You Make Me Retch
Chapter 12 ½: Here we go
By:Maggiles
Authors Note: I really didn't mean to make you guys wait a week. It's just I never seemed to have time to update. I apologize. As for the chapter, it's still not finished...theres a third part. Also, I want to give a shout out to a super fan, Jane, thanks for being so persistent.
Edward
Once the doors were fully open, I almost staggered.
There were...hundreds of them...maybe even thousands.
They were all dressed up, their hair curled, their faces powdered. They even carried parasols.
I mentally slapped myself.
I should have been more then prepared for their numbers. Years of seclusion and secrecy must have burned at the curiosity of the villagers more then I had thought.
It was like-...I could FEEL the overwhelming wave of exhilaration coming from the women.
"Enter and bow before your rulers!" the courier bellowed, getting out a scroll "Any inappropriate behavior shall find themselves outside these walls then in them!"
One by one the maidens bowed, as they all tried to enter the doors with as much poise as they could muster. They carried their dresses with their hands, exposing tiny feet.
I rolled my eyes.
Sometimes I wondered why mortal woman insisted on having everything about them small-everything except for their hair, that is.
They all curtsied and raised their heads, only to gasp.
No doubt they were taken aback by the brilliance of the castle. Alice had seen to it that the castle of this kingdom was grander and larger then any other in the world.
I watched, unamused at their stupor.
The courier, a pudgy, pink, and rather round man jogged to the front of the crowd, holding an authorial hand in front of the ladies. The guards were soon to follow his lead, creating a sort of barrier between them and us.
"Ladies, it would do you good to stay behind this hand," the courier said, his face stern, "Any woman out of place will be thrown out straightaway. You will address King Carlisle as His Majesty, and not speak to the Royal family unless asked to. YOUR KING WILL NOW ADDRESS YOU."
The woman all stood straight, their hands laced together, one big dress next to the other.
I sighed. This was not going to be good.
"Welcome Ladies." Carlisle smiled, standing from his throne, "First, on behalf of my family, we would all like to thank you for being here in our country's time of need. Please, do not be afraid."
The moment Carlisle spoke, all heads were turned in his direction-only to be received by another wave of gasps and shrieks.
"He's BEAUTIFUL!"
"Absolutely stunning!"
"How can this be?"
"Amazing!"
"LOOK! It's the other royals!"
I could feel the tension Rosalie, Alice, Jasper, and Emmet felt. They did not want to come too close to the women, especially to make any contact of any kind. Even with the guards there, the women far outnumbered them.
"They're all GORGEOUS!"
"Angels I swear!"
"Prince Jasper's so handsome!"
"Princess Rosalie's complexion is inhuman!"
"Queen Esme is simply glowing!"
The remarks and comments continued for a while, the woman holding themselves together, probably not believing their luck.
I picked through each and every one of them, reading their minds for some kind of amusement.
And I was not disappointed.
After going through the lot, I came to discover that one third of the woman were over forty, another small percent married, and the last of the bunch just crude and blatantly uninteresting.
Sigh...what a kingdom.
A giggle caught my ears, and I saw Alice laughing at the effort the courier made to try and control the woman. Reading her mind, she was far more excited then need be.
I frowned.
She was just like Carlisle. Fascinated by the human race.
All eyes were on the woman, though, as the guards read their names out of the scrolls.
Some were not prepared for this; They had either lied about their name or age, and were panicking, desperate to stay.
I was disgusted.
Why lie about something that can so easily be figured out?
Such was the human race. They did not have the right sense to think about consequences.
Nonetheless, I watched, happy to be out of view. The last thing I wanted was for all the women in the kingdom to see my face and gossip about it later.
The anxiety I felt was growing more diluted as good number of the woman were turned away, the guards escorting them out of the palace. No doubt the ones that were in wedlock or a grandmothers age.
After all the names were read, the ladies that were once in the castle were cut in half.
Much better.
