'And we're done!' Alice smiled happily over her shoulder at me, as she stopped straightening the last table cloth carefully.

I looked around the room and adored what I saw. The vines hung from the ceiling amongst glittering butterflies, a few wrapped in small fairy lights, in ways I never could have managed without Rosalie. Alice and Jane had done the tables, which were sparkling beige. Having decided to use the candles, small ones now sat at the center surrounded by a garland of flowers. The petals of the same flower, along with glitter, were strewn across the tables like a runner. The torches around the edge of the room were lit and decorated with the same flowers and glitter.

'Alice,' I said, smiling brightly and she turned around to face me properly 'Um ... you know how sorry I am for lying to you but I just want to say it again - I'm so sorry' (Alice smiled at me in a way I knew to be amused and a little exasperated at my constant apologies) 'and I also want to thank you ... for all of this, Jane and I could never have done it without you or your family, so tell Rosalie and Aunt Esme thank you for me, as well, please -'

Alice opened her mouth to reply and cut me off but the voice that spoke was not hers.

'We're your family, too, dear,' my aunt's voice said as I turned around to face her and Rosalie, 'and you're more than welcome.'

'It was fun,' Rosalie smiled softly at me, 'and we wouldn't have had it any other way.'

'Anyway,' Alice now said before she added on to Aunt Esme's original point, 'since you call Carlisle "Uncle," Rosalie and I are technically your cousins and Esme your aunt.'

I smiled and hugged them all as Jane walked in to wreck the moment as she always did.

'Don't I get a thank you?' she teased me.

'Of course you do, silly,' I laughed, removing myself from the Cullens to hug her tightly as well. 'Thank you so much!'

'You're welcome, sis,' Jane smiled, laughing slightly as well. 'I love you.'

'You too.'

I let go of Jane and we all stood admiring our work, which was twinkling happily in the lowering sun. We were so caught up in the beautiful room we had created that we didn't notice my Alec slip quietly, even for a vampire, into the room and it caused me to jump slightly when he put his arms around my waist from behind.

'This looks beautiful, ladies,' he said causing the others to jump but he didn't chuckle as I expected him to, he just continued speaking. 'Well done.'

Thank you's were mumbled as the all left me and my fiancé alone in the room. I sighed, leaning back in Alec's embrace.

'You okay?' I asked. 'You seem a little ... off.'

How I knew that, I was sure, since he hadn't even been here two minutes and had only said one thing.

'Fine,' he murmured into my shoulder. 'Except I just got another talk about hurting you from your father and uncles ... just for the record, I will never hurt you, Isabella, I'd find a way to kill myself if I did - not that that would be too hard, I'd just have to go and find you family.'

'I know,' I smiled in reference to the fact that he'd never hurt me, turning in his embrace to face him, 'I know but don't be so melodramatic, love.'

'Sorry,' Alec chuckled.

'You're forgiven,' I laughed, kissing him lightly on the slips.

Two hours later, Jane sped vampire speed to the spot in the garden that Alec and I always go to - it was our little safe haven. Surrounded mainly by high plants providing some cover from prying eyes, kisses could be stolen, a large tree sat at the edge, which Alec was leaning against with me on his lap - we could often be found in this position, sometimes in perfect, comfortable, homely silence and at other times chatting away. The floor of the area was covered in lush green grass and pretty flowers while there was nothing, except our tree, blocking the clear blue sky.

'Brother Dearest,' Jane said, standing in front of us, 'I need to borrow you fiancée - it's time to get ready.'

I sighed: I really didn't like parties but, of course, I loved the reason for this one and I'd endure a little torture for it.

'She's coming,' Alec smiled too pleasantly at his sister, tightening his arms around me as I huffed fake-annoyed about being referred to as if I wasn't here and went to get up. 'Give us a few minutes.'

Jane rolled her eyes but disappeared none-the-less.

'You know, you will have to let me go eventually,' I smiled up at Alec from where my head was now rested against his shoulder.

'Mmhm,' he hummed burying his face in my hair. 'Why does it take girls so long to get ready?'

'Because we have more to do: hair, makeup, dresses, etcetera,' I answered him snuggling closer. 'Plus we make it a social thing. Come on, I love you but I need you to go before Jane, and probably Alice as well, kill us.'

'I love you, too,' he sighed opening his arms so I could get off his lap and stand up.

I kissed him quickly before standing and walking away.

'I'll see you later,' I called over my shoulder.

'Yes, you will,' Jane said as soon as I out of Alec hearing range: she'd obviously been listening. 'Since you guys are going to walk in together.'

