"My beloved, you've come back to me!" Edward cried.
He tried to grab Bella, who yelped and scrambled off the couch. In her haste to escape, Bella forgot about the shards of broken lamp littering the floor. She made it only three feet before a shard of glass embedded itself in her foot. She tried to crawl away only to be stopped by the second shard of glass slicing her knee open. The room started spinning, the crimson blood and pure white furniture blending into a dizzying pink blur. Bella looked down at her leg and nearly vomited. While she had yet to make it to the end of the biology textbook, she was fairly certain she was looking at muscle.
"My beloved! Edward exclaimed, leaping off the couch. "Are you okay? Speak to me!"
"I'm completely fine," Bella snapped. "The three-inch-long shard of glass sticking out of my foot doesn't bother me one bit!"
Edward's brow wrinkled. "Isabella?
"It's Bella," Bella snapped, wondering how many times she'd have to have this conversation. "Not Izzy, not Bells, and certainly not "beloved." Just Bella."
While Isabella was the name on her birth certificate, no one ever called her that unless she was in trouble. Bella looked up at Edward. If it were possible, he would have had heart emojis in his eyes. Maybe it was fitting to be called Isabella in this situation.
If being yelled at by a bleeding teenager bothered him, Edward didn't show it. A smile crept across his face.
"You're my true love." he chuckled and shook his head. "I should have known."
While every cell in her body screamed for her to run, Bella found herself frozen in place as Edward crouched down to her level. His eyes were a stunning golden color. Not hazel or brown, gold, like a wedding ring. Funny, she always thought the Masen men's golden eyes were a myth. Maybe myths had more truth to them than anyone realized.
"So, who would you like to invite?" Edward asked. "Dr. Cullen and your siblings will be invited, but is there anyone else? Friends? Your mother?"
"Invite them to what?" Bella asked.
Edward smiled. "Our wedding. I know two days is a long time to wait, but it will be worth it."
Bella laughed. She couldn't get married on Monday. She had a biology quiz to study for. Mr. Molina didn't give Jessica extra time to study when her grandmother died. There wasn't a chance he'd give Bella an extension for a trip down the aisle.
"There will be a decadent feast, performers, and dancing." Edward continued, taking her nervous laughter as excitement. "People will tell their grandchildren of the day Prince Edward married the beautiful Princess Bella."
Bella looked up at the ceiling. They hadn't even finished cleaning up the streamers from her sweet sixteen last month. She wouldn't be ready for a wedding for at least another decade if at all.
"I'm not sure about Monday," Bella started, barely able to look Edward in the eye. He looked so excited at the prospect of marrying her. How was she supposed to tell him the wedding was off indefinitely?
Edward's smile didn't waver. "It would be a stretch, but we could do it tomorrow if Monday isn't soon enough."
Edward wasn't making this easy. Telling him no would be like giving a kid a puppy for Christmas only to take it to the pound the next day.
"Not tomorrow," Bella said, praying he'd take the hint.
Edward raised an eyebrow. "Today? While I agree waiting to start our life together is difficult, there are still preparations to be made. We have to inform the baker, meet with the seamstress, and write our vows." he paused and looked around the room. "We also have to travel back to the castle. By the look of this house, we're a long journey away."
Little did Edward know they were only a 15-minute car ride way from Forks castle. Anyone willing to pay $100 could say their vows in the throne room and have a reception in the courtyard. For an extra $50, most of the tour guides were willing to look the other way if the king's crown went missing for an hour or so. It was cheesy but Bella's parents claimed it was the most magical day of their lives.
Edward left Bella's side and wandered over to the entertainment center. He poked the speakers and ran his pointer finger over the vast collection of video games and DVDs.
"Where are we?" Edward asked as he stared at his reflection on the flat screen.
"Forks," Bella replied.
"Good. It won't be a long journey then. My mother will want to meet you before the wedding festivities begin."
Edward froze when he noticed the scar on his neck. He touched it gently with the tip of his pinkie as if he were afraid the long healed wound might reopen. He closed his eyes and started shaking.
"Are you okay?" Bella asked, worried he might be having another episode.
Edward didn't respond. Instead, he started muttering what sounded like the Lord's Prayer. After three repetitions, he opened his eyes and looked over his shoulder at Bella.
"My beloved, I fear the wedding will have to wait. I...I think something bad may have happened to my mother. I don't remember what, but I think it was something bad."
Bella hoped it didn't have something to do with the scar on his neck. As an expert on the healing rate of injuries, Bella knew the pale white scar on Edward's neck was at least six months old, maybe older if he didn't have stitches.
"Will you help me find her?" Edward asked.
Despite her reservations, Bella nodded. Someone, ideally his parents, needed to talk some sense into him. No sane person would allow their son to marry someone they'd know for less than two days.
