A/N: Just in case anyone is still confused as to how Isabella and Alice are pulling off this switch: Alice and Isabella look very similar, especially in masks and Alice wearing heels, plus Alice doesn't speak to anyone much outside of Jasper, so no one really hears her voice to compare it to Isabella's (as if voices are easy to hear in a crowded, noisy ballroom anyway). Rachel definitely has suspicions about Isabella and the switch, which will cause some trouble later. As for what Jasper and Edward want to do to Isabella: they want to steal her heart. Ambiguous, but more to come on that soon. Hope that clears things up! Thanks for reading loves! XOXOX!

Day Seven

Isabella slipped from her husband's grasp as soon as was considered acceptable. The first rays of morning light had yet to even glance through the curtains, and yet she had left their shared bed in pursuit of space. The washroom was just on the other side of her chambers, the hot water and fragrant oils calling her name. It was bad enough that Jacob had decided to stay the night in her bed, but she refused to smell of him. Musk and sweat was not an alluring combination, despite what any woman said. They were all liars.

Slowly, she pushed the double doors shut and sealed them behind her, careful to be silent so that her intrusive husband would remain asleep. Padding though the room, she found Alice asleep in the tub, using a towel as a makeshift pillow. She must not have found a good time to sneak out, and resorted to making this place her bed for the night. Isabella almost felt bad to wake her, but her skin felt as if it were crawling, and she needed a bath before she scratched it all off.

"Alice..." Isabella cooed as she gently shook her maid. "Alice."

"Hmmm?" the girl stirred from her slumber, looking groggy but mildly alert. At the sight of Isabella she straightened up and scrambled out of the tub, just as surprised to be in it as Isabella was to find her in it. "My Lady, I apologize, I must have nodded off and - "

"You are fine," Isabella assured, depositing her robe on the rack beside the bath, stretching out her limbs until she heard them crack. "I just need to clean myself up."

"I shall draw the bath then."

"Thank you," Isabella mumbled, slipping into the empty tub, steaming water rushing over her kneecaps as it gushed from the faucet. Immediately, she felt her tense muscles start to release, her body going lax. Everything was so much less worrisome while submerged in water, surround by lavender and rose scented vapors. "I am sorry about last night."

"Think nothing of it," Alice replied gently, though the dark circles under her red-rimmed eyes led Isabella to believe that Alice was probably hurt that she did not get to meet with her suitor.

"Are you cross with me?"

"Nothing of the sort, My Lady," Alice assured, stroking fingers through Isabella's hair as she wet it. It felt nice, and Isabella could not help but to lean up into the touch. "It would have been nice to go dancing, but I know that you could not have predicted that certain turn of events."

"Certainly not," Isabella agreed, sinking back down into the tub, trying to shake the memories from her head.

"Do you think you are with child?"

I hope not Isabella said mentally, glaring at her stomach. If she actually ended up with child after the first try, she might throw herself from the roof of the palace. However, it could also be a blessing, as her husband would not have to touch her ever again. She would have done her duty. One and done, no more worries.

"It is too soon to know for sure," Isabella replied instead, knowing it was the more acceptable answer.

Whether Alice was suspicious of her lack of joy, she did not say. She did not press further, and for that, Isabella was grateful. It was too early to process the consequences of the night before, or what it meant to Jacob. All of those messy complications only made her head pound, and she wanted nothing more than to dissolve into the water in which she bathed.

Unfortunately, she was not allowed that rest, for just as she was canting her neck back against the porcelain edge to close her eyes, the double doors swung open to reveal none other than her husband. He wore nothing but a red robe tied at the waist, fabric pulling open at his broad chest and swishing around his ankles as he sauntered into her sanctuary. Alice nearly fell over in shock, managing a curtsy before scampering into the background.

Isabella was livid; first he invade her bed, then her bath? This was out of hand.

"My Lord, it is highly inappropriate for you to just barge in the room when I am bathing," Isabella snapped, dipping beneath the water so everything was obscured by the haze of soapy bubbles. Not that she had anything on her body that her husband had not seen before, but that was different. This was supposed to be a private space for her to unwind, and now even that intimacy was being broken by his presence.

"Forgive me, my dear, but I was worried when I woke alone. I wished to see if you were alright."

"Yes, well, you can see I am in perfect health."

"Good," Jacob replied with a smile, leaning down into her space. It was then Isabella realized that he was going in for a kiss, and that she would have to oblige with a short peck to the lips. It was a brief gesture, one she did as quickly as possible without looking suspicious. "Now that your health is settled, how are you feeling?"

"Is that not the same thing?"

