AN: Are you ready? This is a long chapter, so settle down in a soft spot with a cup of tea and enjoy…

-.-.-

THE LOCKET

Chapter 10

"Simple, yet tough"

-.-.-

Her shivering had ceased some during the rest of the night, yet every time Edward had leaned back and closed his eyes, ready to get some rest of his own, she would burst into heavy wracking, almost as if she was having a seizure and she would whimper loudly from the uneasiness and hurt the wracking caused on her muscles.

As soon as she would seize and whimper he would scoot even closer to her body, grasping her tightly around the waist and running his hands up and down her back until her wracking ceased back into shivers.

He really wanted to blame her for his lack of sleep and tired muscles as the day dawned, but he knew it was his entire fault.

As dawn gave way to morning, and morning gave way to early afternoon, the sun's rays continued to shine down on the two in the meadow.

Edward had roused with the sun in the early morning hours, leaving Bella's side briefly to gather berries and more of the healing plants from the forest.

Her wound were looking better when he returned, yet her still shivering body revealed to him her fever had not ceased any further.

He felt her clammy forehead once again, the heat of her pink skin disturbing him. He sighed heavily and propped her body against his own, as he remained seated behind her for the rest of the morning.

When he felt her feverish skin turn hotter as the sun warmed the air and ground surrounding them, he stood gently from his spot behind her and slowly removed every article of clothing he wore.

She was drifting between consciousness and sleep, catching small, erotic glimpses of his majestic figure, towering above her.

First glance, at his muscular abdomen, the texture of the skin and muscles hidden beneath, similar to those of a God from ancient Greece mythology. A second and third glance directed up and down his muscular thighs, strong knees and agile feet. A fourth directed at his strong back, his muscles flexing as he turned from her. A fifth one sneaking a quick glance at his round, strong buttocks, leaving her breathless, as she felt the blood pump harder through her chest.

Her catch of breath had caught his immediate attention. He turned hastily towards her, only to find himself entranced by beautiful chocolate eyes, keeping him captive as he stood above her. He felt his own green ones return her heated stare, for a moment forgetting his less than decent appearance before her.

Bella felt her breath catch once again, this time holding it captive deep in her throat, as she was transfixed by his stare.

'Look down, you moron!' her mind willed her eyes, fighting for a chance to truly lay sight upon what made a man a man.

But she didn't get that far. A stroke of heat brought her eyes closed as she groaned and curled into herself on the ground.

"Bella?"

Edward mentally kicked himself out of his stupor, kneeling gently onto the ground beside her, as he untangled her limbs from their tight hold around herself.

Grasping her around her back and under her knees, he rose from the ground, walking determinedly to the edge of the water lapping at the green grass.

He had intentioned to remove the clothing from her back, but her moaning had intensified as he had lifted her and the only thought filling his mind, was the need to see her get better.

Her fever had to be reduced.

-.-.-

Edward had bathed them twice more that second day, in an attempt to keep the fever from rising even further. The sun had bathed the meadow in warm winds and it hadn't taken them more than a few minutes to dry once they reached the green grass in the middle of the meadow.

She had not woken any more that day, only moaning softly into the skin of his neck as he cradled her close for the remaining hours of the day and beginning of the night.

Her shivering had ceased almost completely once night arrived and Edward had gently pried her mouth open, complying her to eat a few berries and drink some chamomile flavoured water.

-.-.-

"Edward?"

Silence.

"Edward?"

She waited impatiently for another two minutes to pass. "Edward!"

"Wha-?!" his eyes sprung open, alert and frightened for whatever had caused her distress.

"You need to move." She said, her voice slightly muffled against his skin.

"What? Why?" he wondered. "Are you alright?" His worry spiked when he felt her skin heat against his.

"Ehm… God, how embarrassing." She whined. "I need to pee, and you are kind of pressing against me in a bad way."

It took him a few seconds to register the meaning to her words, but as soon as recognition dawned on his face, he jumped back, hurriedly untangling his arms and legs from their tight hold against her small frame.

She stood on shaky legs and turned hastily, running into the dark forest, her body disappearing from his sight.

"Bella?" he called gently, expecting her soft reply to follow. When it didn't, he jumped up from the soft ground, hurrying towards the hard edge of the forest where she had disappeared. "Bella!" he called, louder this time.

"What?!"

Her irritated reply came from behind a pile of bushes. Edward started walking towards the sound of her voice, intent on checking her from further injury.

"Stay back!" her desperate scream filled the air around him. "Jesus! I'm peeing here… Go back to the meadow. I'm fine!"

He felt his cheeks heat from embarrassment as he realised he was seconds away from jumping around the bushes separating her peeing self from him. He had honestly only wanted to make sure she was all right, and her disappearing through the forest hadn't sat well with him.

Thoroughly scorned he returned to the clearing, his back turned to the forest and cheeks flaming.

'But honestly,' he thought. 'What did she expect me to do? Foolish, stupid young girl, disappearing through the forest with no concern to the danger still surrounding us.'

As he stood there, silently fuming, Bella had finished her business in the forest. Feeling thoroughly humiliated from almost being caught by Edward, and having to wipe herself with leafs, she returned through the edge of the forest, her cheeks flaming red and her belly filled with annoyance for the beautiful man standing before her.

Her awe at his majestic figure standing in the sun was quick, as he turned upon hearing her return. His facial features were set in an angry frown, his eyes dark as he stared her down.