"ALL THE REMAINING LADIES, LISTEN TO ME!" The courier roared, waving his hands as to emphasize his words, "ALL OF YOU GET INTO A SIGLE FILE LINE, FACING HIS AND HER MAJESTY!"
The guards did not move from their barrier stance, as we all watched the woman push and shove to get into a moderately straight line.
I was smiling.
It was a good thing this ball room was so large. If it was any bit smaller, there would be no way they would all fit.
When it was all said and done, the woman formed three lines, with a space of about ten feet between each row.
I eyed all the woman, feeling a wave of anxiousness building up inside of me.
I did not want to do this.
I mean, it was one thing to anticipate the engagement, but actually being in it was an entirely different matter.
Just as I was about to wallow at my horrendous luck, a smell caught my nose. I swiftly turned my head, looking at the source of the scent.
It was not human.
My eyes were quick to scan, and my eyes made contact with Carlisle. He smiled, obviously sensing it too. Very slyly, he causally pointed at a group of woman, and there she was.
Tanya.
I didn't know why, but she looked better then I remembered. Her hair was curled and perfect, her attire pleasing. Her face was beautiful, and she was smiling with convection. She must think that she will be the chosen mate. Her eyes were not with the other maidens. She was looking for me.
I watched her search.
Curious, I thought, she must have doted on me more then I recalled.
She truly did stand out from the other girls-but then again, we all did. If Alice and Rosalie were pushed into the bunch, they would cause as much attention as Tanya.
It was the nature of what we were, after all.
A while past, and in that amount of time, I knew that the rest of my family had figured out the secret.
I could just hear them all mentally gasp as they locked eyes with Tanya.
Tanya, of course, being the collected vampire she was, just smiled at them, her white teeth exposed. Alice's head shot at my direction immediately, a huge frown on her face.
I had to stifle back a laugh. I could hear her thoughts screaming at me.
"TANYA? How could you not tell me she was coming? Must you take the fun out of everything? You're obligated to marry a MORTAL, Edward. What are you planning!?"
I didn't make eye contact with her, or the rest of my family. I didn't want to explain something even I didn't know the consequences of. If they really wanted answers, they should have all directed their attention to Carlisle.
I saw Esme tense, her kind smile turned into a small grimace, as she directed her attention to Carlisle whispering into his ear. Carlisle, in response, muttered something back, as he stood up with his hands open wide.
"Ladies of the Kingdom! Each one of you are serving your country being here, and if one of you should be chosen, consider yourself fortunate: We have quite the finical prince."
Small giggles broke out from the crowd, but Tanya just smiled.
The woman looked starry eyed at Carlisle.
He pointed at the guards, who automatically started playing the trumpets, the royal melody bouncing off the walls. The courier, taking the cue from the music, got himself ready to speak. He made his way towards Carlisle, opening yet another scroll.
"LADIES OF THE KINGDOM, BOW YOUR HEADS IN RESPECT TO YOUR FUTURE KING: PRINCE EDWARD!"
The women were hushed, as red silk carpets rolled down the stairs from where I stood.
Maidens with flower baskets littered petals down the steps.
I mentally groaned: Was it all really necessary? In my opinion, I felt more like the royal princess.
In a sudden sweep, the curtains that concealed me were pulled away, and the light of the candles temporarily blinded me.
The women had a hay day.
"THAT'S PRINCE EDWARD?!"
"HE'S THE MOST GORGEOUS OF THEM ALL!"
"Splendid!!"
"He's PERFECT!"
"SIMPLY DIVINE: THE MOST HANDSOME MAN IN THE WORLD!"
"BETTER THEN I IMAGINED!"
If there was one thing I was not comfortable with, it was attention. I would rather be anywhere on earth then where I was.
I felt like I was naked, utterly exposed to the raging hormones of the women below me.
Cautiously, I made my way down the steps.
The woman were eventually quiet, awed by my beauty, I suppose.
But the one person who did not swoon or speak was Tanya. She locked eyes with me, her mouth formed into a small smirk. She preformed a little curtsy, her eyes never leaving mine.
I pretended not to be affected by her alluring gestures, breaking eye contact and focusing ahead of me.
