(A/N: Wow, guys. It's been a long time. I'm so sorry for that. I've been really busy with piano and work and all this school shit that I've hardly had anytime to write what so ever. I'm actually really happy that I finally got a chance to begin to write again. I've missed it so much.

It's a long chapter.

Disclaimer: I'm not Stephenie Meyer, although, it wouldn't be too shabby of a life. :P I'm content with being Lizzi and messing with the characters that belong to SMEYER.)

"Hello Prince." I curtsied reluctantly as I turned to face the prince.

I didn't want to but I knew it was common courtesy and I couldn't have word get out that I was disrespectful to a prince.

"Good morrow, Lady Isabella." Prince Edward smiled as he spoke and although I didn't particularly want to admit it, I had to say, he was a charmer. His good looks surpassed that of many other men.

He took my hand in his and kissed it softly.

"What brings you to the Swan Manor, Your Highness? If I may ask, that is." It wasn't hard to pretend that I was fond of him. It was possible that he changed in the year since I'd last seen him.

"Well, Lady Isabella, I brought an invitation for the Swan Manor to attend the annual masquerade. Don't tell me you'd forgotten." His smirk irked me a little bit. Of course I hadn't forgotten the previous year. My hag stepsisters hadn't even let me have a good time. They found some way to make me miserable at every event we attended as well as in out home.

"No, I hadn't forgotten, it's just that I didn't realize how soon the ball was coming up." I fought with the attitude that was bubbling up right beneath the surface of my well-composed politeness.

He and I talked for a few moments longer and I'd gotten a good look at him for the first time in years.

His eyes were a brilliant shade of green and the sunlight made them look even greener when he was directly in the light. I had the sudden urge to run my fingers through his hair, which was a beautiful bronzy copper.

I couldn't believe what I was thinking. This man was royalty and not only that; he wasn't very nice. It was superficial of me to become interested based on his looks. Rather stupid, too. His status was not something people of manors mingled with.

He smiled and said something but I was too distracted to really hear him and I looked down at my hands blushing.

The blush blazed on my face even more when I realized that he still held my hand in his.

I quickly pulled my hand from his. "I beg your pardon, Prince Edward, but I didn't hear you."

He flashed a beautiful shiny smile at me. "I actually have to leave, I have quite a few invitations to deliver yet and I've spent far too much time in your company." He took my hand once again. "It was a pleasure, Lady Swan. I sincerely hope I see you at the ball." He kissed my hand yet another time and then dropped it as he turned to walk away.

I stood in my spot a little baffled for a moment before turning in my own direction to go back into the main house, but Prince Edward called for me.

"Lady Isabella?" He called.

"Yes, your highness?" I half smiled and turned around.

"I wanted to tell you. Please, just address me as Edward. Prince Edward is too stuffy of a title for me. I'd like to think of myself as a normal person and not some high pompous royal." He smiled slightly as well.

"If you wish, Edward." He looked at me a moment after I spoke and abruptly turned to get on his horse.

I was left standing there - confused to say the least.

I didn't understand what was happening. Prince Edward and I had always been on bad terms since he introduced my wicked stepmother to my father and I hated him for it.

His excuse was that he felt bad seeing Lord Charlie so miserable, but it wasn't a good enough excuse. That one simple decision on the Prince's part made my whole life unhappy and harder than necessary.

After that had happened I attended the ball the royal family was throwing that year. I saw Prince Edward and confronted him and he referred to me as ungrateful and spoiled.

However, I treated him as if he hadn't ruined my life. I was somehow…. dazzled in to being kind to him. For some reason I couldn't muster the attitude to be smug and rude as usual.

It was a strange and confusing feeling.

EPOV.

Horse hooves clunked hard against the stone path that lead into the Swan Manor. I was not used to riding this horse. Chester his name was.

Chester was the clumsiest horse that we had in out stables but Father insisted I rode him. No one else wanted to because of his lack of agility and clumsy ways.

Oddly enough I found him easy to grow attached to.