"You are unbelievable, has anyone ever told you that, huh princess?"

"What? No, but thank you." Her cheeky reply was heavily laced with sarcasm.

Edward briefly entertained the notion to laugh at her silly, yet well-placed remark, before his anger returned ten-fold.

"How can you be so oblivious?" he screamed at her.

Bella stepped back, momentarily stunned by his sudden burst of anger and raised voice.

"Do you not care at all to your safety? You can't just go gallivanting into the forest, on your own with no means of protection! Jesus, you're obnoxious."

Her blood was boiling. 'How dare he!' she thought and stepped closer to him, his menacing stare fuelling her own anger. "Me?! I'm obnoxious? By God, you infuriate me." She breathed low. "What did you expect me to do? I was going into the forest to pee! I couldn't exactly invite you into the forest with me, could I?"

She had meant it as a rhetorical question, but her defiance didn't sit well with him, and he stepped even closer to her, eliminating whatever space remained between them. "You know that's not what I mean! I'm busting my ass off trying to keep you safe and you can't just disappear on me like that again," he demanded of her.

"You've busted your ass off?! You were the idiot who brought me here in the first place. If I'm such a nuisance as you say then send me back!" Her eyes were watering and she was blinking furiously to keep the tears from falling. "You know what? I'll make the decision for you – remove my obnoxious self and all," she pressed, her tone lowered as she stepped back, keeping her eyes firmly planted on him, before turning on her heels and taking off in a sprint into the forest.

"Fuck!" Edward exclaimed loudly and sprinted off after her. "Isabella!"

She was a fast runner, but not as fast as him. He was closing in on her, her tiny body deflecting the trees in her path, barely grazing her soft skin against the rough surface of the wood as anxiety and fear spiked from being chased.

"Bella! Stop!"

She wouldn't listen. She just continued through the dense undergrowth of the forest, not even glancing back. If he really saw her as such a burden, she would hear nothing more of it. In fact, she was determined to find her own way back, away from this weird world, its semblance so similar to that of a dream.

'No, a nightmare,' she thought bitterly and pumped her legs to go harder, go faster, in her pitiful attempt to escape him.

"Isabella stop! Please!" He kept shouting fruitlessly as she felt her tears stain her cheeks with their wet traces, the wind lapping roughly at her skin.

She wouldn't stop. Not for anything. Not even for him.

But as fate would have it, even nature seemed against her running from him. A tree root was hidden beneath a pile of leafs and greenery from the forest floor, and it was too late for her to slow down and notice the obstacle in her path.

Her left foot caught on the root, sending her flying onto the rough ground, her hands bracing her upper body from collapsing hardly onto the muddy ground.

She cried out as the wound on her wrist reopened, mud and dirt once again staining every inch of her front body and wound.

"Bella!" Edward was breathing heavily from their sprint as he crouched down next to her fallen body. She was shaking once again and crying softly into the ground. His heart was slowly sinking as he felt the waves of her grief entering his body and he gently pried her limp body from the ground, hoisting her into his arms to carry her back to the clearing.

"Are you alright?" He asked her gently as she clasped her arms tightly around his neck.

She nodded gently and tried futilely to will her tears from falling. When she realized they weren't going to stop, she buried her head into the soft skin of his collarbone, breathing in the earthy smell of him.

Edward gently released his hold on her, helping her to her feet on the ground and stood in front of her. She was trying to hide her face from him, still intent on not allowing him the pleasure of her tears. But he wouldn't have it.

He gently pried her face from its resting place against her chest until their noses were aligned, keeping his gaze firmly planted to hers.

"I'm sorry," he whispered and stroked an errand curl behind her left ear.

She leaned into his touch, briefly closing her eyes, and sighed gently.

"You can't just run away like that…" he murmured as he kept caressing the skin behind her ear. "We need you Bella. You are far too important and we need you." He paused. "I need you."

Her eyes sprung open, prying into his, searching for the meaning to his desperate plea. A moment of silence passed before she nodded gently and turned her head to place a soft kiss on the inside of his wrist. "I won't."

He groaned softly and gathered her into his arms, holding her tightly against him. "Thank you."

A soft breeze interrupted their loving embrace as the wind basked gently against the skin of her legs. She jumped back surprised by the sudden intrusion and only then registering she wasn't wearing any pants. In fact, she was clad in only the thin shirt Edward had worn and nothing else. Granted it reached beyond mid-thigh, she still felt embarrassment bubbling beneath her skin, colouring her cheeks in pink.

"Why am I wearing your shirt?" she asked, only then looking at Edward to find him wearing his pants and nothing else. "And why are you almost naked?!"

"Wha-? Oh!" he exclaimed. "You were out for nearly two days, burning with fever. I had to cool you down, and well… it wouldn't be wise to jump into the lake with our clothes on." He was blushing and avoiding eye contact as he rambled. "The cut in you wrist was infecting, and I had to clean it properly."

His head sprung up, catching her by surprise as he drew close to where she was standing. "I need to see it."

It took a moment before she realised what he was referring to, and she held out her hand. For the first time since her stumble in the woods she felt the sting of the wound. He gingerly took her hand into his, turning it into the light to get a clear view of the pink skin.

"We need to clean it again. Your fall has reopened a sliver of the cut and some dirt are stuck beneath the skin," he murmured. "If we don't clean it and allow the wound to heal properly, it'll infect and make you sick once again."

"Okay," she nodded and headed for the edge of the water.