Carlisle was there to meet me at the end of the stairs, naturally, gesturing for me to follow him. He patted my back, as the crowd applauded.
"See? This isn't so bad." he whispered, not looking at me, but rather, at the crowd, "Now all you must do is make that choice."
I was about to snarl at him, until I had made the mistake of looking at Esme. She forced a weak smile, gesturing at me with her hands to form some kind of grin. Defeated, I looked at the swarm of women in front of me, and forced a pleasant facial expression.
It seemed to work.
The women went crazy.
Mixed in with the noise of the crowd, I heard the thoughts of my family around me.
Emmet looked amused. "What? They never saw a spoiled little boy before?"
Rosalie and Jasper had primarily the same thought, "How sadly pathetic."
Alice, on the other hand was beaming. "How wonderful! They really seem to love Edward. I never knew we had such kind, nice girls in the kingdom!"
I frowned.
Not exactly the kind of reactions I was hoping for, but then again, I should have known better. My family was ridiculously optimistic about my marriage. Probably relishing in the fact that I, for once, was going to experience something they already had.
The large age gap between my siblings and I had allowed me to experience everything before them.
Now the tables were turned.
But they were foolish.
I was not here to fall in love, and deep down inside they knew it, but chose not to except it.
I whispered a response back to Carlisle, "If you could hear the thoughts these women have, you would think twice about this engagement: They have all reached their coquettish peak."
Carlisle smiled back, "Two months Edward. And take note of this:You have another choice, more willing then you deserve, right here in front of you." he made a sly motion to Tanya, who was staring us down, "She is past her human hormones, and you should find her to be astonishingly patient about these things."
I snarled, annoyed at his teasing tone. This was not the time for jokes.
I was about to bark back, but Carlisle turned to face the crowd.
"Ladies," he boomed, his voice pleasant, " I am pleased to present my youngest son, Prince Edward Cullen." The women took five minutes to applaud, then he continued, " He is the future of the kingdom, the future husband for one of you."
The woman squealed in joy.
I almost gagged at the thoughts swimming inside their minds.
Carlisle paused for a moment, then went on. "Here is how it shall play: He will come around, and upon examining each and every one of you, make his decision. You will NOT talk to him unless he asks you too." -I was surprised by the sharpness of his tone here- "Why that it, you may ask, I guess you will come to find that Prince Edward has a knack for first impressions. A sort of...sixth sense, if you will."
I heard Alice giggle, while Jasper and Emmet were chuckling quietly to themselves.
"Once he makes his decision, the chosen woman will come live in the castle, until a month, where the wedding ceremony shall begin. The rest of you can indulge yourselves on the food and drink provided here."
He motioned to the tables on the right, piled high with exquisite cuisines of every kind. The chefs in our kitchen had not cooked such a meal as this for decades, and were probably over excited to show off their skills.
Carlisle turned to me, putting his hands on my shoulders.
"Alright son," he said, a smile on his face, "The rest is up to you."
BELLA
I opened my eyes, and was surprised that I had actually fallen asleep for a short while. But as soon as I awoke, I felt a jolt of pain burn inside my body as I realized that my neck and ribs were strained beyond mercy. Evey time I moved, I felt my eyes water.
Damn!
I had to do this to myself.
I just had too.
I looked out the window, and saw that it was getting dark. If I missed my chance now, I had no idea what I would do then.
I waited for a few minutes, listening, STRAINING to hear any sounds of life outside the curtain that concealed me.
...nothing.
Even though it was dead quiet, I didn't move. I was glued to the spot.
I guess I was afraid, afraid that something else would go horribly wrong and that would be the end of me. I mean, I couldn't even walk. Being huddled in an uncomfortable position for that long was bound to have it's set backs. Not only that, but I had no energy.
I had not eaten since yesterday, and I had used up 90 percent of my energy running. Stupid, I thought, too many drawbacks, too many mistakes.
Hesitantly, I lifted the curtain to the side.
Nothing.