Chester clunked into the main square of the manor and I saw Lady Isabella talking to some children. She had turned away and walked in an opposite direction – back to the main house it must have been.

She had just about reached a beautiful elegant weeping willow tree when I hopped off my horse.

"Lady Isabella." I called somewhat loudly to get her attention.

I approached Lady Isabella slowly after first getting her attention. It was strange to think this was the very same woman whom I despised so.

Her back was turned to me and I noticed how long her hair had grown since the last time I'd seen her. It was a year ago, wasn't it?

Her hair was silky looking and a beautiful mahogany color.

"Hello Prince." She spoke before looking at me hissing slightly as she said "prince" when she saw me.

She curtsied, but I thought it was wholly unnecessary. I felt like I should be the one bowing in her presence. Such beauty could fool anyone into thinking she was part of a royal family. Even her clothes looked more royal than most.

"Good Morrow, Lady Isabella." I smiled putting on my most charming face as I took her hand and brought it to my lips.

I kissed her hand as a gesture of respect and a look of shock crossed her face for a brief moment. It still didn't go unnoticed.

Swiftly, I must admit, I held onto her hand as she and I talked.

She wanted to know why I was there at the Swan Manor, and I tried as hard as I could not to be rude. Everyone knew what was going on if someone from my family showed up at their manor.

The yearly masquerade.

However, I couldn't be rude to her. I simply couldn't.

I noticed - after a few minutes of talking to her – the striking color of her eyes. A deep chocolate brown.

I had also noticed her full lips and how they brushed on certain words she said.

She was so beautiful and I mentally smacked myself for never noticing it before on the many occasions that our paths had crossed.

In all honesty, I wasn't exactly a gentleman to her like I always should have been. Something always told me to hold back the manners I was taught since I was a small child. Which explained some of her bitterness on a few occasions.

"So, Isabella – If I may – I must be going now. I trust I'll be seeing you?"

She stared at me blankly for a few moments before looking at her hands. A ferocious color of rose spread across her fair cheeks and she bit her lip gently before looking up at me and pulling her hand away from mine.

I hadn't really realized that I still held her hand.

"I beg your pardon, Prince Edward, but I didn't hear you." She looked at me like it was a punishable crime.

I thought it was rather funny, to be honest. I stifled a laugh and settled with a smile.

"I actually have to leave, I have quite a few invitations to deliver yet and I've spent far too much time in your company." I spoke as I brought her hand to my lips again. "It was a pleasure, Lady Swan. I sincerely hope I see you at the ball."

It was true. I really did hope she attended the ball. It felt a little strange how much I wanted to see her again.

She and I had both turned and went in our own directions but I couldn't let her get too far.

"Lady Isabella?" I called to her with my back still facing her.

"Yes, Your Highness?" She spoke sweetly as she and I turned to face each other at the same time.

"I wanted to tell you. Please, just address me as Edward. "Prince Edward" is too stuffy a title for me. I'd like to think of myself as a normal person and not some high pompous royal." I grinned at her, but the words felt strange coming from my mouth. I'd never once said that to anyone. I'd always known myself as Prince Edward and accepted it nonetheless. As strange as the words were, I realized them to be true.

"If you wish, Edward. I noticed a small pause before she called me Edward. She was assessing my seriousness about what I had told her. But I had to turn away and get back on my horse.

I didn't want her to know the thrill her simple speaking of my name had brought me.

As I delivered the invitations to the other manors that were close enough in distance, I found myself thinking of Lady Isabella.

Once again, it was strange. I had so many things I had to worry about – what with the arranged marriage and such, but my greatest concern was Isabella.

She was strikingly beautiful, but the more I thought of her, the more I noticed how dismal her face looked. She looked like she had an upset undertone. As if something was bothering her.

I pondered that into the night. Even long after my deliveries were made.

BPOV

After Prince Edward had left- I still wasn't used to thinking of him as "Edward" – I went into the main house.

I hadn't any trouble with Jessica at all.

I went to my attic and wondered only one thing.

Why hadn't I told Prince Edward to simply call me "Bella"?