Author's Note: Hey, y'all! I would've updated yesterday or something, but I was super sick. Still am, but better. I hope you don't catch what I got. I'm not going to lie: It sucks having to collapse in bed after school on a Friday and not being able to function properly.
Anyway... I think this is the longest chapter yet! Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.
Chapter 12
Esme was horrified. She gawked up at her lady-in-waiting from her seat, her hand rested on her chest. "Repeat...what you just said."
The lady-in-waiting had her eyes trained to the floor. She did not want to worry her mistress more than she was already about the crown princess selection, but as she knew exactly what the queen was planning, she couldn't not tell her.
"I asked you to repeat, Lisa," Esme said. "Did I hear you wrong?"
Lisa looked guilty, even though she wasn't responsible for the news. "There is a rumor among the court ladies, my queen. It seems...Prince Jacob is engaged to the Lady Swan."
Esme could not hide her shock. Her breath came out in a loud whoosh as she looked helplessly at the pile of scrolls in front of her. She was shaking her head minutely.
The scrolls contained the names and information of all the eligible ladies from the ages of fourteen to twenty-four that were not yet married. They consisted mostly of the noble, wealthy class, as well as several middle class women that were well-respected by the community.
Esme had come across Bella's name at the very top of the pile when the scrolls had been delivered about an hour ago. She'd set the scroll aside, knowing that the young woman would indeed be one of the top candidates for the crown princess selection. But if Bella was already engaged, to a member of the royal family at that...
Did Edward know about this?
Esme's job had just become a hundred times more complicated. She knew that her son definitely favored the girl, and she also knew that he and Jacob were close. To have a single girl come between the two cousins...
The situation was very dirty, indeed.
What did she have to do first? She didn't want to do anything that would make either of them unhappy, nor the girl. But as the queen of this kingdom and the mother of the Crown Prince, she would have to take great care to make sure Edward was satisfied with his bride. The Crown Prince already had much power and allies – if he chose to rebel against the chosen crown princess, it would not be wise for the future of Gardenia.
Did she have to go see Carlisle first? No. She immediately dismissed the idea. The responsibility of the Palace's inner court ladies rested with her. The queen was the head of the ladies within these walls – it was up to her to figure this out. Of course, she would have to consult with Carlisle on her decisions, but she would have to make them by herself.
Jacob? Did she have to confirm the engagement? Lisa had, after all, brought her only the rumors that were circulating. A tiny spark of hope sprung up in her chest. She turned quickly to her lady-in-waiting.
"Lisa, I need you to summon Lord Billy Black," Esme told her. "I must confirm this immediately. Will you hurry, please?"
Lisa bowed and scurried outside at once. Esme tapped her fingernail on the arm of her chair anxiously. What if...what if...it was indeed true? If Bella was really engaged to the King's nephew...?
She rose from her seat, unable to sit still any longer. The hope was only a tiny spark of flame. It could easily be put out with one, sharp blow...
She was pacing restlessly when she finally heard the knock on her door. "Enter!"
Billy Black was not a political figure in the King's cabinet. Being married to a princess, he was not allowed to participate in political matters. He was a respected member of the royal family, however, and his opinions were never ignored.
He was donning his official red robes that he only wore when he entered the Palace. He bowed deeply in front of the impatient queen. "My lady. You wanted to see me?"
Esme didn't have time for formalities. "Billy, I must ask you a very important question. You will have to answer me truthfully. Is that understood?"
Billy looked up, surprised. Esme was never an impatient woman, and she must be facing a situation where time was essential for her to seem so paranoid. "My lady?"
"There is a rumor circulating among the ladies of the Palace," she said. "Is it true that Prince Jacob is engaged?"
Billy blinked. "Yes, my lady. It's a recent development, you see. I was going to come inform the King later today."
Esme stared at him in horror. "And who is the bride-to-be?"
Billy smiled, pleased as he answered, "The Lady Swan, my lady."
The flame of hope vanished. "Lady Isabella Swan?" Esme clarified faintly.
"Indeed, my lady."
She licked her dry lips. What was she to do? "Very well. Thank you, Lord Black. You are dismissed."
Billy was curious, but did not ask. "I shall make sure Jacob enters the Palace to pay his respects to the King and Queen. Good day, my lady." He bowed before making his exit.
Esme barely heard him. Her thoughts were running a million miles an hour, and her eyes looked far away. And then, she started pacing once more.