-.-.-

Once again the sun was bathing the small meadow in its warm rays. The birds were chirping and Bella was bathing under the flowing streams of the waterfall, singing into the cascading water.

She had cleaned the cut they day before and Edward had gently rubbed another layer of aloe on. Silence and hidden looks of admiration had turned the day into early night and they had once again laid down in the soft grass to embrace a night of much needed sleep.

The early morning was beautiful, filled with the sounds of the forest, the wind and Bella's slightly off-key singing. And Edward was going crazy.

"God woman! Shut up!" he shouted, rolling onto his back and covering his face with his palms, trying to shut off the noise and go back to sleep. He knew it was a futile attempt, seeing as he had been trying to ignore the leafs blowing in the wind, the birds' chirping and the splashing of water for the last 30 minutes. But most of all he was annoyed by Bella's singing; it wasn't exactly bad singing, just loud and obnoxious. And way too early.

"Argh!" She screamed in surprise. "You scared me. I thought you were sleeping." She was yelling through the noise of the water.

"Too late for that now," he mumbled to himself and uncovered his face, before standing to dress. "I was trying to sleep. You weren't exactly helping me with your incessant singing."

"Jesus, you're grumpy in the morning," she retaliated and dipped low into the water, swimming towards the edge.

"How are you feeling?" he asked. "How's your wrist?"

She stepped out of the water and dried off, before redressing and walking into the middle of the meadow where Edward stood. "I'm fine."

"Let me see."

She handed him her wrist and he spent a few minutes examining the pink line running along her delicate skin around her wrist. When he felt satisfied with the healing progress of the wound he let go off her hand and bend down to pick up a few berries left over from their dinner the night before. "Here – eat. We need to keep moving, now that you're feeling better."

-.-.-

"So where are we heading?" Bella asked as they trekked through the forest. They were walking uphill once again and even though the sun stood high in the sky, the cold wind of their higher altitude kept them cooled on their trip.

"Somewhere with friends. We shouldn't be far away now, maybe half an hour walk in this direction." Edward stopped and pointed northeast.

"Okay," she mumbled. "What kind of friends?"

Silence filled the space between them. Edward was walking a few paces ahead, intently staring at the ground.

"Edward? What kind of friends?" she asked again getting impatient.

"Shh…" he shushed her. "Be quiet."

"Why?"

He didn't answer.

"Why should I be quiet?"

"Jesus princess. Would you just for once listen to me and be quiet," he whispered, sending a glare in her direction, hoping to mute her questioning.

She huffed loudly and crossed her arms in a stance of defiance. He walked a few paces ahead, not aware that she had stopped walking.

"Ahem!" she cleared her throat loudly.

He turned, seeing her defensive posture and the fact that she was no longer walking behind him. "What now?!" he hissed.

But Bella just stuck her tiny little button nose high in the air, keeping her arms crossed and walked past him in a hurried pace.

"Bella," he whispered as she passed him.

She huffed loudly once again, keeping her nose high and walked in a faster speed.

"Isabella!" Edward screamed seconds before she stepped on a pile of leafs on the ground.

"Argh!" she screamed as the ground beneath her disappeared and she was swept away into a hole in the ground.

A bell ringing filled the forest and Edward hurried to the edge of the hole to lie down on the ground. "Are you alright?" he asked as he caught sight of her lying in the deep pit of the hole.

She shook gently and sat up to brush of errand leafs and dirt from her hair and clothes. "I'm fine," she said. "What the hell is this?"

"A trap." Edward disappeared from her view, only to reappear seconds later with a long sturdy branch.

"No shit Sherlock, I meant: why the fuck is there a trap here?" she grunted and grasped the end of the branch.

"Hold on tightly, twist your right arm around the body of the branch and grasp it higher with your left. I'll hoist you out, but you have to withstand along the wall of the hole, an-" he instructed her before another voice interrupted them.

"Well well, if it isn't our knight in shining armour!"

Edward stood ramrod straight, loosing his grip on the branch and sending Bella flying back onto the ground.

"Humpf!" she groaned as she hit the hard surface, roughly knocking the back of her head. She moaned softly and felt her eyes close as her head lulled to the side.

"Shit!" Edward exclaimed and lied down on the ground, reaching for her. "Bella!"

"Oh shit – there's someone in there?" the voice said, walking up to the hole to see the young woman lying peacefully in the dirt and leafs.

"You idiot Emmett, you scared the shit out off me."

The man laughed loudly as he lied down next to Edward to try and reach for the tiny woman. "Not my fault, you need to step up your game friend… I could have been someone else you know?" His friendly tone turned serious as he assessed the man lying next to him.

Edward sighed. "I know."

A tense silence filled the air around them, which was a rarity when you were in close proximity with Emmett. It was broken by Bella sighing.

"Bella?" Edward shouted.

"Mmh… Shit, that hurt!" she groaned softly and opened her eyes. Two heads were peeking into the pit she was sprawled in: Edward's concerned face and an unfamiliar one, full of attractive features and the cutest dimples adorning his smiling cheeks. He was laughing quietly and his baby blue eyes were bright and lively as he nodded softly towards her.

"Are you all right baby doll?" he asked in a deep yet cheerful tone.

"Oh fuck… Mm, yes, I'm fine... I think…" she answered and sat up gently feeling her muscles ache as she moved.

"Bella? Bella, are you okay?" Edward's concerned tone was bordering on panicked and she felt a sliver of annoyance towards him.

