Just a Pretense
Chapter 2: Tardiness and Training
Author's Note: A bit filler-y at this stage. Still need to finish setting up the scene, then it'll be good. ;) More characters will be introduced.
If it wasnt clear the first time, this is a Twilight and Song of the Lioness/Protector of the Small/etc crossover. It should also be noted that 'Bel' is a real guy's name, pretty much meaning 'Handsome One'. The aim of the name was to have a name as close to either 'Isabella' or 'Bella' as possible. (If you read Tortall, you will notice that's how it works with Alanna and Alan too.) This lets the characters do more crazy things without necessarily having to be found out - i.e. Bella's almost-mistake in the first chapter.
I could have named her something else, I don't like 'Bel' either, but it serves the purpose (which is above for people who skipped the rant).
Finish reading the long winded author's notes!! ;D I'm keeping chapters 'hostage' not because I want to... but because it is a neccessity - at present. If I dont have chapters ready, I probably wont be updating for another 5 weeks, and thats not because I don't want to but 'cos I can't. I've got major stuff coming up, to put it in a nutshell...
Disclaimer: Twilight nor any books on Tortall belong to me. More Twilight that Tortall anyway though – I'm just borrowing some of her ideas, whereas Twilight I'm borrowing characters.
--
Bella skidded to a halt at the end of an unfamiliar corridor. She looked around uncertainly, wishing for someone to appear and save her. There wasn't much chance of that though, she couldn't see anyone anywhere.
"Here you are."
Bella almost jumped out of her skin when she heard the familiar voice behind her. She turned to see the familiar face of Edward. She had fully expected him to be angry and frowning at her, however a smile hovered around his mouth and he clasped her shoulder like a comrade and turned her around.
"I thought you might get lost. Come on."
He walked quickly. Bella had to almost run to keep up with him as they raced down the hallway, around a corner, down a flight of stairs she didn't remember going up and cross a hallway and into the lunch room. They were lucky that Edward's quick walking speed meant that they made it inside only a few minutes late. A few of the pages and squires glared at them for their tardiness, however, Edward merely smiled and waved to them and they turned back to face the front.
"I'll see you after we eat, Masen and Swan." Lord Carlisle called out as Edward and Bella got their food and Bella followed Edward to a table.
"Yes, my lord." They both replied formally.
After the blessing, everyone tucked in and one of the boys at their table reached over and gave Edward a clap on the back.
"Good work. Tardiness already on our first official day – the only day you can't be late."
Edward glared at him then turned to introduce him to Bella. "This is Emmett McCarty of Ursus, personal and family friend." Then he turned to Emmett. "Bel Swan of Phoenix, new page." Then something seemed to snap and the polite demeanor was gone. "Anyway, you can talk. You're usually the only always late."
Emmett held out his hands in defeat. "Okay, okay." He winked at Bella. "I'm the only one Edward ever gets mad at. Otherwise he's polite. Don't think he doesn't like you, alight?"
Bella blinked and nodded slowly as Edward threatened to throw his bowl of soup at Emmett, which would no doubt cause more strife.
Afterwards, they deposited their trays in stacks to be washed after scraping off whatever food they didn't eat – although Bella had noticed that Edward hadn't actually eaten anything. They waited for the hall to clear, then approached Carlisle's table. Emmett waved and mouthed 'good luck' to them as he left.
"Swan," Carlisle addressed Bella, "You must not be tardy, do you understand? Otherwise you will be given chores as punishment. I will excuse you today as it is your first, however you should not be late to anything else in the future."
"I understand, sir."
"That goes for you too, Edward."
"Yes, my lord."
"You may leave."
Understanding that they were dismissed, the two bowed quickly and left the hall. As they passed through the doors and were walking down the corridor again, Bella let out a sigh of relief. Edward chuckled next to her and she looked up, surprised.
"His bark is worse than his bite." Edward told her reassuringly. "He's actually a very kind person; he just has to make an example for everyone else."
"Pardon me, but how do you know that, sir?"
Edward stopped walking and was looking at her with a frown. "Why are you so formal? Are we not equals? Just call me Edward."
Bella glanced up at him somewhat incredulously. He probably was ranked higher than her – much higher if you took the fact that she was a girl, but no one knew that. Apart from Alice that was – but she wasn't about to tell either.
"Well… Edward, how do you know that?"