What now? She had confirmed the rumor, and Isabella Swan was a claimed woman. The fact that her husband-to-be was a prince was even more disturbing. She could not end up as the cousin-in-law of the Crown Prince! The idea was utterly absurd. Not when Edward loved the girl...
But that was a problem too. Edward loved the girl, but Esme was fairly certain that Jacob was in love with her too. She had heard in passing that he had been after the girl's interests for years, having already known about her existence even before Charlie Swan had confessed to the King.
This was indeed a problem.
Edward stood up abruptly, his expression stricken. "What did you just say?"
Cynthia flinched at his raised voice. It was never good when the prince was angry. He had quite a temper, the Crown Prince...
"Lord Black has just visited the King, my lord," Cynthia repeated. "Prince Jacob is to marry Lady Swan in two weeks."
Edward's fist balled up. The news was indeed shocking. Why had he not heard of it? From Jacob, or even Bella? Was this the reason she and Seth were not here today? Because she had to quit being his bodyguard?
He exhaled slowly, trying to process the idea. Bella...Bella...the woman he has loved for so long...married. To his cousin.
He couldn't accept that. How would he face her whenever she visited with Jacob? No, no. She would not become a member of the royal family like this. He wanted her.
He lowered himself back into his seat blankly. The problem was, Jacob wanted her too. He knew this for a fact – he had caught his cousin staring purposefully at the girl whenever he visited him. Jacob had known about Bella's existence even before he had...he had been after the girl's heart even before he had even met her...
Edward was at a disadvantage. He loved Bella, but so did Jacob. Jacob was the one currently engaged to the girl, not him. He had been by her side long before he had.
Bella could not get married. If she were to marry before the crown princess selection was organized and ready to be announced, she would not be eligible to even submit her name to be considered as a candidate. Which meant...
The wedding had to be stopped.
He rose again, and quickly left his chambers. His train worked to keep up with his long, quick strides as he headed for the queen's quarters. Lisa looked worried as she stood in front of the doors. When she saw the young prince approaching, she and the rest of the queen's train bowed low.
"I need to see the queen," Edward said quickly. "Inform her."
Lisa looked nervous as she called out, "My queen. The Crown Prince would like to have an audience with you."
Her reply was immediate. "Enter."
Edward opened the door before Lisa could, approaching his mother rapidly. "My lady, I..." He trailed off when he saw Bella's name printed neatly on the top of an open scroll in front of Esme. "What is that?"
Esme sighed wearily. "Bella's name and information provided for the crown princess selection. That is why you're here, isn't it?"
"Have you heard, Mother? Bella is-"
"Engaged," Esme finished. "Yes, I've just confirmed it with Lord Black, in fact." She fixed her blue eyes on her youngest child, noting his anger. "Ask what you must, Edward. I want to know what you want, so that I can help you."
Edward studied her. "Will you really?"
Esme smiled. "See these scrolls?" She gestured at the pile. "They contain names of many women in this kingdom. They are all eligible to become your wife, should they make it to the final rounds. So many scrolls, so many names to ponder upon...and yet, the only suitable woman I thought of for you was that bodyguard of yours.
"But now, I find out she's claimed." She rolled up Bella's scroll. "I assume you wanted her too? But child, she is your cousin's woman now." She looked back at her distraught son. "What do you want me to do?"
Edward could barely keep from yelling. "I want her."
Esme waited. She had been intending on paying a visit to her son to ask him what he wanted. But he had beaten her to it – he was currently asking her for her authority.
"You can stop it, Mother," Edward said. "I may be at a disadvantage at the moment, but the moment you announce the crown princess selection, the wedding will be stopped. Please. Help me make her mine."
That was all Esme had to hear. She was proud that her son was unrelenting. She had been afraid that he would give up on her, figuring that it was hopeless. But Edward was right. She did have the power to stop everything, and now that her son had asked her for help, she was going to enforce it.
Esme smiled. "I'm so glad you feel that way, because that's how I feel. You don't have to worry about the situation anymore, Edward. I'll take care of it as soon as possible."
"But that's impossible, Your Majesty!"
The Minister of Rites, Joseph Grant, was shocked. The queen of all people should know how long and tedious the crown princess selection process was. It required checking, double-checking, and even triple-checking of all the candidates. Then the official announcement. The submitting and collection of the candidates' names from their parents, giving permission to willingly give up their daughter's future. The tests and elimination of the candidates. The final candidate, chosen by the King and Queen themselves.
