Thanks for all your patience and understanding, hopefully, of my real life struggles in finding time to actually put words to a word doc.

Thanks to Mandy for prereading and to Sarcastic Bimbo, my B, for your fantastic beta services. I just write but she makes it pretty.

Let's get back into Edward's head, shall we?

The American Princess

Chapter 8

EPOV

We adjourn from lunch and my mother suggests that our guests rest after their long journey. I, however, am expected in my father's study in thirty minutes. I know he's brassed off at me and I don't doubt I deserve it. The old wanker is much smarter than I ever gave him credit for. He saw right through my ruse and called Bella out on it.

Bella. As she walks beside me joking with Emmett, I see that I might have put her in a rather precarious situation. That being said, she did an outstanding job of taking the piss out of my father but I fear that his ire will not fade away quickly. He doesn't like being made a fool of and that's exactly what she did.

I stop in front of the room that will be Emmett's. "This is you, Emmett. If you need anything, please just push that button and someone will be here to attend to your needs."

"Sweet." Emmett steps inside with one last smile for Bella.

I then smile at Bella, who smiles back, and lead her to the next door down. I open it and escort her in. "Your suitcases are in the corner over there. Normally, they would be unpacked but I thought you might want to do it. Bathroom is through there and should accommodate you nicely. Like Emmett, all you have to do is push the call button and someone will be happy to help."

"Happy, huh?" Bella smirks knowingly.

I walk to the left and open another door, this one leading to a sitting room. She follows silently and sits when I sit.

"How do you think it's going so far?" I ask, wanting to hear her thoughts.

"Your father hates my guts. I think your siblings will come around. I already have Alice. Your mother is torn between you and your father which is horrible and completely unnecessary. Both of you should be ashamed."

I hang my head a little. I know she is right but the need to rebel against my father's rules is strong.

"I can't let him win."

"Win what?"

Such a simple question, yet one without a simple answer.

"My father loves my mother but their marriage was arranged, as many are in our family. Duty came first, love came later. My mother is my father's backbone, all of ours really. I always wanted a relationship like theirs. I didn't find out how their marriage came to be until I was in my teens. Life isn't a fairy tale, even for us royals." I smile mirthlessly. "My father and I had a good relationship until I began to question things. As long as I was on the path to being a great king, he had no complaints. But there are so many things I don't want to do to get there. I don't want an arranged marriage. I don't want to have to worry about what I say, or what I do or how I need to act. I just want to be. You must think I'm such a tosser, always going on about my issues with my father."

Her nose wrinkles rather adorably. "I'm not exactly sure what a tosser is but you are entitled to feel the way you feel." She kicks her shoes off and breathes a sigh of relief as she rubs her toes. "I see people look at me and know they are probably thinking 'poor little rich girl complaining about the tabloids. She signed up for this.' But I didn't. I signed up to make movies, not to be objectified and talked about like I'm trash. I'm entitled to live my life the way I see fit, same as you. And if I'm the catalyst for you to be able to do that, well then, that's good enough for me."

"Thank you. And a tosser is the British colloquialism word for arsehole, I think."

"Arsehole as opposed to asshole?" She laughs. "I think I might need a translator. Will pushing the button get me that?"

"I'll be happy to be your translator. It's all included in the prince/fake boyfriend package. All for the bargain price of an extended stay at the exclusive royal palace and possibly your dignity."

"And don't forget the broken nose," she points out.

"And the look on my father's face!"

"And Marcus's!" She hoots.

By this time, we are positively loud in our giddiness and I can't remember the last time I felt so free. Then I look at her, her eyes bright with laughter and her cheeks all flushed like a rose straight out of our garden and I remember our initial meeting. I felt free then, as well.

She just has this way about her.

"Doesn't your father require your presence right about now?"

I eye the ornate grandfather clock in the corner. "Yes, but he can wait."

"Won't that make him more furious?"

"Yes." I grin.

She rolls her eyes in spectacular fashion. "Well, at least me being here, I can give your mother a rest."

"How do you figure that?"

"Now, I'll be in the middle," she responds simply. "You really should get going, though. I need a nap."

I rise from my position to the couch and I bow slightly. "Have a nice afternoon, milady."

