Edward's Equal Chapter 4
A/N: hey all thanks for reading this another chapter out YAY ME! pPease please I am begging you REVIEW! I want to know what you think!!!
The last day of the year had finally come Emmett and Jasper spent their remaining hours with their families and friends for both had accepted the inevitable. The fact remained there simply was no one girl whom Prince Edward would claim to be his equal. Edward had summoned both of them to a meeting that night and each of them knew what it was about. So with a stoic expression set on his features he kissed his mother one last time and went back to his own home to prepare for what would surely be his death. Just as Emmett was about to leave for Prince Edward's castle he heard a knock at his door slightly curious he went to open it only to find a girl standing on his doorstep. She was wearing a simple farm dress but this went unnoticed by him for she was without a doubt the most beautiful girl ever. Once Emmett had recovered he addressed the girl "May I help you?" he asked "Yes" she replied in a clear sweet voice "I was sent to your home for you must take me to the Prince" "and what makes you so certain that I will do this?" Emmett challenged her. What right did this girl have to come and give him orders in his own home? "You will do this." she replied without question "You will do this" she paused before continuing "because I am the woman he has been looking for." As soon as those words left her mouth Emmett's tune changed completely for he knew that if this girl was half as rich or wise as she was beautiful their lives would surely be spared "My apologies you caught me off guard won't you come in?" he mumbled as she entered. He extended a hand towards her "I am Emmett, one of Prince Edward's advisors." "A pleasure to meet you Emmett I am Isabella but you may call me Bella" she said as she grasped his hand. "Well Bella I think I should warn you the prince is a very hard and bitter man and I can't promise you that any of us will make it out alive tonight" "I'm not afraid" Bella replied in a calm voice "and you should not be either for I promise you this, tonight and every night from now on you will remain alive healthy and you will sleep in your own bed" Emmett had never wanted so desperately to believe her but the doubt still remained the prince had rejected all of the other women why should this one be any different? Either way he knew that Bella was his and Jasper's last and only hope. "Very well" he said finally "I will take you to see the prince but first you must be dressed properly" he clapped his hands together three times and two maids came forward "please take this young lady and put her in a more respectable dress" the maids nodded and led Bella up the stairs towards the bathroom. "What have I done?" Bella cried to herself softly as the maids dressed her. Then all of a sudden as if he was standing right next to her Bella was certain that she heard the wolf speak to her "you have done what you must do it is your destiny." she glnced around the room but saw no one. A little while later the two maids escorted Bella downstairs they had placed her in a deep midnight blue floor length gown the gold circlet given by the wolf still adorning her head "you look absolutely lovely" Emmett said upon seeing Bella "now you are ready to meet the prince."
Upon seeing Emmett enter the throne room Prince Edward snapped "you're late!" "My apologies your majesty" Emmett said with a respectful bow not bothering to ask for an excuse Edward just continued on. With a nasty singsong voice he said "it's the end of the year! Time's up! You haven't found me a wife yet to the dungeon with you all!" At this Emmett cleared his throat "Yes Emmett?" Edward said with an overly dramatic sigh "your majesty" Emmett recited with another respectful bow "may I present the Princess Isabella!" And on the first stroke of midnight Bella entered the room
EPOV (A/N: I wasn't planning this originally but tell me what you think anyways!)
The moment she entered the room I became immediately captivated by her. She was without a doubt the most gorgeous creature I had ever had the chance to gaze upon. Her eyes were two deep bottomless pools of chocolate that seemed to hold every secret and truth in the whole entire world. Right then and there I knew that no matter what it took no matter the cost I would have Isabella for my wife and my queen. As she crossed the room a lovely crimson color flooded her cheeks from all of the people staring at her and the intoxicating fragrance that seemed to tumble off of her in waves just made me love her that much more. Everything about her just seemed to call to me like a siren's song. When she approached me she sank into a deep curtsey and immedeately began to fall backwards almost instinctively I reached out and caught her around her waist. Her blush was now more pronounced and she glanced up at me like a deer caught in the headlights. "You are certainly the most beautiful creature I have ever seen" I said once she had regained her balance "thank you sire" she replied with a breathtaking smile just for me. God even her smile was enough to knock me breathless and her voice! her voice was the sound of pure kindness mixed with the harmonious melody of an angel but then in that same moment I was brought back to reality with a hard bump. She was beautiful there was no question of that at all but she also had to be my equal in both intelligence and wealth as well according to my father's last words. "very well" I said regretting the sharp edge to my voice "you are certainly my equal in beauty but are you intelligent as intelligent as I am?" "That is up to you to decide sire" she spoke in a clear sweet voice "However, I do know one thing that no one else knows. Not even you sire if I may be so bold as to say so" I was slightly taken aback at this; no one in my kingdom man or woman had been bold enough to say such a thing. My interest piqued I asked her "what could you possibly know that no one else does? Not even me?" she