"Nonsense," Jacob laughed and shook his head, gazing down into the water at her stomach. "I meant, how are you feeling about last night? Do you think we succeeded in our efforts?"

"Only time shall tell," Isabella replied with a forced smile. It was clear that Jacob felt proud of himself, no doubt thinking upon last night with a successful conquest in mind while all Isabella could think about was the longest ten minutes of her life.

"Well, I am feeling rather good about this whole ordeal. So good, in fact, that I think we should celebrate."

"Are we not having the ball later this evening?"

"That is not the same!" Jacob shook his head, waving away the notion that one opulent party was enough. "That ball is for the people, but I meant something much more personal."

"Oh?"

"I wish to spend the day with you, showering you with my affection."

"I am flattered, really, but that is not necessary - "

"Nonsense, I insist," Jacob said with finality, leaving Isabella with no room to negotiate. She was stuck in this mess, her eyes darting subtly to Alice to save her, but the maid had dashed away during the couple's conversation.

"Then I must humbly accept."

"Wonderful!" Jacob clapped his hands together, even more pleased than before. "I shall see you when you are finished getting beautiful, though you are always beautiful to me."

Isabella could have gagged at the sentiment, but miraculously managed a smile. If that line was anything to go off of, it was going to be a long day indeed.

After a morning spent in the breakfast room entertaining courtiers and an extended social tea in the garden hosting even more nobles, Isabella was worn to the bone, and it was not even high noon. Faking smiles and chipper attitudes when she would rather be anywhere other than baking in the hot sun surrounded by her least favorite people took a lot out of her. Thankfully this round of socializing was indoors, the smaller of the parlors half-full of politicians and friends of friends buzzing with conversation. Everyone wanted to talk to her, everyone wanted to gossip about her, and there was no hotter the topic about her than the potential heir.

Of course, Jacob could not keep his mouth shut for more than ten minutes before he was divulging private matters with every man woman and servant he could get his hands on. He nearly boasted how hard they had tried to make the dream of an heir a reality, gratuitously stoking his rumored prowess much to the delight of his guests. For him, this was something to boast about, but for Isabella, it was a spectacle that made her want to bury her head in the cushions of the settee. She was mortified, clamoring for reasons to leave and return to her quarters, but that was not acceptable.

Though a little less refined than considered socially acceptable, this was supposed to be an exciting, joyous occasion. An heir was a blessing, and yet, Isabella looked as though it could be a curse. What kind of monster felt as though a child would ruin her life? She was the queen; she was supposed to be nurturing and kind. To have this outlook, to be so cynical an grim and passive aggressive did not bode well for her reputation, and so she stayed and suffered and played her part. Because she was the luckiest girl in the world, and that was how she was supposed to react.

"What do you think love?" Jacob asked, leaning over and showing her swatches of velvet in sumptuous shades of red. She scrunched her nose, for as much as she wore red, it was not her favorite color, and those tones were simply gaudy.

"What is this for?" she asked, taking the swatches to be polite, holding them up to the light though she had no intention of actually considering either.

"For the nursery of course," Jacob replied as if it were obvious, and Isabella tried not to lose her temper. "Only the best for the mother of my future child."

The lords and ladies in the seats opposite Isabella let out adoring sighs, thinking this dog and pony show was the most romantic thing their insipid minds had ever seen.

That was it. She had had too much. Any more of this and she might explode.

"I'll be right back, dear," Isabella said, hoping her wan smile wasn't showing her impatience.

Jacob must have been too caught up in his planning to reply, but she did not care. Usually she chalked that up to his lack of caring, but now she could not be more grateful for the sudden obliviousness. It gave her time to slip out of the room mostly unnoticed. Some of the present company saw her, which gave her hope that at least one of them would tell Jacob she had left so he did not feel the urge to send a search party to track her down.

Though she had left in a rush, Isabella had no plan on where to go. She was only thinking one step at a time, and right now, she was thinking of the best route to her room without being seen by too many people. There was a service staircase the servants took to the upper floors through the laundry, and that was not too far away. If she could make it down the hall without being spotted, there was little chance of anyone spreading word back to her guests.

In her haste, Isabella turned the corner too quickly and bowled into two passerbys, knocking herself off course. Strong hands reached out to grip her forearms, keeping her from falling on her ass.

"Well well well, what do we have here?"

The voice was low and laced with a dangerous edge that had Isabella on guard. However, when she was steady enough to look at who had accosted her, she was surprised to see a familiar face.

"My apologies. I must not have seen you," she said to the man who spoke, but her eyes were trained on the all too heartbreakingly familiar russet hair and green eyes.

