Chapter Three:

One hour later and I'm finally ready to go over and see my father. Since the pictures were published and we had the fight of the century, I haven't seen him.

To be honest, I'm terrified of seeing him today.

"Isabella! We really need to go!" Riley yells up the staircase.

"You really need to learn some manners, Biers." I say as I start walking down the stairs to meet him. "And since when do you call me Isabella?"

"When you're pissing me off because we just kept the King waiting a whole hour for you!"

I roll my eyes as I put my coat on. "Will you calm down? He'll be fine. He knows how to wait, he waited fifty years for the crown."

"You're going to make me lose my job."

"Oh please. Like he'd fire you." I roll my eyes. "He can't even fire you, I employ you!"

"Technically…"

I slap him on the arm. "Give it a rest!"

He opens the front door to the apartment and leads me out to the waiting car. "Come on. Time to go."

I sigh, and slide into the back of the Range Rover. I grin when I see who's driving. "Embry!"

He turns back to me and smiles. "Your Highness."

"I haven't seen you in ages! How have you been? How's Leah? Oh! Did she have those babies yet?!"

"Take a breath, Miss Bella," Embry laughs.

I blush. "I'm sorry."

"I have been well. Leah is also good, and yes, she did have those babies. They were born two weeks ago. We are both very tired." He smiles at me in the rearview mirror, just as Riley slides into the passenger seat.

"What are their names?"

"Emily and Claire."

"Oh, lovely! Please bring them to see me!"

Embry grins and turns to Riley. "Buckingham?"

"The one and only."

I lean back in my seat and we start driving away. The main gates to the palace open as we approach them, and it's like animals at feeding time as the photographers gathered outside spot the car. The flashes of the cameras start as they rush up to the back windows to try and get any photos of me they can. Shouts of "Your Highness!" and "Princess!" can be heard, but I stay facing straight, determined not to look at any of the cameras.

The car makes it way out of the palace grounds, and I lean my head back against the headrest and close my eyes, mentally preparing myself for seeing my father for the first time in two weeks.

xoxo

"Bella?"

I open my eyes at Riley's voice, realising I must have fallen asleep on the drive here. I bolt up in the seat and put my hands over my face. However, this does mean I missed the photographers waiting here for me as well. Sleeping pictures are better than naked ones.

"Oh my god." I'm so embarrassed! "How did I manage to fall asleep in the car?!"

"My driving is smooth, Miss Bella." Embry winks at me. "It puts the babies to sleep as well."

I laugh. "That must be it!" The car door is opened and I swing my legs around to get out of the car. "Take care, Embry. Please pass my love along to Leah and those beautiful babies!"

"Goodbye, Your Highness."

Riley is waiting outside the car for me. "Let's get this over with."

We walk around to one of the entrances to use and are met by Marcus, who is my father's personal assistant. "Hello, Marcus."

"Isabella." He frowns at Riley. "You're late."

I roll my eyes. "That was my fault."

"Of course it was." Marcus has never liked me all that much, maybe because I'm female, but since these pictures were released, he likes me even less. I don't know why my father has kept him for so long. He's a snooty old bastard who should have retired about ten years ago.

"Which room is he in?"

"The main sitting room." He opens the door, and I walk inside. "The Prime Minister was here this morning." Marcus is walking ahead of me, showing me the way, which obviously isn't necessary since this is where I grew up. I'm pretty sure I know of rooms in this place that even he isn't aware of. We reach the door of the sitting room and I go to open the door. "You aren't going in there with her," he says to Riley.

I spin round and glare at Marcus. "Of course he is. Really, Marcus, there is no need to be quite so rude around me."

His face pales and he turns to walk away. Riley sticks his tongue out at his retreating back, and I put my hand over my mouth to cover my giggle. I turn back around and open the door to the sitting room.

My father is sat on one of the couches reading something or other. "Hello, Dad."

He looks up at my greeting. "Bella." He smiles at me, which is not what I was expecting to say the least. "Riley."

Riley bows and goes to sit down on the couch opposite, he's only here for support, which isn't something that is necessarily done, but Riley isn't just my personal assistant, he's one of my closest friends.

"So." I sit down on the same couch as Riley, but on the other side. "Why did you ask me here?"

He puts down the papers he was reading and takes off his glasses. "Do you remember Carlisle Cullen?"

I raise my eyebrows. "He's my Godfather, isn't he?"

He smiles, pleased that I've remembered. "Yes, we haven't seen him much, probably not at all since you were very small. He was here for your mother's funeral, but you were too young to remember, I suspect."

I nod, but I'm suddenly worried. My dad hardly ever speaks of my mother, even if he only mentioned her funeral. "Dad, what has me being here got to do with Carlisle?"

"I'm sending you to America. To stay with Carlisle and his family for a while."