"Yes Edward, I'm all right. Jesus, why did you let go of the branch?"

"I'm so sorry, Emmett scared the crap out of me." He answered, embarrassed by his lack of awareness, and gestured towards the floating head beside him. The one with the cute dimples and the cheerful voice.

"So I'm guessing you're Emmett?" Bella asked and laughed softly at his enthusiastic nodding in confirmation to her statement. "Well dimples, since you're – for all intents and purposes – the one responsible for my being caught in this dreadful pit, why don't you find a way to help me up, huh? And please don't give Edward the responsibility of dragging me out with a branch… I'm far too fond of my head and would like it to remain in one piece."

"Ha! You're brilliant baby doll, just hang tight. I'll get you out." He laughed before disappearing from view.

Edward was pouting; his green eyes burning into Bella's brown ones. "I'm sorry Bella, I really am…"

"Edward don't worry about it, just make sure Emmett gets me out of here. He reminds me of a young child, who's easily distracted by something shiny, and I would like to get up on the real ground sometime this afternoon." She responded gently with a small smile to appease his worries.

"You have no idea," he smiled softly.

"Hey! I resent that!" Emmett shouted from somewhere in the forest, and Edward stood in pursuit of his long lost friend.

A minute or two passed before their two heads reappeared along with another branch, this one even bigger and sturdier than the one Edward had dropped her with.

"Grasp this one baby doll, I'll drag you out."

Bella stood on shaky feet, feeling light-headed for a second, forcing her to close her eyes, before reopening them and grasping the hard surface of the branch.

"All right, I'm going to start hoisting you out. Just hang tight, and we'll have you up in a niffy…"

"Okay," she sighed and felt the hard tug of the branch. She groaned softly as her feet slowly rose from their stance on the bottom of the pit and the burning of her upper arms as Emmett dragged her upwards and out of the hole.

"Give me your hand," Edward instructed when she was close enough to the surface. "Come on princess, just grasp me around my wrist – I won't drop you," he assured when she looked at him with scepticism.

"Grab him baby doll." Emmett reassured. "I can't lift you much higher."

Bella hesitantly released her grip on the branch and clasped Edward's tightly with her left hand.

"I've got you," he reassured. "Okay, now you just have to slowly release the branch with your other hand and grab my right one."

She did as she was instructed and Edward slowly hoisted her out of the pit. As soon as she reached the ground of the forest floor she bent down at her waist, breathing deeply, and tried to regain steadiness of every muscle in her body. Her upper arms were burning and her legs were shaking. A few minutes of silence passed before she righted herself and stood erect in front of Edward and Emmett.

Emmett was grinning at her, nodding approvingly towards her and the pit she'd just escaped. Edward on the other hand was scouring her entire body, his hands raised in the air towards her, as if he was dying to hold her to him. And he was. He was dying to reach for her, checking every inch of her delicate body for fractures or scrapes.

"Bella?" he asked gently when she remained stoic in front of them.

She was trying to regain her equilibrium, but she felt severely light-headed and a rush of dizziness swirled her entire body.

"Bella?" Edward asked once again, this time in a more worried tone. She was swaying softly on the ground where she was standing, and her eyes were misty, unfocused.

"I just need a minute," she whispered, her voice breaking on the last word, making it sound like 'minu-he' and her head erupted in dizzy waves, moments before she swayed violently forward, feeling her knees give out and collapsing onto the forest floor.

"Shit!" Edward exclaimed and reached to catch her before she hit her head once again.

"So this is why you've been so long to get here…" Emmett laughed lowly. "You and your swooning women, couldn't you for once get one who don't fall flat at your feet?" He joked.

Edward glared at him as he picked her up and carried her a few paces ahead and away from the trap in the forest.

"Shut up Emmett, she's not like that."

-.-.-

"Glad to have you back amongst us Edward, it's been some time."

Emmett handed him a bottle of ale and sat in one of the two armchairs facing the fireplace of his small cabin.

Edward was gently stroking back a lock of hair from Bella's face, admiring her peaceful face as she continued sleeping on the small couch. "Glad to be back. What's the status?" he asked and stood behind the back of the other armchair, leaning against the top of it.

Emmett was studying his old friend with inquisitive eyes, before turning his gaze towards the burning logs. "It's getting crazier each day. The camps are overflowing with refugees and the few surviving villages are barely able to feed themselves, yet alone the rest of us once the royal court have received their cut of the crops."

Edward sighed softly and twisted the cap of the bottle, taking a sip and coughing. "Jesus, what is this stuff?"

"Montem Ale. It's strong, but it's the best in the whole damn country," he laughed. "You'll get used to the burning. The Edward I knew could bounce back from four gallons of spritzer and still charm the ladies of the tavern."

"Yeah well, that Edward had to relive the ugly face of war every day," he rebutted.

"Most of us still do man…"

Edward's gaze snapped towards the troubled face of his old friend. He had always considered Emmett to be the happiest man on earth, and seeing him in deep distress troubled every bone in Edward's body.

"I'm sorry."

Emmett responded with a small smile. "It's all right, we're all working towards the same goal here, right?"

Edward smiled in return and nodded, sitting himself down into the chair and taking another pull of the strong drink in his hand.

"How many have you gathered?"

Emmett paused and took a swig of his drink. "About two dozen or so… Jasper's got nearly a hundred men gathered in the Camp of Portus."