"The process is very long, my queen!" Lord Grant protested. "And the checking of the candidates' background information is the longest process of all! What you ask is impossible, my lady."
Esme was as patient as ever. "Lord Grant, I am merely asking you to hurry the official announcement of the crown princess selection."
"And I am telling you that it's impossible, my lady! The official announcement must only take place after the checking process is complete! The crown princess selection will not be ready to begin until the beginning of winter, and that is months away! It is only spring, my lady. You should know the process better than anyone, my queen!"
Esme didn't even blink. "Oh, yes, I know," she replied serenely. "Having gone through the process myself, I know exactly how long and tedious it's supposed to be."
She leaned forward, appealing her position now. "But there's a situation, in which I must take care of quickly. The official announcement is what I need, and you need to give it to me."
Lord Grant shook his head adamantly. "It is impossible."
"Then make it possible," Esme said swiftly. "You and I have the power, Lord Grant. And we shall enforce it."
The man gawked at her. "May I ask why you are so persistent on the subject, my lady?"
She sighed. "There is an upcoming wedding I'd like to stop. If it isn't, I will be very disappointed, since that girl is the one I hope will be my future daughter-in-law."
Lord Grant continued to stare at her before chuckling. "Well, then, forgive me, my lady, but you are being biased."
"Perhaps," Esme allowed, with a smile. "Of course, there is a possibility that another girl may be chosen, but I must give her an equal chance, my lord. If she is to be married during the checking process, what is the use for all of this?"
Lord Grant was not blunt. Being a member of the White Faction, he knew Charlie Swan well. Of course, if the new crown princess happened to be the daughter of his own faction, that gave them a huge advantage over the Crown Prince. Not that they really needed it; Prince Edward was already a strong ally of the White Faction. However, securing the position would be reassuring, indeed.
"And who is this girl, my lady?" Lord Grant asked slyly. "Could it be, perhaps, the daughter of Lord Swan?"
Esme was pleased. "Indeed." She knew he would take bait, since Charlie Swan was an important member of the White Faction. Everything was to her advantage.
Lord Grant sighed exaggeratedly, as though he was resigning to Esme's stubborn persistence. "Well, my queen, if you must insist. Of course, I cannot let you announce the process yet, as we are incomplete in the checking process. How about a compromise instead?"
Esme raised her eyebrow. "I will not deal with you if this does not work to my advantage, Lord Grant."
"Your advantage is my advantage, my lady," he assured her. "Would a month of checking be sufficient enough? My men will work extremely quickly, I assure you."
Esme took a calm sip of her tea. She set it down on the saucer. She did not look like a woman who was currently negotiating to make a deal. "Well, then, you must ask your men to work faster, because the girl gets married in two weeks."
Lord Grant could not resist laughing again. "I suppose Charlie Swan won't be happy about his daughter's marriage falling through. I think we can make it in two weeks. You have a deal, my queen."
Esme smiled sweetly and grasped his offered hand firmly. "I will not forget your sacrifice, Lord Grant. I thank you."
The men grumbled as they pored over the small prints that contained all the information about the crown princess candidates. Their employer had insisted that they must be finished with all one thousand scrolls – each scroll per candidate – in two weeks.
Whether that was possible or not, the men had divided the scrolls evenly between them, and Lord Grant had promised that the person who does not finish their pile would get fired. None of them wanted to be unemployed, so they had reluctantly succumbed to the job.
They now had about ten more scrolls between them, and today was the deadline. Today, at ten o'clock in the morning, and that was an hour away. They had lost good hours of sleep over the past two weeks, and were in desperate need of an escape to dreamland. Why it had to be precisely at ten, they did not know, but they had once faced the wrath of Joseph Grant before. They would not experience it again.
With five scrolls to go, Lord Joseph Grant himself came rushing into the work room, his robes slightly wrinkled and his eyes wild. "Please tell me you're finished! Tell me you're finished! It must be now! It must be now! The wedding is starting – I must go tell Her Majesty right now so we can announce the crown princess selection! Now!"
The words made no sense to them, but one finished man informed their employer that they had five more to go. Upon hearing the news, Lord Grant blew a fuse.
"Oh, dear!" he said, pacing the floor nervously. "If I don't run to the queen right now, I'll never make it in time! Rumor has it the bride is nearly done with preparing for the wedding! Oh, please, dear Lord, I don't want to die!"