"Not to worry," the other man assured, brushing off his pristine black jacket. When he noticed that her attention was elsewhere, he traced Isabella's gaze back to Edward, then returned to look at her curiously. "Do you two happen to be acquainted?"

"Only for a short while," she replied evenly, trying not to put too much emotion behind the words. After all, there was nothing to be emotional about. Their entire relationship was a short-lived flirtation that held not footing in the real world. So then why did it hurt her so damn much to see those green eyes boring into hers with what looked like incredible amounts of pain?

"Ah, so you are the mysterious Miss Alice I have heard so much about," the blond man rasped, his lips curled up into a sharp smile that exposed his teeth. He leaned into a bow, taking her hand for a kiss. "Jasper Whitlock, at your service."

She nodded and took a step back, studying him more closely. Isabella had only seen Edward's mysterious companion from afar, always noting how serious and somber he looked, wondering how Alice could see anything appealing about a man who would not crack even the faintest of grins. In private, she could see the appeal. He appeared the perfect gentlemen, just like Edward. On top of being alluringly handsome, and owning a lovely voice, Isabella had to say that Alice had chosen quite well.

"Edward has told me that you are close with the royals, so perhaps you could shed some light on a situation," Jasper propositioned, despite the tight look on Edward's face that seemed as though he wanted to stop Jasper in his tracks. "There are so many nasty rumors going around about the king and queen's whereabouts during the ball last night. I am concerned, deeply so. You would not happen to know anything, would you?"

At the sound of Jasper's wounded voice, Isabella could have slapped herself for her callousness. Of course rumors would circulate about her absence; of course people would jump to conclusions, even if they were the right ones. And, of course, that would only damage the budding relationship between her maid and this handsome foreigner.

"What the king and queen decide to do with their time is not for me to say," Isabella replied cordially, trying to keep in character. Something about Jasper's gaze was unnerving, like he could see straight through her thinly cast veneer. "However, I am sure she would be more than willing to talk should you go ask."

"Oh?" Jasper arched an eyebrow, taking a step closer, intrigued. "And does the fair lady know where the queen might be this afternoon hour?"

Isabella smiled, glad she had given Alice the afternoon off, knowing exactly where she liked to spend her down time. She only hoped her maid had foregone her uniform in lieu of something much more...queenly. "I believe, kind sir, that you may find some luck in the parlor just down the hall."

Jasper flashed a huge, wolfish smile, his spirits lifted. "I am indebted to you, Miss Alice."

"The pleasure was mine."

Just like that, he was off, nearly running down the hall to reach his lady love. It was so cute to witness, and Isabella felt a pang in her chest, longing for the blossoms of real love. But then she turned, and her heart skipped a beat as she realized that Edward, who had been uncharacteristically quiet and reserved during the whole exchange, was still standing by her side. His proximity made it hard to breathe, and she wondered if that affect was normal, or if it was just him that made her feel like her whole body was on fire. Usually it was a good fire, but after their last encounter, it felt like if she got too close, she would burn.

"Mister Masen," she tried tentatively, grateful that there was no tremor to give away her nerves.

Edward swallowed thickly, nodding his head in acknowledgement. "Miss Alice."

They stood for a moment, wallowing in the oppressive silence, both unsure of what to do. Edward was fiddling with his cuffs, Isabella gnawing on her lip, looking around the hall for words that would not come to her lips. This was torture, and the silence stretched, making the situation more and more unbearable until -

"It is my deepest regret that I -"

"I wanted to apologize for - "

They rushed over one another, both unable to stand the quiet any longer. And with the divulging of words came the breaking of tension, an ease washing over them that made breathing blessedly easier than before.

Edward let out a strained chuckle, making a gesture for her to continue. "Please, go ahead."

"No, no, I insist. You first," Isabella replied, nodding vehemently as she was not quite she of what she wanted to say. Everything was so jumbled, she had not the time to gather her thoughts before they were scattering from her mind. Thankfully, Edward did her the kindness of complying to her wish, taking the floor with his head bowed in shame.

"I wanted to apologize for what I said the other day. I overreacted, and my behavior was abhorrent, the furthest thing from what a gentleman should be."

"You did not overreact," Isabella assured, feeling guilt gnaw at her heart. Of all the things he could have said, of all the berating she deserved, an apology was the last thing she expected from him. "I understand your hurt. I was callous and cruel to you."

"No words could be further from the truth," he refuted, eyes heavy and, dare she say, glistening with moisture. "You were nothing but indulgent of me, humoring my advances. It was I who read more into the situation and allowed us to get carried away."

"I wanted you to read those things," Isabella confessed, ashamed. "I knew what could happen if I indulged you and I let it happen anyway."