"Camp of Portus? Wait, he's not in the camp near the castle?" Edward asked in desperation.

"No, he moved his forces to the east once the Queen reinstated the royal guards along the border of the city walls."

"Then who's with Alice?"

"Who do you think instructed him to leave for the other camp?" Emmett smirked. "Nobody, not even Captain Blondie, was able to talk that little devil out of her plans."

Edward groaned softly and nodded in confirmation to Emmett's statement. If anybody knew how difficult and headstrong Alice was when she set her mind to something, it would be him.

"And what about the Camp of Arva?" he asked and twisted the bottle cap between his index finger and thumb.

Emmett remained silent for a few minutes, before sighing. "We've lost contact with Carlisle. Hopefully he has managed to follow the procedure if the royal guard have attacked them. I was on my way to meet up with them at the safe spot, if they had managed to escape, when the alarming bell went off and baby doll over there dumped into my trap," he smirked and gestured to the small couch in the corner where Bella was sleeping.

Edward smiled softly and gazed at her sleeping form. "Yeah, she's quite something…" he whispered.

Emmett was looking intently at him, humoured by his obvious obsession with the young girl. "So what's the deal with her? She up for grabs?"

"What? No!" Edward's head swivelled around, glaring at Emmett for even suggesting such a thing. His glare quickly cooled when it met Emmett's smiling face and grinning eyes.

"You still haven't answered my question."

"I did. She's not up for grabs!"

"Not that one you idiot. I gathered as much when I was able to sneak up on you, and you didn't even give me a hard time for calling you out on it." He grinned.

"Then what one?" Edward asked, getting impatient with him.

"What's up with her? Who is she? Weren't you supposed to gather the young protégée of the royal family?"

"I did. That's her."

"What? You're serious? That's the long lost princess?" Emmett asked flabbergasted.

"Yeah that's her."

Speaking of the devil, Bella was stirring on the tiny coach, moaning softly as she stretched her arms and felt the ache in her muscles release.

Edward stood and walked to where she was lying, sitting down on the small corner table sitting in front of the couch. "Hey…"

"Hey you," she sighed and smiled softly at him.

"How do you feel?" He gently tucked back another lock of hair from her face and smiled at her.

"Tired," she sighed. "And hungry. What happened?"

"You fainted baby doll. Apparently my charm was too much for you to handle," Emmett had stood as well and was appearing behind Edward, his face cracked in a giant smirk and eyes bright in the dimmed light of the candles set about in the cabin.

Bella laughed softly. "Oh you caught me dimples. You, with your disarming smile and great personality, made me, an innocent woman, fall flat on my face like a true gentleman. How very chivalrous of you."

"I know, I'm irresistible," he grinned.

"It's not nice to gloat Emmett." Edward was glaring at him and stealing conspicuous looks at Bella, trying to decipher if she truly found Emmett attractive. That thought didn't sit well with him.

"And as your princess just pointed out: I'm not nice," Emmett laughed. "All right kids, I'm going to go gather more wood for the fire. Play nice while I'm gone. I'd like to find you both in one piece when I return. – Oh, and nice to meet you Bella," he added as an after thought on his way out of the small cabin.

"Nice to meet you too," Bella laughed softly into the empty space Emmett had just vacated. "He seems…special," she grinned and looked into Edward's bright green eyes.

Edward was glaring at the door.

"Edward?"

"Huh?" He looked at her and smiled gently. "Yeah, he's – something," he added.

"Edward, are you all right?" she asked, trying to hide her humour at his obvious dislike of her favouring Emmett.

He sighed. "Yes, I'm fine."

She smiled gently at him and clasped his chin in her left hand. "You're something special too, you know that?"

He returned her smile and leaned softly into her touch, sighing gently and relaxing for the first time in a long while.

"So where are we?" she asked, once she felt satisfied with her distraction of his bad mood.

"This is the Camp of Montem. We're staying in Emmett's cabin for now, until you feel well enough to travel. Hopefully Emmett will be able to spare a couple of horses, which will make our travels far more easier."

"And who is Emmett? I mean, how do you know him?" she asked.

Edward sighed gently and reached for the hand caressing his face, cradling it in his own and playing softly with her index and middle finger. "Emmett is an old friend. We grew up together and served a few years together in the royal army. Emmett got transferred to the western plantations and we lost contact until recently."

"What happened to make you loose contact?" she wondered and squeezed his hands in hers.

"The distance I guess. I served in the centre army and Emmett in various positions around the country."

She smiled gently at him. "What made you reconnect?"

"You."

She paused, surprised by his statement. "Me? How? Why?"

Edward frowned and looked towards the fireplace. Bella admired the soft rays of light the fire and candles casted on his beautiful features. His strong jaw, full lips, straight nose and expressive eyes kept her in awe at his handsomeness.

"My mom used to tell me and my sister this nursery rhyme whenever we couldn't sleep at night from missing our dad. It told of a young woman who would return to a kingdom to set right from wrong. This young woman was of royal blood and her strong headedness and righteous nature would assist her in her attempt to defeat the evil raging the kingdom."

"What does that have to do with me?" she asked bewildered by his sudden change in conversation.

"Everything. We – my sister especially – grew up in the belief that some day, someone would return to aid in the fight against the evil destroying our lands. Every day more and more people are driven from their homes, their villages, either to serve or on the run from the royal family. When the Queen requested that you had to be returned to the kingdom, Alice was certain you were the woman from the nursery rhyme."