He grinned at her as he started walking again. "He's a family friend as well. His wife, Lady Esme, visits the Palace often as well." He glanced up as the bell chimed again. "We'd better hurry to class or we'll miss it."
Right. Wouldn't want to be tardy again.
--
"Ow." Bella moaned as Alice rubbed the bruise cream onto her bruised shoulder.
"Hold still." Alice grumbled. "No one said it was going to be easy."
"I got enough training from my mother! You know she wanted me to be headstrong. It's usually the clumsiness that does me in!"
Alice rolled her eyes and went back to smearing the cream on, however it was true. They had been practicing staff fighting and Bella had managed to trip, as always, meaning that her sparring partner's staff had crashed down onto her shoulder. Bella had had to bite back tears as she got up to wield the staff again.
"And do you have to that while I'm putting on the cream for you?" Alice asked, exasperatedly as Bella's shoulder shifted again and Alice almost poked Bella in the neck.
"Uh-uh." Bella said absently, writing down a few more calculations. "I need to get this done for tomorrow otherwise I'll get more as punishment."
Alice sighed as she finished and screwed the lid back on the jar of cream. "This lifestyle is killing you, seriously, even though you're unwilling to give up."
Bella laid down her pencil and turned to face her friend and maid. "There's nothing else to do. My family is dead, so I might as well do what I want to do. I don't want to get sent off to a convent to finish my ladies' education, get married off, run a fief like a good wife. I want some more in my life."
"You've always liked some adventure."
"Well, not that exactly. I like to stay put too, but I want to break some boundaries."
"Makes sense." Alice commented as she stood up and put the tub of cream away. "Anyway, tomorrow is the last day before the weekend. You've got horse-riding first. Don't forget anything."
Bella laughed as she jotted down the last calculation and slammed the book shut, dragging another book towards her. "Thanks, Alice. You could well replace my mother." She ignored the dark, yet amused, look that Alice shot her and opened the book she had just dragged towards her. "Give me a hand with this etiquette, will you?"
Alice sighed as she wiped her wet, washed hands on her apron and went over to assist.
--
Edward was sitting on his bed, reading, having finished anything the pages had been assigned to do for homework. The lifestyle was easy to get into and the work perfectly do-able one you understood it. He finished the last line of his book and threw it back onto his desk, none too gently, then he leaned back and thought of the new page he was 'sponsoring'. There was something different about the 'lad', he was …. Just different. In a way he couldn't quite place.
There was a knock on his door and Edward wearily opened it. Emmett grinned at him from outside and Edward stood aside to let him in.
"What do you want, Emmett?"
"Are you doing anything tonight?"
Edward glared at him pointedly. "What do you mean tonight? You know I have more time on my hands than I'll ever need."
Of course he would. He didn't need sleep, as a vampire. That was why he usually had so much free time on his hands to explore the palace or practice or read. It was also the reason Carlisle had finally agreed to let him sponsor someone – he spent enough time all over the palace to know it well enough and it would relieve his boredom. In fact, he was surprised the new page hadn't cracked from the pressure.
"I meant right now." Emmett corrected, rolling his eyes.
"Nothing much." Edward replied, leaning against the wall.
"Want to go meet someone?"
"Who?" Edward asked suspiciously.
"She's my fiancée and she's visiting court with her friend. We can go and meet them. I've asked Tyler to help us sneak up there for a bit to see them – just to chat."
Edward continued to eye him suspiciously. Emmett was known to be a player and Edward didn't want to get into trouble. It was better to remain inconspicuous mostly and that meant being a good student and keeping out of trouble. Knowing Emmett, he would say he was just going up there to chat for ten minutes and end up needing to be dragged away – by Edward usually – almost four hours later, or else who knows what would happen next.
"You can drag me away after half an hour. I won't even complain this time."
Edward sighed and relented. There really was nothing for him to do.
"Alright. Half an hour."
--
Author's Note: Thank you for the reviews! Please review? I love my reviewers!
I hope to work all of the characters of Twilight into the story somehow. In some way...
Ursus – i.e. The bear which attacked Emmett in Twilight. Couldn't think of a better name and I wasn't about to use Tennessee, I'm afraid. Places like 'Forks' and 'Phoenix' were places with innocent names so I used them. I wasn't about to go for 'Spatula' and 'Dragon' or something though, so 'Ursus' it was.