Her eyes glaze over ever so slightly and as I take my leave, I wonder if it is from jet lag or if it's a reaction to me.

**TAP**

"You're late!" My father barks as I let myself into his chambers.

I casually unbutton my suit jacket and sit down, waiting for what I know is coming.

"A prince is never late, everyone else is simply early," I quote from one of my niece's favorite movies.

My father stops rifling through his desk drawer and throws me a hateful look. "I've had just about enough of you, Edward. This defiance stops now! Send that trollop home and find someone suitable to settle down with!"

I see red over a multitude of things he has just said.

"Bella is not a trollop. She's a very kind and wonderful woman who I happen to enjoy very much."

"Oh, I'm sure you do," he bites back suggestively.

I ignore that comment because if I don't, I might actually put my hands on him. "And yes, I am defiant. I have every right to be."

"Oh, poor you. You have the world being handed to you on a silver platter. It's a life most could only dream of and here you are complaining."

"It's not a life I want."

"Well, what do you want, Edward? Is it only about marriage? Or is it about being king?"

"It's all of it, Father. I never asked for this. Any of this. I want to marry whom I want. I want to be who I want and I don't know if that includes being king, or not," I say, laying it all out there on the table.

My words resonate around the large room- the only sound save for our heavy breathing.

I can see my father is choosing his words carefully and when he speaks his voice is controlled, but cold.

"This is your birthright and responsibility as the eldest son. You will be king and because of that, I cannot allow you to throw the monarchy away on Miss Swan, no matter how taken you pretend to be with her. As for Lady Kathryn, you and I both know that she is completely wrong for you. In fact, I wish I could have you scoured from head to toe to get rid of any diseases you might have incurred from your coupling with that woman. Exactly how long have you been shagging her?"

I blink because 'shagging' is such a slang term and one that I didn't figure my father would ever utter.

"A few months, not that that is any of your business."

"It is my business, because syphilis and gonorrhea are not things I need put in a medical report pertaining to the Crown Prince of England."

"I wear a condom each time. I'm not stupid."

He levels his gaze at me. "I'm not too certain of that." He runs his hand through his blond hair in a frustrated gesture I know well. "You need to let Miss Swan and her companion go. I've taken the liberty of booking them on a flight leaving tomorrow morning from Heathrow."

"No."

An eyebrow raises. "No?"

"No. It would be utterly ridiculous to send her away at this point," I counter.

"Surely, you are aware that nothing can come from this, so why do you fight me?"

"Tell me, Father, how would it look if the woman that I brought to meet my parents suddenly leaves the day after? We are already in the tabloids as a possible new couple. It will look as if the King and Queen of our beloved country have deemed her not good enough without taking the chance to get to know her. Or it will show that I took what I wanted and sent her away, thus having me labeled as The Playboy Prince. Surely, that is not what you want me known for? Especially, if I test positive for syphilis," I add for sarcastic effect.

Obviously, judging by the look on his face, it isn't appreciated. I thought I delivered it quite well. Bella would be proud.

He stands up, both hands pressed down on his desk. He levels me with a glare that secretly has me worried. I don't show it, however.

"I don't like being cornered, Edward. And I certainly don't appreciate the manipulation."

"And I don't appreciate yours."

"One month, Edward. One month to end this blatant attempt at rebellion. One month to send Miss Swan and her companion on their way, without any public backlash. One month to come to terms with what is expected of you. Do I make myself clear?"

One month is more than enough time to gain the upper hand. Allowing my shoulders to slump, I try to appear defeated.

"Yes, Father."

He regards me carefully, looking for any sign of deceit from me. He won't find any but I keep my facial expression blank. He nods his head once in satisfaction.

"Very well. You are dismissed."

I rise from my chair and make my way to the exit.

"Oh, and Edward."

I pause and turn to face him.

"Don't even try to manipulate this situation even further in your favor. I can and will make Miss Swan rue the day she ever threw a shoe at you."

Now it's my turn to nod at him, which I do as I open the door and take my leave.

I lean lightly against the door I've just exited and try to calm the errant thoughts swirling around in my head with none focusing but one.

I've put a target on Bella Swan's back and I have no idea how to get either one of us out of this situation unscathed.

Carlisle has a big stick up his bum, doesn't he? BPOV next.