"But what is the evil?"

"The Queen. The royal family. The court. All things aristocratic are tyrannizing the kingdom and the opposition have been fighting for years against their unrighteous crimes against the people. That's how I reconnected with Emmett. Emmett aided the captain of the western army in rescuing a doomed village, and the two connected with the head of the opposition, which just so happened to be Alice."

Bella nodded slightly, even though she had a hard time deciphering the story he had just told her. "Who's Alice?"

Edward smiled softly once he saw her tiny pout. A warm feeling was heating his body as he realised she was jealous. She was avoiding eye contact and gently retreated her hands from his hold on them. His hands felt cold as soon as her soft skin leaved his touch and he quickly reached for the retreating objects.

She sighed softly and allowed him to pull her hands back into his hold, feeling the rough skin of his thumbs caressing the soft ones of her palms. "So…" she stressed, still avoiding eye contact.

"Bella," Edward whispered and when she didn't react or meet his gaze, he gently grasped her chin with one hand, forcing her gaze towards him. "Alice is my sister."

"Oh…" she blew out a long breath and smiled softly, feeling her cheeks heat from embarrassment.

"You're something special too," he whispered and smiled at her. Her breath caught in her throat and she felt her body heat from pleasure at hearing his words.

That feeling was quickly squashed as Emmett banged open the door of the cabin and loudly stepped into the tiny space.

"Hello lovebirds! Did you play nice while I was gone?" he teased and grinned at the two sitting close together in the corner. "I brought dinner, anybody hungry? I know I am. It's been an exciting day."

Edward laughed softly as he heard Bella's stomach rumble. "I guess berries can only fuel you so far, huh?" he asked.

Bella grinned at him and looked expectantly at Emmett. "So what've you got dimples?"

"Ah baby doll, I've got the finest beer and rabbit the camp has to offer."

"Rabbit?" she asked questioningly, seeing a furry version of Bugs Bunny in her mind. "I think I'll pass," she said and felt her stomach protest.

Emmett heard and laughed. "Oh come on doll face…I heard that. I know you want it," he teased.

"Is it dead?" she asked cautiously.

"Of course it's dead. What kind of host do you take me for?" he exclaimed and turned towards the fireplace. "Jesus baby doll, did you honestly expect that I would feed you a live rabbit? I'm not a barbarian; you know…" he mumbled.

"Could have fooled me," Bella whispered to Edward, causing him to laugh loudly.

"What?" Emmett asked, looking at their two innocent faces with suspicion.

"Nothing," Edward grinned and stood to join him by the fire. "Nothing at all, dimples."

-.-.-

Sun was streaming through the tiny windows of the cabin, bathing the interior in the early morning rays, illuminating the beautifully carved fireplace and sheep covered chairs standing in front of it.

Bella was waking, her eyes contracting for a few minutes by the bright light attacking her sleepy sight.

She was alone and covered by a knitted blanket, lying on the couch in the corner. The soft texture of the sheep fur below her tingled the back of her neck and she laughed softly into the silent morning.

"Edward?" she whispered gently and received no reply. "Edward? Emmett?"

She sat up gently on the couch and ran a hand through the rough tangles of hair at the back of her head. Her pants were neatly folded on the tiny table by the couch where Edward had sat last night and she gently unfolded them, before standing and dressing herself.

She wondered off into the undiscovered spaces of the tiny home, discovering a cute rural kitchen to the east of the living room. The counters were filled with various jars and pans filled with greenery, berries and spices, and the neatness of the small kitchen confused Bella as to how a man could be living in this tiny space. All the men Bella had encountered in her 20 year long life were slobs, with filled sinks of dishes and dispensable food and clothing littering every surface of their home.

A shout and sounds of hooves drove Bella towards the tiny entrance of the little home and she opened the wooden door, not knowing exactly what to expect.

As she gazed out into the early morning, a colour overflow paired with the fresh small of grass and animals attacked her senses and she felt a tiny smile grow on her ruby lips. It was beautiful.

In front of her stood a small village, nestled in the valley between two giant mountains. Tiny homes and cabins littered the area in front of her, and life spurred around her. People of all ages and sexes walked around the centre square and the homes lining the open area. There was shouting and talking, children laughing and running by her as she stepped up to the well in the middle of the square.

Two young women were standing by the bricks, whispering and giggling at something behind her. She walked up to the young girls and twirled twice to see the surrounding area and life around her.

"He's gorgeous Lauren! They were standing down by the river this morning, glistening in the sun… I'll tell you, I nearly fainted!" one of the young women bragged at the other.

"I wish I'd seen him already," the other muttered and grinned secretly at the girl next to her. "We should go see if they are still by the water."

"I don't think they're still at the water. Eric told me they are planning to travel to the western plantations in search of Carlisle. They're probably off somewhere planning their departure," the first girl sulked.

Bella sighed softly as she felt irritation filling her stomach. She somehow knew the two girls were gossiping about her Edward. She pushed away from the bricks of the well, intent on not listening to another teen-girl gossip coming from the women beside her. Instead she walked off into the tiny village, stepping aside when people milled around her, the women walking with baskets filled with bread, the men walking with heavy equipment fit for a blacksmith and the young boys dragging various animals behind them.

She turned at the next corner and walked down a quieter path. She hummed gently and caressed the rough surface of the brick walls of the cabins as she passed by them.

A quiet sniffling reached her ears, and Bella stopped briefly, staying silent, to listen to the direction of the soft crying.