The hallway was deserted, not even a squeak of a mouse could be heard. I let out a heavy sigh, my heart pumping furiously. As quietly as I could, I detached myself from behind the curtain and almost let out a shriek of pain. My body hurt way too much.
Shocked by my action, my hands instinctively shot up and covered my mouth, as I wallowed in anguish.
After letting the pain pass through me, I shook my head.
"Easy Bella," I whispered to myself, "Easy now."
Giving myself a few extra minutes to relax, I immediately set out to business, looking at my surroundings, trying desperately to find a way out. The window would have been ideal, but it was bolted shut with nine-inch-thick glass.
What a weird place.
I slowly summoned up some courage, walking down the hall while frequently looking around, paranoid beyond belief that somebody was following me.
I strolled to the end of the hall, backed up against the wall, looking for any signs of life. Hoping for nothing, I suddenly heard footsteps coming down the stairs.
I bit my arm, terrified.
If I ran now, they would surely hear me.
All I could do was pray that they wouldn't come around the corner where I stood.
"Seems quiet."
"Always is. That girl is probably long gone by now."
"What a shame."
"Ya. She was real pretty."
"Heh, if she gets caught-"
"No mercy."
"Exactly."
"I'm tired of walking around here...let's go to the ball room."
"Why? You wanna see Prince Edward's engagement?"
"The most life this place has seen in decades...why not?"
"...I don't know."
"Fine. You stay."
I heard the voices running away and laughing, as I slid to the ground. I slapped my forehead.
OF COURSE!
It was the ENGAGEMENT ceremony! That's the reason why there was so many guards, the reason they were so desperate to catch me. It was all because of tonight!
I cursed myself, what a great day to be caught. Right when the Kingdom was on hyper alert.
But wait...
This could actually work to my benefit.
If I played my cards right, I could make this work for me.
I could use the distraction the ceremony was causing, and get the hell out of here.
I looked down at myself.
A plain white sheet poorly covered my naked body.
If I was going to do this, I had to do this right, I decided, absolutely no more screw ups.
Firmly tying the sheet around me in a knot, I tiptoed across the ground, frequently looking around for any guards.
Deciding the coast was clear, I made my way down pathways and staircases, away from any noises. The further down I went, though, the more light seemed to be noticeable.
I wanted to stab myself.
Was I going in deeper to the ceremony then before? I mean, what if the next corner I turned was filled with festival guests? What would I do then?
Without realizing, I was biting my lip.
I tried to think fast.
'Okay...', I thought. If I didn't make a move at all, there would be no progress.
Yet, if I DID make a move, and it was fatal, I was good as dead.
Oh my.
Sighing deeply, I pinched my face as hard as I could to get my senses flowing. I slapped my face in an effort to be more alert, and then I let my body take full control, turned around and started running.
I ran as fast as I could, going this way and that way, hiding here and there, avoiding any commotion.
The only thing that was getting me through this was Jacob.
Even though he wasn't here physically, I knew that he was here with me anyway, in my heart. I thought about the sheepish smile I loved, his strong bronze arms, his black laughing eyes. He gave me the strength I needed to keep fighting.
And even though every time I thought about him I blushed...
I loved him more then anything.
Minutes flew by.
Soon, I found myself in a room that was deserted, and I decided it was the perfect place to stay and think further about my plan. It wasn't the biggest room I had seen, but it was big enough. It was dark, the room having no windows and all. I felt my way around, and happened to touch an oil lamp.
Perfect.
I adjusted it, the small fire growing into a respectable size. Dim light shined and lit the room, and I was awed.
It was a beautiful.
There were ravishing Turkish rugs, all with amazingly complicated designs around the room. A gold and black piano was seated on the left side of the room, with a small writing desk on the opposite end. But that wasn't what caught my attention.
It was the paintings littered all over the walls.
There were dozens of tapestry's, portraits-of all different people.
The royals, I presumed.
I walked around, dazed.
The first picture I saw caught my breath.
It was a BEAUTIFUL blond woman.