"We could continue this way for ages," Edward sighed, his lips quirking up into a tentative smile. He was right; they were going round and round in a circle of blame, achieving nothing but bringing themselves more pain. "Let us agree that we are both somewhat to blame, but also both innocent."

"If that is what you wish, Mister Masen, then I will agree."

With that, the rest of their tension and resentment vanished, wiping their slate clean, ready to start anew. Edward looked down upon her softly, and if Isabella was not mistaken, with admiration.

"I've missed your smile," he said before remembering himself and schooling his features back into propriety. "Forgive me, that was too forward."

"No, not at all. I have missed yours as well."

That softened him once more, though there was still a cautious edge to his gaze, as if testing how far he could push their new boundaries.

"I know you are a busy woman, Miss Alice, what with a kitchen to run and all, but I would like us to make formal amends."

"Oh?"

"Have dinner with me, tonight," he requested, and Isabella felt her breath catch in her throat. She surely was not expecting this. "Not to worry, this is a purely platonic request. I have no want to return to the ball just yet, and there is no work to be done when your delicacies are being consumed buy the gentry. What do you say?"

His offer was tempting, sinfully so, and Isabella was hard pressed to find a reason not to go. He had a good point after all: what was she really going to do with her night? After being banished from the kitchens, she had taken to reading or simply enjoying alone time, but even that lost its appeal after a night or two. There was no chance of letting Jacob back into her bed; he was going to be partying the night away anyway. She had nothing to do, no one to report to, and no better prospects.

"You are a hard man to deny, Mister Masen."

"Then do not say no."

"Very well. Dinner, tonight," she caved, too pleased to care about the satisfied grin that crept up Edward's face. "When should I expect you?"

"Stand at this very spot when the minstrel strums for the first dance, and I shall be here to greet you," he instructed, scooping up both her hands to place a kiss to her knuckles. Isabella would be lying if she said she did not feel her face flush at the touch of those lips upon her skin. "Until tonight, Miss Alice."

"Until tonight," she repeated in a daze, trying to make sense of what she had just agreed to as the giddy figure of her handsome stranger sauntered away.

"There you are!" cried an unwelcome voice from the end of the hall. Isabella shuddered, turning to find Princess Rachel storming her way like an angry peacock, turquoise skirts flying up as she hustled Isabella's way, ruining her good mood. The princess looked positively murderous, her cheeks flushed and eyes narrowed as she closed in on her prey. "Jacob has been looking everywhere for you, after you ran out on him so rudely."

"It was not my intention to offend the king; I was simply headed to the washroom," Isabella replied evenly, keeping her head level despite the voice in her mind encouraging her to tell the annoying woman off.

"No, it never is," Princess Rachel scowled disapprovingly, yanking on Isabella's arm so that she could drag her back to the slaughter.

"Whatever do you mean?" Isabella asked, her eyes narrowing, preparing for a spat. Everything led to an argument when it came to Rachel.

However, the woman just kept walking arm in arm with Isabella, pulling on a smile to stave off any onlooking, gossipy servants.

"I was so sad that we never had the chance to chat last night. Though, you surely seemed to enjoy yourself."

There was something bitter in her tone that Isabella did not like, something that suggested that Rachel would have rather her have a miserable time. Not that she was even there in the first place, but Isabella reveled in the small fact that Alice was enjoying herself. After all, this switch was supposed to be benefiting the both of them.

"You as well, I hope."

"The goose liver pâté was quite exquisite, do you not agree?"

"Of course it was," Isabella replied rather haughtily, though Rachel knew complimenting someone else's cooking was a low blow. Isabella wished she could have been the one to get her hands on such a dish, but Angela was still bitter, and Isabella had to take things one step at a time. It was only a matter of when she would be allowed back into the kitchen fully, not if.

"Funny, I did not see you try any."

Rachel cocked her head to the side, goading the queen. Isabella was on thin ice; one wrong word could blow a hole in her cover.

"Perhaps you were too busy with your drink to notice."

"Perhaps you were too busy with your lover to mind anyone else in the room."

Ah, and there it was: the crux of the matter. Isabella should not have been surprised to discover that Rachel had been watching her - or rather Alice - with disdain. As much as the princess flittered and traipsed about with whomever she pleased whenever she pleased, she had a nasty habit of judging others for the same behavior. The fact that, in her mind, it was Isabella making the esteemed poor choices only gave the spiteful woman all the more ammunition to smear her name.

"You know, I am feeling rather unwell. I think I will be retiring to my rooms now. Do give my husband my regards," Isabella said resolutely, not needing to stand such disrespect, especially from someone she, herself, did not respect.

"Something is not right with you Isabella, and believe me - I will find out what!"