"My mother has a fair complexion and bronze hair like mine," Edward said, pointed to his head.
"What's her name?"
"Queen Esme," Edward said, looking surprised. "You've heard of her, correct?"
The room started spinning again. "Of course."
How could she not have heard of the woman who's portrait hung above the entrance to her school? Esme Platt, daughter of a high ranking general, married King Luke II in the late 1500s. Together, the couple established the Fork's orphanage and public school system. King Luke II died of an unknown illness, most likely pneumonia, in 1625. The throne passed to his brother King John IV, a king remembered for his brutality and relentless efforts to expand the kingdom.
Bella did not tell Edward what she knew choosing instead to take the coward's way out.
"I don't know what happened to her,"
That wasn't technically a lie. No one knew for sure what became of Queen Esme after the death of her husband. Some say the overwhelming grief caused her to jump to her death from the north tower. Ghost hunters claim to have seen a woman in black haunting the castle crying for her lost love. Others say she was executed after the battle of Forks or fell victim to the smallpox epidemic of 1629.
"We have to find her before dark," Edward said, his hands shaking. "It's not safe to be in the woods at night."
Bella looked out the window. The sky was streaked with red and pink. It wouldn't be long until the sun slipped below the horizon. It was September, while technically still summer, the temperatures had already started to drop into the forties at night.
"Maybe we should call Carlisle," Bella suggested. "He knows the woods better than anyone."
As long as they kept their grades up and stayed out of trouble, Carlisle treated his children as adults. He didn't assign them chores trusting they'd see what needed to get done and do it. He'd done away with bedtimes and restrictions on internet use and junk food consumption. However, there was one rule that remained firm; never go into the woods without him, especially at night.
"Bella, please," Edward begged. "We don't have time to wait. My mother is pregnant."
Bella couldn't bear to look at Edward anymore. Queen Esme had two children, names forgotten by history, in the early 1600s. As was common at the time, the children did not make it to adulthood. They were buried in the royal cemetery next to their grandparents. Bella wondered which tombstone was Edward's, the one worn smooth by centuries of rain and wind or the one smashed by vandals last Halloween.
Bella swallowed the lump forming in her throat. "I think we should wait for Carlisle." If anyone found your mother, they would have brought her to him. He's the best doctor in town."
While Carlisle was an excellent doctor, he couldn't bring back the dead. How was Bella supposed to tell Edward that his entire family was dead and no amount of money, begging, or true love's kisses could bring them back?
"Trust me," Bella continued. "Your mom wouldn't want us running around in the woods, especially with you being injured. She'd want us to wait for Carlisle. He'll know what to do."
Bella hating having to say those words. How many times had people told her dead parents would have wanted?
"Charlie would have wanted you to stay with us in La Push."
"Renee wouldn't have wanted you to blame yourself."
"They wouldn't have wanted you to be sad. They would have wanted you to move on and make the most of your life."
"While I hate to admit it, you're probably right," Edward said, continuing to inspect his scar. "We'll wait for Carlisle."
Edward closed his eyes and recited the Lord's prayer three more times. He opened his eyes and steadied himself on the side of the TV. His thumb hit the power button causing the TV and speakers to roar to live. He jumped back when a pack of howling wolves appeared on the screen.
A shiver ran down Bella's spine. Why did it have to be wolves? Why not bunnies, cats, or any other animal that didn't haunt her nightmares?
"No...no.. not again. How did they..." Edward stammered, looking pale as a ghost. He looked over at Bella and the blood streaking her legs. "The blood! They must smell the blood!"
He raced back to Bella and scooped her up in his arms. "Where is your carriage? We have to get out of here before they find us!"
"Put me down!" Bella shouted, pouting her fists on Edward's back.
While Edward's touch still sent shivers down her spine, that didn't overpower her hatred of being carried. Sure, she was injured and a bit light-headed, but that didn't make it okay for Edward to scoop her up like a helpless infant.
Hearing the commotion, Emmett and Rose came running down the stairs.
"Edward!" Emmett shouted. "Put her down! Now!"
Edward ignored Emmett and tighten his grip on Bella. Why did Emmett have to insist on getting surround sound speakers? It sounded like the wolf pack was closing in from all sides. Edward looked at the wolves then back at Bella. He took a deep breath and made eye contact with Emmett.
"Emmett," he whispered, "I need you to take Bella and run."
Emmett wasted no time snatching Bella out of Edward's arms. He didn't even when a drop of Bella's blood stained his T-shirt.
"Run!" Edward exclaimed. "I'll hold them off for as long as I can." He leaned over and kissed Bella on the forehead. "I love you, Bella. Everything is going to be okay." With shaky hands he picked up a piece of glass and pressed against his neck.