Her skin was pale and flawless, her hair waving in golden curls. Her eyes were sky blue, her lips pink and full. How could anyone look so glorious?
Soon, I moved on to the next. Hmmm...spiky black hair with big brown eyes.
She was beautiful also, but in a different way. She looked much more energetic and blissful. Next to her was a blond boy, gorgeous beyond description. I assumed they were together...they're faces were kind, their eyes full life.
The next picture was of another blond man, but older, and an older gorgeous woman. They were so splendid looking...so surreal.
It must have been the king and queen.
If I lived through this and told others, no one would believe me. I could never describe their beauty.
It was too much.
How could any people look like angels? They were glorious, as if the good Lord had sent them down to Earth. I had never in my wildest dreams imagined anyone as fair looking.
Minutes flew by, and I forgot everything else except the pictures. My head was mesmerized by them, and I felt like nothing else was more worthwhile then looking at the portraits.
They...they made me feel good...
It was strange...like their faces could manipulate your feelings.
Even though I didn't want to, my eyes reluctantly moved on. I walked around the room, my eyes glued to the wall.
And then I saw it.
It was a small painting, by far, small-but hidden. It was covered by a sheet, the sheet full of dust. It looked like no one had been in this room for a while, why, though, I didn't understand.
I knew that I should've left the picture alone.
The fact that it was covered showed that it was off limits...
But I was just so curious...who was behind the sheet?
Hesitantly, I reached for it, pulling off the covering in one sweeping motion.
Dust flew all around me like a storm, and I had little coughing spasms. My hands flashed around me, trying to push away the pesky little particals away from my breathing space.
As soon as all the mess was gone, my eyes took the time to focus on what was in front of me.
It was then that I nearly fell down.
It was the DEMON from earlier that day.
Oh.My.God.
He was there! Right there next to everyone else! He was dressed magnificently, though his clothes were a tad bit outdated from the clothes people wore today.
But that wasn't important.
It was his face.
He was actually smiling.
The corners of his mouth were pulled up in a small grin, his eyes a magnificent light green. His smile was warm, his eyes kind.
My heart fluttered.
It was funny.
He had looked so much different from when I had seen him. His face was hard-solemn. His eyes cold...and strangely amber.
How could this be?
He said he worked at the palace...it was unheard of to have a portrait done as beautifully as this one, and to have it done of a servant no less.
Stumped, I examined the picture again.
Maybe there was a reason, some sort of clue that could make sense.
There was no way he was important enough to be painted...no way he had any ties with the Royal Family...
And yet...
I traced along his picture, my finger following the lines of his face, trailing down his cheek to his chin.
He had the same fierce beauty as the rest of the royals...the same ghostly features.
He looked no older then seventeen, making him the youngest of the men in the portraits.
It was then that I realized.
He...he was Prince Edward.
I covered my mouth, shocked.
My heart was accelerating, my head filled with memories and blood, pulsing every second.
It was the biggest rush I had ever felt.
It was then that another big realization hit me.
If I was dead before...then I would be extinct now.
"Oh God," I whispered, my head growing dizzy, "No way..."
My knees grew weak, and I tried backing up as far as I could away from the wall.
It looked like his eyes were piercing through mine, his face staring directly at me, accusing.
What had I gotten myself into?
I guess I backed up too far, because I bumped right against the piano, causing it to boom with noise. I yelped in surprise, the sound scaring me out of my wits. I tried to make it silent, but the noise still echoed for quite a while.
After it settled, I slid to the ground, my hand clutching my chest.
Oh no, I thought, oh no...
I buried my face in my hands, frustrated. What was I doing? How did this happen? What was GOING to happen? I held myself for a while, letting all my emotions flow through me. Fear, anxiety, anger, shock, hopelessness, pain, despair ...all of it.
I heard myself breathing, and I tried to center myself.
'Breathe,' I whispered, trying to calm myself, 'In and out...in and out.'
While I tried to get a grip on myself, I didn't hear the light footsteps entering the room. I was lost in my own little world, completely oblivious to my surroundings.