"Three more, sir. Three more."
"Hurry up!" he wailed.
After reading through the scrolls as quickly as they could, the leader quickly informed the lord that he could be on his way. Overjoyed, Joseph Grant skipped out of the room, singing, "Hello, Queen Esme! I'm saved!"
By the time he reached the queen's chambers, where Esme was pacing the floor just as nervously, he was wheezing and coughing. Running all the way across the Palace at the age of sixty-two was not very appealing, but in this case, it had been necessary. He could barely get a word in as he tried to catch his breath, but it did not matter. His appearance alone gave Esme the message she wanted.
She turned to Lisa. "Send a messenger to post the official announcement at the main wall in the marketplace." She pushed two separate pieces of paper toward the woman. "And you go personally to Lord Black's house and stop the wedding immediately. If the ceremony is continued, everyone involved will be arrested immediately for defying royal orders. Hurry, Lisa!"
Bella glowered at the mirror in front of her. She resisted the urge to take the ridiculous silver stick that was placed through her hair to hold it in place and throw it at her reflection. Her head ached from the tightness of the stick.
"Mother, I really don't think the stick is necessary," she said for the hundredth time that morning. "And I also think it's useless to have it wound so tightly around my hair."
She winced when her mother frowned and poked her with the back of a brush. "Oh, Bella. How many times have I told you not to call it a stick? It's a pin. A pin, darling." She resumed her job of adding color to her cheeks with the brush.
Bella bit her lip, causing her mother to prod her sharply again. "Ouch! Mother!"
"Stop biting your lip, girl, for heaven's sake!" Renee scolded. "I will have no choice but to add more rouge on them!"
"If it would delay this wedding, then I'll keep doing it," Bella said in a dark voice. This time, she snatched the brush away from her mother's unsuspecting hand before the sharp point could prod her arm. "Mother!"
Renee sighed. "Oh, alright. I suppose we can start the wedding now." She grinned. "Oh, how exciting! My daughter is becoming a member of the royal family!"
Bella glared at her retreating figure. She wanted nothing more than some miracle striking this day down so that her wedding would be stopped.
She knew that she had to accept her role as a woman. Even as she worked as the Crown Prince's bodyguard, she knew that she would not be able to escape the fact that she would eventually have to marry someday. It was inevitable, and something that every woman had to do. She had accepted it a long time ago.
Therefore, it wasn't the fact that she was marrying that made her paranoid. She could even give up the sword to fulfill her duty as a wife, if she had to. It was the fact that it was Prince Jacob that she had to get married to that horrified her.
To be cousins-in-law with the Crown Prince, someone she had directly and personally served? She had been Edward's teacher! How could she face him as his cousin's wife?
She would not. The idea horrified her immensely. Her heart twisted curiously whenever she thought of the idea. She had questioned herself the past two weeks, pondering upon the question over and over again. Why did the idea bother her so?
She had done nothing else but try to talk her father out of the idea of marriage. Since she had been forbidden to enter the Palace until after the marriage, she hadn't been able to go to work and tell the Crown Prince personally that she was getting married. Did he know yet? Would he even attend?
She knew that Prince Emmett and Princess Alice would be attending, and there was always a possibility that the King himself would drop by briefly to congratulate the newlyweds. She had been informed that Queen Esme had another matter she had to attend to, and could not be here to congratulate her.
She hoped Edward wouldn't come. The thought of him seeing her in a magnificent silk dress with layers of makeup on her face, dressed up for another man strangely bothered her.
She swallowed hard as the servant girls accompanied her to the main courtyard of the Black's noble villa, where the wedding was supposed to take place. Her only thought was to concentrate on her balance while she was in this cursed dress. She would get through this day somehow. She would lie with the prince in his bed tonight, fulfill her duty, and become his wife. That was the only thing she could do now.
The expression she had seen upon Jacob's face made her even more reluctant to carry through with this marriage. He was blissfully happy with the arrangement. He didn't even care that she didn't want this.
Jacob was a good man. He was kind and a gentleman, but the thought of spending the rest of her life with a man she didn't even love was unappealing. She had always hoped for a marriage based on love.
The courtyard came into view. She saw Seth waiting for her at the doorway that would lead into the ceremony. He was wearing silky black robes for the occasion, which amused Bella. She knew that it was his way of rebelling against this marriage. He did not want anything that displeased his mistress. She wondered if Renee had scolded him about his attire.
