Chapter 7

We really did spend two weeks together afterwards. I won't say every day got better but Edward always made me comfortable. He never left me except for work. He was a very devoted husband and I love the comfort he provided. He was there for me as our child continued growing in my womb. Edward was right every day got better and easier. Edward was always very protective of me and knew where I was. I asked Edward one night in bed when I was about seven months pregnant and we were doing a lot more holding and cuddling than lovemaking. "Is this okay? Do you need to seek out other fulfillment?"

He quickly silenced that question with kisses. "You are pregnant because we did this together. I will wait for you to be my lover again. I do not think anyone can ever compare to you."

"Only if you are sure."

"Shh. I do not ever want to hear that from you again."

Two months later, Edward had left me sleeping in bed to go to a meeting in Paris. When I woke, I was laying in a pool of water and immediately rang for Charlotte. "Please get my mother and the doctor, my water has broke."

"Yes ma'am."

Charlotte quickly returned and helped me change into another dressing gown and robe. I was walking around in my sitting area when the doctor arrived and I was talking to my mother and pacing around.

"Charlotte, is the queen's bed all cleaned up?"

"Yes, doctor."

"Queen Bella, let me go examine you." Charlotte and my mother followed. After an examination, I heard, "I believe you will have you child here very soon." Four long hours later through tears, I delivered a beautiful son. My bed and I were cleaned up and changed yet again. Charlotte had brushed my hair and pulled it up.

I was sitting in bed nursing our son when King Edward came flying into our bedroom. "The whole castle and grounds are buzzing about you and delivering our son."

"Yes your highness, your son came into this world in a blaze of glory early this afternoon and has been eagerly awaiting your return. Emmett say hello to your father."

Edward sat down right next to me and I winced some as I was pulled in. "I'm sorry," he said.

"No worry. I will heal and be as good as new. What Edward? You don't seem yourself."

"I'm sorry. I wasn't here."

"I understand. You're here now. Plus the doctor wouldn't have let you in any way."

"Can I help get you two to our sitting room and then we can have dinner while someone sleeps?"

"Of course, your highness."

He took Emmett from me and Charlotte helped me get out of bed. We laid Emmett down in the bassinet and together we had dinner. Emmett did have a nursemaid, but Edward and I were around with him just as much. We introduced him to the caves when he was two months old. This was always our private family time and escape. I hadn't been into the city since I agreed to marry Edward because of the revolutions. Edward had taught me how to use a dagger and a sword. I loved to ride with him on the castle grounds. A year and half later we figured out I was pregnant again. One month after Emmett turned two; Rosalie was born into our little family. Just after Rosalie turned two, we had agreed to start trying for baby number three and it was our anniversary.

Edward and I were going to have a private dinner later that night; but both kids came running into me and said, "Mummie can you and father take us into the water tunnels tonight?"

I said, "You'll have to ask your father," and into the room he came.

"Father, father, can we go into the water tunnels? Please, please."

"Of course," then he walked up to me and whispered, "We can have a late dinner and more. Go get your jackets. Emmett, help your sister get hers to while your mother and I change into our traveling clothes."

Now that the kids were bigger, we took four other guards with us to help row while we held the kids. Within two hours, we were exploring in the maze of the tunnels telling the kids stories about all the writing on the walls. Suddenly, Edward's boat stopped and mine ran into his. We were surrounded by armed men in hoods. I pulled Rosalie towards me to protect her. A dark man in a dark cape and hood walked up to my husband with a sword drawn and a gun aimed at him. He had a full beard groan on his face and that was all of his face I could see. In a very deep a throaty voice, I heard him say, "Hello, King Edward."

The response back was very faint, but I heard it quietly as it drifted through the tunnel, "You're not supposed to be here."

And the deep voice responded back, "Well, I am."

"What do you want?" Edward spoke.

The cloaked bearded man walked from Edward's boat to mine. "I want to take your Queen with me."

"No," said Edward, but the guards in the water stopped him.

"Edward, stop keep Emmett safe." I yelled getting his attention. "Sir, if I come with you, do you promise my family can return to the castle safely?"

"Yes, your royal majesty. If you come with me right now and your husband doesn't try anything."

"Okay, I'll go."

"No Bella. Please don't go with him."

The husky voice of the gentleman said, "King Edward, sit down and hold onto Emmett. Queen Bella, I want you to get into this water with Rosalie and take her to King Edward. The water should be just over waist deep. I'll carry Rosalie if you want."

"No, just back away." I handed Rosalie to one of my guards. The other helped me as I got into the water. "Come here, Rosalie."

"Mummie," and she scurried into my arms with tears rolling down her eyes. I held her high in my arms to keep her from getting wet and carried her to Edward. The shadowed man followed me to Edward's boat.

"Mummie, please come with me."

