Just a Pretense

Chapter 8: In the Garden

Author's Note: Hello! Sorry I haven't updated in ages – that goes for all of my other stories too. I got caught up in GaiaOnline's Halloween event – it's vampires this year! You don't know what that does to me… I feel like cracking up. xD;

Anyway, I owe you all a chapter, hm? And I should write up some other ones. I know the Mike thing may be a bit old, but I can't help it. xD I'm trying to keep the character's as they should be anyway – meaning their personalities anyway. Just do you know, I'll be on another one week hiatus in about a week. More exams. –rolls eyes–

Sorry about him/her/he/she confusion in the last chapter. xP Thank you reviewers and readers!

Spork – Cross between Spoon and Fork. Don't ask. :D No action in this, by the way. I have something planned for that. This is a bit romanc-y. Gak. O.o

I meant to post this 3 hours ago…

Disclaimer: Twilight by Stephenie Meyer, Tortall books by Tamora Pierce

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"Hum."

Bella stared moodily around the room as the etiquette teacher directed the pages in their dancing skills. Although it was hilarious to see the boys dancing with other boys, it was even more hilarious to see them trip over each other's feet in moments of uncoordination. They were now practicing the waltz and the pairs began to waltz around the room, bumping into each other and tripping now and then.

"You'd be out here tripping as well if you hadn't broken that arm of yours." Edward grumbled as he waltzed by with Emmett. Bella fought from bursting out in laughter.

"At least your ankle's healed." Emmett grinned at her.

"I still have to go the ball though." Bella sighed, "Even if I can't dance."

Edward shot her a look, but her gaze was elsewhere. It had been a good few weeks since the riding accident and Bella had been excused from doing anything in quite a few of her practical classes. The ball had been announced formally at the Page's lunchtime last week, and the Pages were now being drilled in their dancing skills.

Although a great number of them wouldn't dance at the ball anyway, or probably would never dance with someone in their lifetime for fear of tripping over, and another fraction of them would be pushed off to do serving duties, the skill of dancing was one they were required to learn.

"And… swap over." The teacher instructed.

There was a flurry of confusion as the boys tried to do mirror images of what they had been dancing before and people crashed into each other. Bella sighed again and rolled her eyes from where she was sitting.

She was lucky though, really. She had learnt this before.

--

"You don't have to be here if you really don't want to." Edward murmured to Bella as they hovered near the windows, not doing anything and oblivious to the couples dancing to the music in the background. He glanced at her in concern as she rubbed her arm uncomfortably. "Are you alright?"

Bella sighed and nodded her head. "I went and saw a Healer, he said my arm should be alright. But I'm not allowed to leave until," She glanced at the clock. "Well, I have another few hours at the least."

Emmett was dancing with Rosalie and the pair swished around the room energetically, people leaping out of their way as they shot through gracefully. They made a great pair. Victoria, on the other hand, was dancing with one of the other pages. They were merely swaying slowly, neither seeming to know the dance well.

There was a slight commotion near the door as a few people arrived. Arrived late, that is. Two men swept into the room, both glaring at each other. Bella took one look at them, gasped and dived into hiding. Edward's eyes flickered between the two men and Bella who was hiding beneath the table.

"Who are they?" He mouthed at her.

Bella frowned, but waved him closer.

"He is Mike Newton of Spork," She jabbed one finger at a sandy haired boy and then waved her arm over to his glaring 'companion'. "And the other is Jacob Black of the Quileutes."

"Why are you hiding, then?" Edward breathed, his breath tickling her cheek.

"They know me."

"Hm." Edward's eye narrowed as he surveyed them. "Come on, I'll help you escape."

Together they slipped out from under the table and then out the window, as it were so close to the ground – no more than a little over a yard away from the ground, really. They snuck into the Palace's moonlight lit Garden and started strolling down the path, as though they had been there the whole time.

"So, how do they know you?" Edward asked curiously and cautiously.

Bella made a face. "Mike's from a neighbouring barony. He's been trying to court me for ages, I declined."

Ah. Sometimes it was hard to remember Bella was a girl, especially because she played the part of a boy so well. She was so natural around everyone and people instinctively tried to like her, even if she made enemies later.

"And the other? Jacob?"

"I've known him since I was very little." Bella said, somewhat breezily. "He and Mike are somewhat enemies because they both…" Bella stopped uncomfortably now. Edward understood though, and nodded.

"Mike is higher status than Jacob though." Bella continued, a slight blush staining her cheeks now, "But my father engaged me with Jacob. He wasn't happy about that."

Edward, meanwhile, had frozen on the path. Engaged?

"What happened with your… engagement?" Edward asked carefully, glancing sidelong at her.

"I wasn't ready." Bella whispered. "I said no and Jacob was kind enough to break it off." She made a face now. "But that meant that Mike was after me again." She said in her normal voice.

"Huh." Edward smiled in relief, before he turned away, frowning. There were emotions he still had to sort out. Things he had not felt before and could not comprehend.

Bella was suddenly struck with a new thought and her mind flew to some clothes Alice had packed for her before they had left for the Palace. Alice had smiled at her that time and said they would come in handy later on.

"Wait here a minute, Edward."

Edward gave her a puzzled look, however stayed firmly rooted to the spot, turning marble-like as Bella dashed off, back to her room and trying not to trip and twist her recently healed ankle again.

As she burst into her room, Alice was already there, waiting and grinning. A gown was draped over the bed, smoothed out and ready for her to wear.

"Alice? You knew about this?"

Alice shrugged. "Perhaps." She smiled. "I miss a lot of things, sometimes, but I knew this would come in handy."

"Ah." Bella remembered something she had been meaning to ask – ask weeks ago, actually. "What vision did you see on the day of the riding accident, Alice?"