'I know, Jane,' I smiled as we began to wonder back into the castle.

When we got to my room, which was the biggest and therefore it was sensible for us all to get changed here, laughter was coming through the slightly open door.

'There's the ... engagement girl,' my aunt Esme laughed as Jane and I entered the room.

'The party starts in three hours,' Alice moaned. 'Let's get started.'

'Izzy, you first,' Rosalie said, pointing to a chair sat in front of my dressing table.

I sighed and plopped myself down in it ungracefully. Closing my eyes, I felt hands to start to flutter over me: my nails, my face, my hair.

'Okay,' Alice said, after what felt like an hour but was in reality only half. 'Open your eyes.'

I did as she told me and couldn't stop the gasp escaping from my mouth. My albino pale vampire skin seemed to have a rosy tint to it; my naturally wide golden eyes were outlined with sparkling black, while the shadow was two close shades of green, blended together at the center. My already red lips looked fuller and sparkled with the clear lip gloss and were lined with a darker red lip liner.

'You guys are amazing,' I muttered.

'Nah,' Jane said, smiling slightly at me. 'The raw material was already perfect; we didn't need to do much.'

'Jane,' I smiled, glad I couldn't blush for some strange reason even though my veins were filled with unappetizing blood.

'You look beautiful, dear,' Aunt Esme sighed, resting her hands on my shoulders and playing with a small bit of my mahogany hair.

I'd been so distracted by the makeup that I had barely noticed the hair. The red parts of my hair now stood out more due to Aunt Esme. It was curled even more than it usually was so it fell in long ringlets to about two inches above my waist. My aunt had also put glitter in it so it sparkled, probably to make me look magical. The front of my hair was pulled back in two glittering comb's which matched my tiara.

As though reading my mind, my aunt picked up the aforementioned item and slit it easily in my hair.

'Perfect,' Rosalie smiled and I glanced down to where she was kneeling by my side.

My gaze moved to my nail before returning her smile, guessing that was what she had been doing. They were simple and yet beautiful: my long nails were painted in a French manicure but also had the same glitter pattern on each nail.

'We can put the dresses on when we're all "made up,"' Alice spoke bringing my attention away from my nails.

I nodded, although I was still a little unsure that that was me in the mirror.

'Who's next?' I asked, turning around in the chair, which span with me, and standing up so the next person could sit down.

Two hours later all our make-up was done, as was our hair, and Jane brought in the dresses from her room, which was next to mine.

'Here we are,' she sang, happily, as she re-entered my room via a side door we insisted my father put in, we were constantly sneaking through into each other's room. She handed our dress out to each of us before saying sharply, 'we need to speed up: we need to be down in 15 minutes, to greet the guests in another fifteen.'

We all quickly shed our clothes except Aunt Esme, who rolled her eyes at us.

'Careful you don't rip anything, girls,' she warned before coming to tighten the laces at the back of my dress I had already slipped on.

Since I was wearing one of my simplest princess gowns, it was a simple slip on slip off on, while the others were all in trouser of some description, a top, and, in Jane's case, a clock so they, therefore, took a little longer.

10 minutes later we were running out of the room as fast as we could without being worried about our hair, makeup and dresses.

'There's my beautiful, fiancée,' Alec smiled as we stopped down the corridor from him, ' and her family and my twin.'

'I love you, too, brother,' Jane smiled at him rolling her eyes before sending a kinder one towards the male Cullens that were gathered in groups around him

'You look lovely ladies,' Uncle Carlisle said as my aunt walked over and kissed his cheek causing me to smile slightly, wondering if that was what my uncle was looking for when he left Volterra.

'Jane, why don't you take the Cullens inside the ball room,' I said after I had greeted Alec. 'We'll be in when Father calls.'

'Of course, Principessa,' Jane said, starting to shepherd the Cullens towards the room in question.

'That wasn't an order, Jane,' I groaned loudly, 'just a suggested.'

'I'm just teasing, Izzy,' Jane laughed from in front of the Cullens. 'You're not a princess to me, just my best friend and my brothers' mate - oh and since Alec won't say it, I will: you take the title hatred too far.'

'Shut up,' I smiled.

'Well,' Alec said as Jane pulled the last Cullen in the Ball room, 'you look gorgeous, as always.'

'You don't look too bad yourself,' I smiled, looking at his outfit. 'but then again, I'd think you'd look handsome in anything.'

'I think I'm going to be sick,' a voice I didn't recognize said from behind us. 'You must be the Principessa and her guard fiancé.'