She turned to the left at the next cabin, seeing a small girl, who couldn't have been more than five years old, sitting with her legs folded and her head buried into her knees, wailing softly into her own body.

"Hey," Bella whispered and walked up to the girl. "Are you alright?" She sat down next to the small girl, her brow puckered and her eyes worried as she felt the young girls tears and sadness hit her self.

"I'm fine," the young girl sniffled. "Just go away…"

Bella sighed gently and leaned back against the cabin. "I'm Bella… What's your name?"

The young girl glanced briefly up at her, seeing her gentle smile and open eyes. "Tara."

"Well Tara, it's nice to meet you. It's nice to meet somebody, you know?"

"What do you mean?" The young girl wondered and puckered her tiny nose at the stranger sitting next to her.

Bella smiled softly and gently wiped the wet track of tears from Tara's delicate little face. "I've been away from home for quite some time now… And since coming here I've only encountered two friendly faces, so it's very nice to meet another."

Tara sat up, untangling her small arms from around her legs. "Why are you away from home?"

"I don't really know yet," Bella mused and caressed Tara's hair. "But hopefully I'll know soon…"

"So you can return home?"

"Well, yes… I guess. Although I'm growing fond of this place," Bella smiled and gently hugged the young girl close.

"And that makes you sad?" Tara wondered inquisitively.

Bella mulled at the question for quite some time. "Yeah I guess it does… What about you Tara? Why are you sad?"

"I miss my mom," she sniffled softly.

"Hmm… Where is your mom? Are you lost from her?" Bella asked and looked up and down the tiny path in front of them.

"She's… not here. I don't know where she is." Tara cried and nestled into Bella's chest, feeling the comfort of her gentle hug.

"What do you mean?" she wondered.

"It was really dark," Tara sniffled. "They came in the middle of the night and burned down our houses. She stuffed me and the other girls into a carriage and then we began moving until we came here."

Bella sighed softly and hugged the small girl tightly. "Who are 'they'?"

"The soldiers… We were told of their evil rampage around the kingdom, but I didn't think it was actually true… Until that night," she cried.

"Are your mom still at your house?" Bella asked gently.

"I don't know."

"Where do you live now?" she asked and stood from the ground, gently dragging Tara up with her.

"In the cabin to the left of the square, with the baker and his wife." Tara whispered.

"Alright, let's go there…" Bella took Tara by the hand and walked back the same way she had walked to get there.

Tara was crying softly and walking by her, until they reached the village square. "Over there?" Bella asked and pointed at a medium sized cabin, where a young woman stood in front, cleaning a few carpets.

Tara nodded and wiped her rosy cheeks.

"Hello," Bella smiled softly once they reached the young woman by the cabin. "Are you the baker's wife?"

"Yes," the woman answered and looked briefly at Bella, before glancing at the crying girl standing beside her. "Tara, oh my God, are you alright? Why are you crying?"

The woman kneeled in front of Tara and reached for her. "Shh," she shushed her as Tara flew into her embrace and began crying in earnest. "What happened?"

Tara continued crying loudly. "She's missing her mom," Bella answered. "What happened to her?" she asked.

The woman picked up the young girl, steadying her on her hips and caressed the top of her head as Tara nestled into her neck. "Tara came here a couple of weeks ago with a bunch of other young children. Their village had been attacked by a unit of the Royal Guard and her mom sent her here for safe keeping, until she could return here as well," the woman whispered gently. "She has yet to arrive here, and Emmett's been planning to travel to the village to see what remains there."

"You know Emmett?" Bella asked surprised, but the woman was cut off from answering when they heard a loud shout from behind.

"Bella!"

She turned and saw Edward jogging towards them, Emmett walking briskly behind him.

"What's going on? Why aren't you in the cabin?" Edward asked once he and Emmett reached them.

"I woke up and went for a walk. I met this young lady here," Bella glanced briefly at Tara before turning around to look to Emmett. "What happened to their village?"

Emmett glanced worriedly at Edward and the woman holding Tara, before looking at Bella. "It was attacked. I was on my way to see what remained of the village when you two dumped into my trap," he grinned softly.

Bella sighed softly and looked at Tara still crying softly in the young woman's arms. "What's your mother's name?"

"Didyme," Tara whispered.

"Thank you," Bella smiled softly at the young girl. "We will go to your old village and find your mother," she promised and leaned in to kiss the small girl on the cheek.

She turned and looked at Emmett and Edward before walking past them towards the centre of the village square. Emmett was grinning softly at her, gently nodding in recognition of the meaning to her words. Edward was gazing at her in wonder and admiration, blown away by her generosity.

"She's something, isn't she?" Emmett laughed and clapped Edward hard on the back before turning and following Bella.

"She is…" Edward smiled and nodded at the young woman and girl before turning and following the two into the square.

"I need to find her," Edward heard Bella say to Emmett as they stood in front of the well.

"We need to find many people," Emmett muttered in response and looked around. "See those young boys over there," he said and pointed at a group of kids playing around in the square, kicking a ball and tossing sticks at each other.

Bella glanced in the direction he pointed and nodded.

"The two blond one's – Jaime and Oliver – they are missing both their parents. The green-eyed one, Daniel, is missing his mother," he pointed to a brown haired boy. "And Mickey is missing his dad and uncle. We're all separated from the ones we love baby doll, and we all want them home with us…" he sighed softly.