She paused at the doorway, right next to him. His head was bowed, his eyes trained on the hem of her dress. She watched as Jacob made his entrance from another doorway from across the courtyard, his walk confident. He was very handsome in his grand robes.
"My lady," Seth murmured. She heard the displeasure in his voice.
She knew he had nothing against Jacob Black, for he knew the man well. They had played games with the two princes and Jasper together. But the fact that she didn't want this marriage made him unhappy with the arrangement.
"I might as well give up hoping, Seth," Bella said amusedly. "We both know nothing is going to stop this marriage. It's fine. As much as I hate to, I've accepted it."
Seth looked up at her, his gaze strong and unwavering. "Would you like me to help you escape, my lady? You know I would do that, without hesitation."
Bella looked at him affectionately. "I know you would. And thank you for offering, but you know it wouldn't do any good." She faced the front again, bracing herself. "But hold onto that promise of taking me away from reality, Seth. Who knows? I might need to take up on your offer someday."
Seth, too, turned his head to watch Renee gesture impatiently for Bella to make her entrance. "Of course, my lady. Anytime."
Bella took a deep breath and stepped through the doorway. The guests all watched dreamily as the beautiful bride made her way to the groom, sporting an expression that was appropriate for a funeral rather than a wedding.
Jacob noticed, but didn't despair. He would change her reluctance soon. He would first make her his before finally claiming her heart.
The couple stood in front of the priest who began to recite the vows to the couple. When he finished, he looked at Jacob and said, "Do you, my lord, take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife, and promise to love her, protect her, and care for her until death do you part?"
Jacob glanced at Bella's stubbornly displeased face before saying in a sure voice, "I do."
"And do you, my lady, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband, and promise to love him, protect him, and care for him until death do you part?"
Last chance. She could summon Seth and ask him to help her run away. He would do it without hesitation, eagerly. He would not question. He did not want this anymore than she did. He believed that his mistress deserved true happiness. Just because holding the sword made her different didn't mean she didn't deserve the same happiness that other women had access to.
She hesitated. And during those few seconds of silence, she felt the pressurizing eyes of her parents, who expected her to fulfill her duty to live up to her family's name and reputation. She felt her brother's eyes trained on her back, probably not wanting this more than she did, since he only wanted her to be happy. Still, he expected her to go through with it, because that was what a good daughter did.
Time had run out. She had lost her final chance to run.
She opened her mouth to say the words. "I..."
"HALT!"
Startled, she and Jacob whirled around to face the guests, where the sound had come from. She was surprised to see the queen's lady-in-waiting standing there, with a couple members of the Royal Guard flanking her. She was carrying some sort of paper in her hand.
The guests rose to greet her, obviously confused by the turn of events. Alice and Emmett, too, were bemused at the appearance of their mother's lady-in-waiting. What was she doing here?
Lisa walked up to the middle of the courtyard with the guards accompanying her closely. She was normally a gentle woman by nature, but at the moment, she stood tall and menacing.
Charlie stepped forward. "My lady. What brings you here today?"
Lisa looked at him coldly. "There has been a royal proclamation, sir. It has just been posted at the main wall for the entire kingdom to see."
Bella was confused. She noticed Seth sidling up to her protectively, unsure of possible danger.
Lisa unfolded the paper in her hand and held up a letter. Everyone's eyes widened as they recognized the queen's royal seal stamped on the bottom right corner of the page.
"By order of Her Majesty, the Queen, there has been an official announcement of the crown princess selection. As of now, all engagements and marriages are to be ceased, and further actions that defy the order will activate the arrests of all those involved."
She looked straight up at Jacob and Bella, who were gawking at her with equal incredulity. "And that includes the marriage of Prince Jacob, nephew of the King and Queen of Gardenia."
AN: OH! How do you like that? Heh. Surprised? I know all of you are sighing in relief – heaven knows how many reviews I got, begging me not to let Bella end up with Jacob. Like I would let that happen! Read the summary, people! Reviews? To let me know how awesome I am? It really boosts up my self-esteem. And it might just trigger another update soon...
Still thinking about the new story. Be patient, people! I'm loving your eagerness for the new story, though! Hint? Vampire story. I finished Loyalty, like, a hundred years ago, so I thought, why not? Still, nothing is absolute. We'll see!