'Perhaps you should enter the ball room,' I suggest a little sharper than I had meant to be: what did it matter whether Alec was a guard and me a princess. 'My sister-in-law to be is in there with the Cullens.'

'The Cullens?' the man asked looking at lot happier suddenly. 'Carlisle Cullen?'

'The one and only,' Alec chuckled, his hand resting on the small of my back. 'He's my fiancée's uncle.'

The man looked extremely shocked at Alec's words and it made me wonder, frowning, if my uncle had ever spoke of his time here.

'Why don't you go in,' Alec suggested, after a quick glance at me, probably seeing the small amount of hurt that I was feeling inside on my face.

The man left with a slight, not to mention mocking, bow in my direction. Alec didn't say anything but took my hand and led me through the halls until we ended up in our garden spot where we had been not a few hours ago.

'We have,' Alec checked his watch, 'ten minutes until your father calls us in. Talk.'

I pursed my lips, looking up at him, wondering how I could phrase what I was thinking.

'How close do you think Uncle Carlisle was to that man?' I asked him, softly.

'Friends, I'd say but not to close,' Alec replied, frowning in thought. 'Maybe your Uncle spent a little bit of time with him before he found the rest of his family ... come on, Iz, what's bothering you?'

'Do you think he liked, enjoyed, his time here?' I asked just as softly as before.

'Your uncle? I think that's something you're going to have to ask him yourself,' Alec replied carefully, almost cautiously. 'Why?'

'Nothing really, it's ...' I sighed heavily. 'It's just he practically raised me - my father didn't have time for a hyper little girl so it fell upon Uncle Carlisle to make sure I learn everything I need to and was happy-'

'So ... you're worried he doesn't care as much for you and your family as you thought he did?' Alec asked, interrupting to have a guess at what was wrong, and I nodded in reply causing him to snort. 'Rubbish. I can see that man adores you the same way as your father and other uncles do. I think he actually loves you more than them - he raised you and there's no doubt he loves you. I'm not that mushy on emotions, except when it comes to you' (I laughed a little) 'but it shine through his eyes: his love for you, as well as for this family.

'They're like really old friends your uncle's and father, but your Uncle Carlisle is more of the one they haven't seen for a while but still as close as always.'

A smile had ben tugging at my lips as he spoke and when he finished I pushed him to the ground, straddling him while his hands rested on my hips.

'For someone who had trouble saying "I love you" to begin with, that was very deep,' I teased.

'Yeah, well, you must be making me soft,' he chuckled.

'That is the rumor,' I joked, lightly kissing him before pushing myself up against his cheek. 'We need to get back.'

I continued rising as I spoke so now I looked down at him, lying on the floor

'You know you fit in perfectly,' Alec laughed, looking at my dress. 'Here in the Garden, I mean.'

'Why thank you, kind sir,' I curtsied. 'However, we really do need to leave.'

'Yes, milady,' he smiled, pushing himself of the floor with exaggerated slowness.

'Come on,' I laughed, pulling on his hand.

'Alright, alright,' he said joining in my high laughter with his lower one, once standing he looked at his watch. 'See, no hurry' - he showed me his watch - 'we have time for a leisurely walk back.'

I rolled my eyes at him before he laced our fingers together and led me back to the back doors of the ball room, which led out onto a balcony and a grand staircase that led down to where the guest were gathered, chatting and laughing the whole way.

'Alec,' I murmured, thinking about my Uncle and him caring about me took me back to the time I spent human around him as Bella Swan, Alec turned to me alarmed at my quick turn as we stopped by the door. 'I need to te-'

'May I now introduce our couple of the evening,' my father's loud, cheerful voice cut me off. 'Your princess and my daughter, Isabella Maria Volturi and, her mate or fiancé and my guard member, Alec Talor.'

Alec sent me a curious look as he offered me his arm. I shook my head in reference to his silent question, slipping my arm through his as the doors in front of us opened. We stepped in and walked towards the edge of the balcony.

I laughed at the gasps that were emitted as we stepped into everyone's view before I groaned internally when I noticed the majority of eyes were on me.

Of course, the runaway princess, that's probably what most people think of me, I thought in my head as Alec and I began to descend the staircase. Although, I suppose it's true: I did runaway in the middle of the night after a massive fight my father and I had had.

'She's so beautiful,' I heard someone murmur, causing me to raise a shocked eyebrow. 'Like an angel.'

'I quite agree,' Alec muttered, kissing my hair.