"Sorry, Rosalie go with your father and Emmett." I leaned in kissed Emmett and then kissed Rosalie. "Be good for your father." I passed her to Edward. I said, "I love you, Edward; however always protect Emmett and Rosalie first and foremost. I gently kissed him. "Take care of them, Edward."

"I will; but I will find you." The deep throaty voice pushed me further ahead of Edward's boat to a waiting boat.

"Mummie," and I could hear Rosalie crying and I could see Edward struggling to keep her and Emmett under control.

"I love you," I said with my head held high. Once we reached the other boat, the robed man climbed aboard. One of the guards offers to help me climb aboard.

I said, "No thanks," and I pushed him away. I reached down to grab my dress; but instead I pulled out my dagger.

The guard in front of me backed away, but the hooded man caught my arm and said, "I'll take that."

The two guards easily lifted me into the boat. As the hooded man pulled my hands behind me, I heard, "I'm sorry, my queen," and he tied my hands up.

Then he picked up a black cloth. "Sir, what are you doing with that?"

"Queen Bella, you cannot see where we're going?"

"I will accept that; only after I see that my family is safely away and your guard of twenty men are here with us.

"Yes, your majesty." I watched as my family left and the twenty guardsmen circled our boat I was in.

When I could no longer see my family, the hooded man said, "May I, your majesty?"

"If you must," then a black hood loosely went over my head. My world was now black and I was cold; but at least my family was safe. The boat started to move and I had to concentrate to keep my balance without having my hands to free to help me balance.

The next thing I knew I felt a blanket come around my shoulders. "Your majesty, please forgive me for touching you, but this blanket will help to keep you warm until we can get you into dry clothes." I then felt the hooded man right behind me on the seat while I sat on the floor of the boat. A second blanket wrapped around me and his hand touched my bare neck as he pulled a blanket tighter around me. A sudden burst of lightning ran through me; but yet a certain experience of déjà vue came over me. I don't know how long I sat there; but suddenly the black hood came off. The hooded man said "Stand up," and he helped me. He helped me out of the boat. He held my tied hands behind me and pushed me up the dock. It was very dark and once I was off the docks, the ground was very uneven particularly with my hands tied behind my back. I kept stumbling, but the hooded man kept me upright. About ¼ of a mile from the dock, we came to a dark house. We entered the house; he untied my hands.

A maid came in with a single candle glowing. "Yes, sir."

Before he let go of my free hands, I heard him say whispered into my ear, "I'm staying right here so don't try anything smart. Plus I am pretty sure even if you got outside you would be lost and have no place to go."

He then says to the maid, "Get the queen into dry traveling clothes," and he pushes me towards the maid. I trip on a loose floorboard, fall, and whack my head and my left side. I didn't move after I fell.

?POV

"Damn. Please Nancy, give me a hand getting her changed into her dry traveling clothes."

"Go, sir. I can get her changed."

"No Nancy, get her dress and under layers. I'll check her head."

When Nancy returned, she asked, "How's her head?"

"No bleeding, but a rather large egg. Let's get her changed quickly." Within twenty minutes, Bella was back in dry clothing. Two guards came in and saw Bella laying in Nancy's arms. They looked at her with questions on their faces. The bearded man returned to the room in dry clothes, but no cloak.

"Sir?"

"It is fine. I have a feeling she will be out for a while. She tripped on a floorboard. Nancy you know what to do?"

"Yes, sir, take everything and burn it."

"Yes." I then leaned picked up Bella into my arms and said to the men, "Lead the way to the other dock."

I held her on my lap in the second boat. "Sir, what if she comes around?"

"I'll know it and the hood is right here."

"But your face."

"My beard and coloring hide me plus my voice is different."

"Are you sure, this is really what you want?"

"Yes, I'll give my brother two months to see if he will confess the truth or not. Let's go we have a long night ahead of us."

"Do you think he knows where we are going?"

"No, my father never told him about this place so that we would always be protected."

"What about since you've been gone?"

"Remember Tom has been head guard for the last five and a half years and he said that James has no idea."

Two hours later, we pulled up to another dock and I carried Bella to a waiting carriage. We went about fifteen minutes up the road, went into a field where a door opened for us. "Welcome home, sir."

"Will you please lead me to the room setup for Queen Bella?" I was soon laying down the beautiful queen on a bed and then I pulled the covers up for her so that she would be warm.

"How long has she been unconscious?" the maid asked.

"Two and a half hours. She will be okay; she just hit her head pretty good." The maid then left.

I then noticed when Bella slowly started to stir two hours later, she was mumbling about Edward, Rosalie, and Emmett being safe.

Bella heard my deep throaty voice say, "Yes Queen Bella, your family is safe back in the castle of Paris, just as I promised."

BPOV

The voice startled me and I realized what had happened was real and not a nightmare. My head is throbbing in pain. I set up very quickly to verbally attack this man for taking me from my family. When a sudden contraction rips in my mid section all the way from my bellybutton around to my back, I double over screaming in pain then I rolled to a fetal position on my side trying to make the pain go away.