Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight.

A/N Not sure when I'll be able to update again. I'm getting writer's block, but I'm still trying to figure it out.

Chapter 20

Bed Unrest

Edward

I heard Carlisle ask Bella to come to the meeting, but he wouldn't say what it was about. King Charles appeared to be listening, but I couldn't ask him what he thought about it all. He hadn't spoken to me, except when Bella was around, since we had the 'talk.' The conversation between Bella and her father in Voltera's castle hadn't made much sense to me until Charles had explained.

"So, son, how did you meet my Isabella?" he asked.

"She was lost in the woods, so I brought her back here," I answered, uncomfortably.

"And when did you ask my girl?" he wondered.

"Ask her what?" I answered.

"You know what. The question," he said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"I… I still don't know what you mean," I replied.

"To marry you," he said, shaking his head at my stupidity.

"Oh!" I gasped. "I… I didn't… we aren't… I haven't… it's not…" I stuttered.

"You haven't asked her?" he asked, sharply. I shook my head. "And why not?" he asked. I didn't have an answer. I wanted to ask her, but how could I after my behavior. "You aren't going to are you? You're just going to play with her feelings. You're just going to hurt her," he seethed.

"What? No!"

"Shut up, boy, if you ever want to get out of that bed," he threatened. I fell silent. So much for making a good impression on her father. First, she hates me. Now, even her father hates me. The next few days were… unpleasant. Charles seemed to hate me more the longer we were stuck together in that room. I had a suspicion he had found out about my treatment of Bella before she left the castle. Bella seemed confused by her father's animosity towards me, but she never asked me any questions for which I was grateful. In fact, she didn't talk to me very much at all. She simply brought meals, and fresh clothes or blankets. She fluffed pillows and changed my bandages, which were no longer made from her skirt. She was a perfect little nurse, and I appreciated everything she did, and how beautiful she looked as she did it. I just wished the whole time that she was doing it because she wanted to take care of me, not because she felt like she owed it to me.

Bella was replaced by Mrs. Cope after a few days, and when I asked why she said that there was a meeting of the council that Bella had been invited to by Carlisle. Charles perked up at hearing this.

"What is the meeting about?" he demanded.

"I'm not sure. His highness only said that it pertained to your family, sir," she answered him. He climbed out of bed, and went to the door. Mrs. Cope kept yelling after him about where he was going, and how he really shouldn't be up and about yet. I was suddenly worried about Bella. Nothing made Charles react like that except things concerning his daughter. I went to follow him out the door, but Mrs. Cope pushed me back down on the bed.

"You are in no shape to be running around, not even for a pretty girl," she grinned.

"She's not just a pretty girl," I argued.

"No, she isn't. Edward, you know she's safe with Carlisle, and now her father's going to be there, too. And I don't think your little doctor, would be to please to find her patient hasn't been taking care of himself in her absence," Mrs. Cope reasoned. I sighed. Maybe I was just looking for an excuse to see her again. She'd been gone about ten minutes and I missed her already.

"She wouldn't care if I took care of myself. She's only taking care of me to repay a debt," I sighed.

"Oh hush, Edward, you may have hurt her, but she still has feelings for you. I know she does. You obviously thought your relationship was salvageable when you went after her. What's changed?" she asked, concern and pity in her voice. I thought back to the letter she had written to me. She said she loved me in that letter. Could she have forgotten so quickly? No, because if she loved me a hundredth of the amount that I loved her, then she would never forget for the rest of her life.

I swore to myself when I was well enough to get out of this bed I would tell Bella exactly how I felt about her. The only hard part was finding the words to describe what she meant to me. Maybe I'd just have to settle for showing her.

Charles returned, looking thoughtful. I decided that it was time to clear things up between the two of us. I had every intention of marrying his daughter, so it was probably best if we were on good terms.

"King Charles, I'm in love with your daughter," I said. He looked up, surprise written across his face.

"Is that so?" he asked.

"It is," I answered as firmly as I could.

"Then you have some explaining to do," he said. We sat down, and I told him about how I met Bella. I edited out the kissing parts, but told him that I quickly fell in love with her at the castle, while I still thought she was just a commoner. I told him about Carlisle setting me up with princess after princess, my responsibility to my country holding me back from just running off, and marrying Bella and my loss of her. I told him how the letter showed me who she really was… and that it said she was in love with me. I talked about going to Voltera to speak with him, and my surprise at finding the both of them.

"So what are you going to do now?" he asked.

"I'm going to ask her to marry me, but first… I'd like your blessing… sir," I tacked on. It couldn't hurt my chances, right?

"Did change your mind about marrying her just, because you found out she was royalty?" he asked.

"No, I don't think I could have been happy without her. I think I would have had to be with her even if she wasn't a princess," I answered.

"Alright, you have my blessing." Was I too old to start jumping on the bed? Either way, it wasn't a good idea with my arm still healing.

"Father?" Bella asked, as she came in the door. "I wanted to talk about what happened today. I don't think I can…" she trailed off looking at me. "Can we talk about this outside?" she asked.

"I don't know. I'm very tired. It took a lot of effort to come down to the meeting," he sighed, suddenly looking worn out. He'd seemed fine before, so he might just have been lying.

"Oh… uh, maybe later then," she sighed, and glance my way again, before she got up. She paused at the door and turned back to us. "Are you two alright? Is there anything I can get you?" she asked.

"I'm fine," Charles answered gruffly.

"I don't need anything," but you, I finished in my head. She didn't need to know how corny I could be.

"Okay, I'll see you at dinner time then," she said, and exited.

"Better hurry up, boy."