Bella, who had been watching the group of young kids play, felt a stab to her heart as Emmett's tone of sadness settled deep into her stomach. "Did you loose someone as well?"

Emmett smiled softly at her, his happy eyes filled with sadness. "We've all lost something dear to our hearts in the darkness of this war."

Edward clapped Emmett gently on the back of his shoulder, feeling the sadness and regret settle in the atmosphere around them. He knew of Emmett's loss and the sacrifices his dear old friend had to make to become part of the opposition. "I know Em," he muttered. "But we still need to figure out how to move from here to the western plantations…"

Bella gazed intently at the young attractive man in front of her, feeling disturbed by his obvious discomfort and sadness. "How far are the western plantations?"

"About three days' travel, granted we don't meet any obstacles on the way," Edward grinned and joked gently at their obvious attraction to danger on their way to this camp.

"We can cut the time short if we go by horse," Emmett exclaimed, his eyes once again shining bright, adoring his attractive facial features and cute dimples.

"You've got horses?" Edward asked in surprise, smiling big at his old friend.

"Yeah man," Emmett laughed. "I've even got Daunty…"

"Seriously? She let you have him?" Edward asked, his voice tainted with surprise and wonder.

Emmett nodded vigorously. "He's a true champion that one, quite like out little baby doll here," he grinned and padded Bella on the top of her head.

Edward scowled softly and whispered lowly: "my princess."

"So we have horses," Bella stated, annoyed by Emmett's padding and Edward's scowling. "When do we leave?"

Edward looked towards Emmett and nodded softly. "Tomorrow," he answered.

"But," Emmett exclaimed. "We have to ride through the northern mountain pass, so we need to settle on a cover story for the major."

"What are you thinking?" Edward sighed and looked at his smug friend.

Emmett was smiling hugely. "That's the beauty of it all: you guys get to choose that! Either we pretend to be family, brother and sister you know, or… I'm your chaperone travelling with you through the pass to gain you marriage license at the western manor."

Bella looked at Emmett in confusion. "So either we play brother and sister or soon-to-be husband and wife?" she wondered in scepticism.

"That's right baby doll." Emmett grinned.

Edward looked briefly at Bella, meeting her confused gaze, before stating "husband and wife," at the same time Bella exclaimed "brother and sister."

Emmett laughed loudly, bending slightly at the waist as he gripped himself tightly around his middle. Edward looked inquisitively at Bella, confused by her remark. 'Didn't she feel the same about him? Did she see him as a brother figure?' he wondered.

An awkward silence settled between them as Edward gazed intently at Bella and she did everything to avoid meeting his gaze, slightly panicking as her eyes had trouble settling on anything.

"Well ha," Emmett laughed. "I'm hungry, so you two turtledoves come see me when you know which scenario we'll go with…" he laughed loudly as he turned and walked back in the direction of his cabin.

Edward was still staring heatedly at her, and Bella was still avoiding his inquisitive eyes. She felt embarrassment settle deeply in her stomach, clogging her throat, making her breathing hitch loudly.

Edward turned gently towards her, walking the remaining three feet between them and grasping her chin in his hands, gently cradling her head and forcing her to meet his intense green eyes. She gasped loudly, taken aback by the wild abandon she saw in his expressive gaze.

But Edward only took her gasp as an invitation and leaned in to her, briefly warning her with his eyes, seconds before he grasped her head even tighter and meeting his lips to her soft ones.

Bella gasped once again, surprised by the sudden yet welcomed intrusion and Edward took full advantaged of her pause and gently licked her bottom lip.

She groaned softly and settled into his hard figure, her soft one moulding into his.

He moaned in response to her soft response and the fruity taste of her ruby lips, and gently slipped his warm tongue into the soft cavity of her mouth, tasting her in earnest.

She sighed and gently met his tongue with her own.

Edward gently broke the kiss to breathe before settling his lips against hers once again, meeting her open mouth with his own and settling his tongue against hers. But this time he wondered away from her soft lips and wet tongue, to stroke his own against the roof of her mouth, sending shivers and tingles throughout her body, making her slump forward even more into him.

"Jesus," she moaned loudly and broke away from him, gasping and breathing heavily.

"It's just Edward, princess," he smirked cockily and dove into the soft skin of her chin, licking, tasting and kissing the heated skin of her neck, collarbone and cheek.

She laughed softly and grasped the hair at the back of his neck, forcing his lips to meet hers once again.

He groaned and returned the kiss in earnest, moulding his soft lips against her ruby ones.

She sighed and broke away, feeling butterflies rocking against the wall of her stomach and heat in her lower abdomen. "What was that?" she wondered, breathless.

Edward grinned and rested his forehead against hers, gazing intently into her expressive brown eyes. They were shining back at him and he smiled in response to her obvious pleasure from his advances. "That, my princess, is why we can't pretend to be brother and sister."

-.-.-

AN: Thank you so much for reading. Please leave a review. Reviews fuel the inspiration and drive to keep writing.

This chapter was a long one: two and a half months of writing, 9.031 words and 23 pages and now it's finally complete. A lot of stuff happens in this chapter.

Soon we'll move on to some sexy times (I have to honour the M-rating).

I know there are a lot of paragraphs in this chapter – I understand they might be annoying, but they are in this story for a purpose, so bear with me.

To those of you who review anonymously or without a profile: Thank you so much for your reviews. Unfortunately I can't thank you in a private message, but please know that I truly appreciate you feedback.