Alice thought for a minute, brows pulled down. "Well, I didn't see the accident that morning. The future isn't fixed in stone. All I can guess is that the animal made a sudden decision, maybe. But when it was happening, I saw it and came as soon as I could."

"What did you see then?" Bella knew she had to get changed, but was too curious.

"I knew Edward was going to be moody that day and I knew everything would work out alright between you two later." Alice smiled slightly.

Bella blushed and pressed her lips together to keep quiet as she went over to the bed and donned the gown. It was a midnight blue one – almost black – and was quite simplistic, yet elegant. The layers lay neatly and the dress fitted well. Alice took Bella's hair out of her ponytail and began to sweep it into an inelaborate, yet elegant, hairstyle. She slipped a few pins here and there and the stood back for Bella to look in the mirror.

The Page was gone and in his place was a pretty young woman, almost indistinguishable from the youth who had been there apart from the cast she wore. However, that could be changed.

Pulling a dagger from where it hung on her wall, she cut the cast and pulled her arm out. It true that she had seen a healer and he had said it was alright to remove the cast as her arm was better, however the arm was still a little sore, and she winced as she washed it in warm water.

"How do I look, Alice?" Bella smiled at her maid and friend.

"Very nice." Alice grinned back.

--

Edward remained where he was as Bella left. He gazed up at the stars for a time as he waited, but generally he was a patient person. He didn't know what Bella was up to and the inability to read her mind made him frustrated as always.

There was quick running steps along the path again and Edward turned back to look down it. A girl lurched back into view, stepping on the hew on her dress and pitching forward, almost face-planting with the ground if it were not for the cold arms that caught her.

The scent. He knew who the owner of the scent was and he pulled her face up so he could see her more clearly. Although she looked different from the Page Bel he knew, he could tell it was Bella. He smiled as he helped her to her feet, sweeping his gaze up and down and appraising her appearance.

"Very nice." He murmured, echoing Alice as his eyes returned to her face.

Bella blushed for a moment before glancing back at the ballroom. Alice was watching from the window with Jasper, who was dressed handsomely in a gold tunic which made his hair gleam even more. Alice gave the thumbs up sign before slipping back inside, drawing the curtains closed.

Edward noticed that the cast was gone, but he didn't say anything. Instead he swept a low bow as the thin sound of the music which filtered from the ballroom changed.

"May I have this dance?"

Bella froze, but nodded, placing her hand into his as he straightened. One arm went around her waist and one of her hands came to rest on his shoulder. Their clasped hands straightened out as they began to dance.

"Not bad." Edward commented as they danced.

Bella smirked. "Of course."

--

Emmett watched Alice close the curtains and frowned slightly. What was the maid doing? She was here because Jasper had taken her, but that didn't mean she was supposed to play with the … well, he supposed curtains weren't really furniture. Furnishings, perhaps.

He strolled over as Alice and Jasper joined in the dance and pulled the curtains aside, peering into the garden. One sweep was all it took to see Edward, standing with a young girl. One who looked quite familiar.

Edward swept a bow and she accepted the dance. They began to dance slowly as Emmett watched. Emmett smiled. Well, well. Edward who had always been so cautious when getting into any sort of relationship with anyone had found a girl.

"What are you looking at, Emmett?" Rosalie's voice broke his thoughts as she began towards the window.

"Oh, nothing." Emmett said, nonchalantly, as he pushed himself away from the window. "Just taking a small breather."

He held out a hand towards her. "Would you honour me with this dance?"

Rosalie raised her eyebrows. "I think I have honoured you with many dances." She said wryly as she took it.

Emmett smiled as they spun into the dance again. Rosalie had never looked better than she did tonight. Her short and low cut dress had made many people mutter to each other about indecency, but she looked stunning.

His gaze flickered to the two newcomers though – Mike and Jacob – as they twirled past. The two were still glaring at each other, even as they glanced around now and then, as though looking for someone.

It didn't matter though. It was none of his business.

--

Jacob and Mike continued their little war, trying to wear each other down in their glaring competition. It was childish, they had to admit, but they loathed each other so much that it really did not matter to them.

Mike admired Isabella Swan's beauty and wanted to marry her, however, Jacob had been friends with her since they were little. That's what Jacob told himself, anyway. Mike had his own reasons too, but Jacob didn't care about them.

They broke off again to search the room. Bella had said that she was going to go live at court for a while, so where was she? Surely she would have attended that ball? Jacob remembered she said she couldn't dance, but for an event like this, surely most of the nobles in the palace would have come for it.

He watched Emmett follow Rosalie away from the curtain and mentally told himself to check there later. Perhaps she took a walk in the garden.

For now though, he resumed his glaring with Mike Newton.

--

Author's Note: Any good? Fillery? Hope not. Yes, this chapter focuses more on the romanc-y stuff, of which I'm not particularly good at writing, actually, just because I more of a…. naïve/innocent kind of person. I don't usually go deeper than a kiss. Or even write that word more than once. D;

Still, more next chapter. What will Mike and Jacob do? Will they find out? Will Emmett find out? How many people are going to guess her secret?

List of people who know for people who are confused: Alice, Edward, Jasper, Carlisle.
Characters which don't know and may find out or may not: Emmett, Rosalie, Victoria, Jacob, Mike.

Any other characters I forgot? D;

By the way! Edward is also in a nice tunic. Though I never really thought about what he was wearing. Let's just say he looked nice, though remember to keep the medieval clothes imagery in your head. Though really don't like thinking about stockings – just make 'em pants…

Review!?

Note: Historically, it wasn't really ballroom dancing, however, they did have balls and they did dance. The term I use is a little general.
Originally Named: 'Ballroom' and 'Very Nice'