beckoned me to come closer so only I could hear her and whispered "What I know is... that you are very lonely" I was stunned into silence by her statement and stayed that way for what felt like an eternity how could she possibly have known that? In fact if I was being honest with myself I would have to admit that she was right. Even I had not known just how lonely I really felt until this moment how then was it possible that she, a total and complete stranger could know me better than I knew myself? When I found my voice again I replied "well you have certainly proved that you are as wise as I am but there is still the matter of wealth to consider. Have you any proof with you that your wealth can equal mine?" "No sire" she replied "for as you can see I have brought nothing with me except the clothes on my back" she paused to think for a moment "but perhaps there is a way we can judge. Tell me sire do you at this point in time have anything you want that is not yours already?" "What kind of idiotic question is that?"I thought to myself "Of course there are!" I answered her indignantly "there are many things I desire which I do not have!" "Well then" she said with the undertones of a smile in her voice "maybe you are poorer than I am your majesty because right now there is nothing I desire which I do not already own." Just then from the far corner of the room I heard Emmett and Jasper cry out "The King's Equal! she has been found!" "It is decided then" I said softly as I stroked her cheek with the back of my hand "you are most certainly equal to me and will make a wonderful wife and queen" "Thank you sire" she said in her angelic voice "I am flattered and would love to become both your queen and wife... but I'm afraid I can't" with that statement I was once again at a loss for words.
3rd Person POV (trust me I won't be so mean as to leave you all with a cliffhanger)
The prince's advisors again became tense for this was sure to send Edward into a fury no one had ever refused him, ever. "What?" Edward asked incredulously "I can't" Bella replied again. "Why ever not?" he thundered "because sire" she replied "by your own admission you have declared me to be more than equal to you" "What ever do you mean?" he shouted "Well" she spoke "you have declared me to be the most beautiful woman you've seen, and you have declared me to posess knowledge which you do not. However you have also declared that there are things which you desire that are not yours. I on the other hand have nothing I want which I do not already have. So you see by your own admission I am more than equal to you"
Emmett and Jasper started talking quietly amongst themselves for they saw that she was right Edward let out a frusterated cry for he now realized that the words he had so carelessly spoken had cost him most dearly it had cost him the love and affection of this amazing and delicate creature before him. Frustrated both with himself and the situation he was currently in he asked her "What must I do then for you to become my wife?" At this point he was so desperate to win her love and approval that he would get down on his knees and beg if it would make any difference. He would willingly go anywhere and do anything she asked of him if only she would become his forever. She looked him in the eyes and responded " Listen carefully for this is what you must do Edward." He gasped inwardly at the sound of his name coming from her perfect lips, coming from this angel his name sound like the sweetest music known to mankind. "High up in the mountains there is an old goatherd's shack" she continued "there you will find two young ladies who live there. You must live there as well and take care of them for they are very dear friends of mine. you must live there and care for them for one year. At the end of the year you must bring them to me at the palace alive and well. If by that time I feel that you have become my equal in every way we will marry and rule as King and Queen" gasps erupted from everyone in the room including prince Edward himself. How could she ask him to do such a thingthe mere thought of living in a goatherd's shack for a year was ghastly. He fumed inwardly cursing the girl and the seemingly impossible task that she had set before him. He was the PRINCE for heaven's sake! A prince should not have to prove himself to anyone! Angrily he turned back towards her determined to say that he would not do this then he saw them.
Her eyes.
So wide, so innocent.
So filled with love for him and him alone.
So filled with determination.
He knew that she wouldn't change her mind and he certainly didn'twant to lose such a rare and loving woman. He was stuck and he knew it so he did the only other thing he could do in this situation, he gave in. "Very well" he replied "I will go there for one year." Bella just smiled at him because she had known all along that this would be the eventual outcome. Jasper was in shock that the prince had agreed to this without any sort of fuss, but Emmett just ran to Bella and hugged her for she had most surely spared both his and Jasper's lives as well as the whole kingdom just as she had said she would. Bella sent for her father to come and live in the palace with her then set her circlet of gold aside, pushed up her sleeves and began to undo all of the evil that Edward had created in shuch a short span of time. The schools were reopened and people were given a holiday in which to grieve for dear king Carlisle as Edward had not. All in all it was a good year full of pleasant changes and bountiful harvests and everyone had enough to eat and then some. The people had never known a more kind and gentle leader than Bella, yet there was not one single day that went by where she didn't think of Edward. Wondered how he was doing and how she wished it was the end of the year so she could be reunited once again with her sisters of sorts but more importantly with the man she loved.
Edward meanwhile had issues of a different sort to deal with...
A/N: so what did you think? please review!