I should've known better.
It was then that it all happened quickly.
Somebody pounded on the piano-where I was against, of course-and the intense noise of it's keys made me scream in shock.
I swear that I had popped both my eardrums.
I jumped up, and found myself facing four guards, all surrounding me.
"Shit!" I hissed, wanting to kill myself. How stupid could I be?
"Wow...your right, Wilson. She IS pretty."
A guard licked his lips, while rubbing his hands together profusely.
I heard another whistle, while the other three guards laughed.
I felt disgusted. I hated these men.
"Told you, didn't I?"
The man facing me, some tan guy in a thick mustache, pulled out his sword. He pointed it at my neck, my body flinching involuntarily.
"Thank you for leading us to you." he said, a smile in his voice, "And here we thought you were some magnificent escape artist. Turns out, you're nothing but a mouse."
I gulped, cold sweat trickling down my face.
This was not good.
I had to think of something to do.
"Look guys!" the guard from earlier yelped, eager, "She's wearing notin' but a sheet! Let's get you properly dressed..."
My heart was pounding feverently as he came closer, the other three guards in the back, watching.
In any other situation, tears would have came: But now was definitely not the time.
"Come here, kitty," he breathed, cooing, "Don't be afraid. You ain't gonna die yet anyways."
He reached out, quickly, and grabbed the knot by my breast. My eyes narrowed.
"Don't you dare." I whispered, hatred building inside of me, "Don't you even."
The venom in my voice seemed to work to some extent.
He stopped, hesitant.
What a fool.
I laughed, probably losing my mind from the stress level. I mean, what did I have left to lose? My life, pride, and freedom were already gone...what the hell?
The guy did not seem to like my hysterical giggle, because his face became hard immediately, and the grip he had on my knot grew tighter.
"WENCH!" he screeched, pulling off the sheet with all the strength he had, "WHAT A FOOL YOU ARE TO MOCK ME!"
Instead of panicking, like what a normal person would do, I just smiled.
Haha.
It was funny how I could stop time.
Really...When he was in the process of pulling off my sheet, it was as if I had frozen us all in mid-action, and I thought about a plan.
After a few milliseconds, I came up with one.
The white sheet flew in the air, and I decided to use it to bring him down and get to the door. As soon as he pulled it off, I started spinning, grabbing the end of the sheet and charging straight at him.
I brought my hand forward-a trick I learned from Jacob- and ran it up his nose.
He screamed, a loud crack audible in the small room.
He had broken his nose, and by the sound of it, badly.
As he fell back in pain, the other guards became alarmed, all pulling out their weapons. I grabbed my sheet, and watched as a second guard lunged at me, his blade pointed at my chest. Being as quick as possible, I clutched the sheet with both hands, and as soon as the blade came forward, tied it around the sword, while kicking him in his manhood.
He shrieked, and fell, as I whipped the sword out of the sheet, catching it in my hand. I jumped on the guards face-another shriek of pain-and kicked the guard who was next to him down. While I raised my leg, I grabbed the last guard's arm and plunged my newly required sword into his pelvis.
Weird how loud a human being could be.
The guy's scream was so earsplitting, it scared me.
His knees buckled, and he staggered against the wall. His blood was spraying out all over the ground, all over the men. Acting on instinct, I grabbed my blood soaked sheet, quickly tying it around me as fast as I could manage, and bolted out and through the door.
"Shit!" I cursed, "SHIT SHIT SHIT!"
I ran as fast as I could, not knowing where I was heading, where I would end up. I looked back-a fatal mistake-and saw two guards limping out the room, screaming for help.
"GET HER!" they shrieked, "GET THAT HARLOT! DON'T LET HER ESCAPE!!"
There were small bangings and yells coming from the hall, and it made me run even faster.
I heard rushed footsteps.
I heard shrieks at my direction.
I heard swords being unsheathed, and threats coming my way.
I knew that they were right behind me.
And I knew that I was as good as dead.
"Jacob..." I thought, eyes closed, "...help me."
