silence became deafening. "Edward."

"Bella," the monumental effort it took for him to remain calm as he spoke was so clear, "I know you mean well, but I don't want to discuss this. The possibility of regaining my sight is none. I have accepted this, my family has, my country has, please just respect my feelings on this."

Getting I didn't want to argue with him, we had been doing well, but I wanted to understand why he wouldn't even consider the possibility, so I pressed him further. "This is a new kind of surgery, Edward. There have been so many advances since your injury."

"And what if it doesn't work? I can't take that kind of risk when I already have to fight to keep my crown." He was pinching the bridge of his nose, trying to keep his temper under control.

"Did you ever think that maybe if you had this surgery it would help your position with Parliament and the people?" I snapped.

He shook his head angrily. "No, I can't afford to take that chance. The possibility that it could hurt me in the long run is much higher."

I felt angry tears threaten to fall at how casually he tossed aside this opportunity. "Don't you want to see again?" The tears started flowing. "Don't you want to see me?"

"That's not fair, Bella." He pulled my chair close to him and pressed his forehead to mine. "I have longed for nothing else since we met. I want nothing more than to be able to look into those big beautiful eyes I know are looking at me right now, to see every inch of you. I want to be able to see my bride walking down the aisle to me." He groaned in the most agonized frustration.

I sniffled, gathering all of the courage that I could muster. "Do you love me?"

"With all of my heart, Bella. I love you more than I ever thought possible." His velvety voice sang to me.

My euphoria at finally hearing him say that was put on hold as I tried to keep myself under control. "I love you, too." I admitted in a whisper. "Then could you at least please consider this. You don't have to commit. Just think about it, look into what the doctor and the surgery is about." I begged him.

Letting out a low growl from deep in his throat after a minute of thought, he nodded. "You're right. I will look into this before I make my decision." He finally assured me.

I smiled, kissing the tip of his nose. "Thank you."

He laughed and gently wiped away my tears. He pulled me into his chest, resting his chin on top of my head. "You're welcome."

We sat there for an immeasurable time and finally moved when I shivered from a gust of wind. "You're cold. Let's get you inside." Releasing his hold on me first, he stood up and brought me with him.

It was late when we headed inside and so he suggested that we go to my suite. I agreed, exhausted not only from the long day, but also from the emotional roller coaster we had just gone through.

The two of us got ready for bed in silence and then climbed into my bed in silence.

For about ten minutes we sat without moving or speaking. Finally, Edward turned to me, his cheeks slightly pink. "Can I ask you something?"

I let out the breath I didn't even realize I had been holding. "Of course you can."

He nodded. "I know you've let me see your face, but I was wondering if I could see the rest of you." He said it nervously, gauging my reaction. "I don't want to feel you up or anything, but I just want to know what the rest of you looks like. You can keep your clothes on."

I brought my hand up to his mouth and stop his rambling. "I… I guess you can." I managed to get out.

Nervously he smiled. "Okay, lay down. It'll make this easier." He waited as I got myself comfortable and then moved himself down to my feet. Gingerly he lifted my foot in his hand and ran his other hand over my toes. He explored the contours of my foot and gently lowered it as he worked his way up my legs.

He explored my calf and knee, working his way up to my hips. He ran his fingers along one hip and across to the other. He took his time, making sure he didn't miss anything on his search.

All the while my breathing was so erratic I thought I might pass out from lack of oxygen. His touch was so light and gentle it was driving me crazy.

He worked his way up my stomach and then discreetly took my hand in his. Hovering over me slightly, he touched my hand and wrist, moving his way slowly up my arm and to my shoulder. When he reached my collarbone he let his nose do the work, gliding along the sensitive skin and up my throat.

Once he reached my face his sexy exploration stopped and he had his crooked grin playing across his lips. "Was that alright? I didn't make you uncomfortable did I?" How could he be so damn calm after that?

Uncomfortable, was he crazy? I shook my head and tried to clear my throat. "No… no, you didn't make me uncomfortable." My voice cracked.

We had gone from an amazing dinner, to fighting, to this. If all of our fights could lead to him doing this, they might just be worth it.

His grin got wider and then suddenly he paused, like something had just occurred to him. "Bella?"

"Yeah?" I was having trouble concentrating.

"During our conversation outside… did you say that you loved me?" His face lingered above mine.

I was wondering if he had caught that. Well, I guess it's now or never.