I looked down, smiling, tightening my grip on his arm, causing some to laugh and others too coo as we stepped onto the level floor.

Alec and I reached my father's table quickly and bowed appropriately. As we took our seats, my father continued speaking.

'Tonight we have gathered here for two reasons,' he said, 'one is to announce their engagement to all of you and the second to celebrate it. So thank you all for coming.

'Alec, why don't you take my daughter for a spin.'

My father clicked his fingers at the band, which straight away began playing a song I recognized as 'this is love,' from Cinderella, as Alec and I stood up once against and he bowed to me.

'May I have this dance?' he asked in his captivating accent, his face completely serious although his eyes shone with mirth as he offered me his hand.

'Of course,' I played along curtsying in return and placing my hand in his outstretched one, an amused smile present on my face.

I heard Jane laughing as we moved onto the dance floor from the same table we had just left and Emmett chuckling from a nearby one. I sent them a look before spinning into Alec's embrace as we began to dance.

Mhmmmm, mhmmmm, so this is love, mhmmm so this is love

Mhmmm, mhmmmm, so this is love

Alec spun me round one more time before pulling me to him and leaning down. I stood on my tip toes, since I was barefooted - high heels made my nose the height of Alec's mouth - to close the distance between our lips. Our lips connected and it was easy to tell that both Alec and I were trying to make sure that it didn't go too far with my family watching.

'I love you,' I murmured as we broke apart.

'I love you, too,' Alec replied softly, resting his forehead against mine before continuing even quieter so our watching audience couldn't hear. 'I think, tonight, you are going to ruin my non-caring reputation.'

'Oh well,' I laughed as we began to dance to the next song which was faster. 'Who cares? If anything it's a good thing: everyone will see the man I'm going to marry for who he is.'

'I care,' he murmured the next time I was near him again. 'My reputation keeps you and Jane safer: if someone wants to hurt me then they won't go after you or Jane because they think I wouldn't care - which I would - but if they knew that I cared as much as I do, you two'd been in even more danger than you already are.'

'Ti preoccupi troppo, Al (you worry too much, Al),' I groaned, rolling my eyes. 'We can take care of ourselves.'

'Why do you always say that in Italian?' Alec asked smiling as I repeated what I had told many people, many times.

I shrugged as best as I could while dancing, 'why am I always Principessa Isabella, even if the rest of the sentence is in English?'

Alec shrugged and I laughed loudly. Alec smiled at the sound of my laughter, which he said other people don't hear enough, and spun me under his arm.

'Do you mind if I steal my daughter way?' a voice I recognized as my father's asked from behind me a few moments later, I spun around in shock having not heard his approach with all the other feet moving around us. 'Really daughter' – Father now chuckled – 'for someone with vampire hearing you do get snuck up on a lot.'

'Father!' I exclaimed

'It's true,' Alec chuckled, as he kissed my hand and placed it in my fathers; I scowled at them both before giving up and rolling my eyes, a small smile on my face as my fiancé and father laughed together.

I gave Alec a chaste kiss on the lips before turning back to my father as Alec walked toward the table, either to sit down or offer Jane a dance.

It was 2 o'clock in the morning when the crowd began thinning as people began to leave and was 3 o'clock when everyone finally had. Despite the fact that I was half vampire, I felt completely exhausted and I could tell just by looking at everyone else they felt the same way.

'We'll clean up later today,' my father told us before kissing my forehead and shaking Alec's hand.

'Well, that was fun,' I murmured leaning my head on Alec's shoulder when the room had emptied of our family. 'Kind of glad it's over though.'

'Me too,' Alec agreed, wrapping an arm around me as we began wondering through the castle.

We ended up in front of my room and as Alec went to kiss me goodbye – he never came in my room unless there was company, stating teasingly that it was highly unlikely he would be able to restrain himself – I shook my head.

'Just come lie down with me, Al,' almost sounding like I was pleading.

I turned away before he could answer, leaving the door open and flopping down on my bed. Alec joined me a few seconds later and as I curled up against him I wished that, just for tonight, I could sleep.

Sorry, I know I becoming one of those terrible writers who hardly ever update their story but I seem to lost inspiration for a lot of them but, tada, I seem to have finished this one.

I hope you like it, thank you for all the reviews you've given so far and please keep it up.

Also there are some side stories I've written when idea's popped up in my head to do with the characters that didn't fit in with the time frame I'm writing in. One is the fight between the princess and her father about her leaving Volterra while the other is short one shots about the princess and her uncle.

Please review xx