A/N: HELLO. I have a stuffy nose. It's messing with my ears. I thought you should know.

"Your wife was right."

Edward quirked an eyebrow and glanced at Jasper. They were out for a ride, Edward collecting loans and introducing Jasper to the local merchants. "She has an uncanny knack for it, but what are you referring to?"

"You're a prisoner as she is."

Edward grimaced, embarrassment prickling at his skin. Having another man, a young man no less, recognize that he was under someone's thumb—not his own man—vexed him more than a little. "What makes you say so?" he said, keeping his tone even.

"My father and I talked with your father. We stated we might need an escort to the little hamlet just three days ride from here. A trade opportunity that would be benefited greatly with a member of House Masen by my side. And my trade is beneficial for his... or rather, King Felix's kingdom. But no matter how much sense I made, your father always had an excuse as to why you couldn't leave the city. And then there's this."

Edward looked to him and was surprised as Jasper moved his horse so they were riding directly side by side. He dropped his voice several octaves, speaking low so only Edward could hear. Even as he spoke, he kept facing forward. "When we ride up to the city gates look to the guard towers, but be stealthy about it. I'd wager you'll see one of them make a signal further off."

Perplexed, Edward did as Jasper had said when they got in view of the guard towers. He cast a glance upward in time to see one of the guards peer over the side of the tower. He, then, made some kind of subtle signal—a mere raise of his hand to adjust his helmet that lingered too long. Then, he returned to his rigid, ready stance.

"Let's take a short ride out into the valley, shall we?" Jasper said in a normal tone. He led his horse to a trot.

Edward followed suit, still perplexed. But as they approached a gate, they heard the clatter of horse's hooves approaching quickly. Edward brought his horse around to see a rider dressed in page boy garb. He was indeed no more than a boy who slid lithely from his horse and bowed. "M'lord. Lord Aro bids you come to him. He has an urgent message for you."

"Imagine that." Jasper sounded anything but surprised. He nodded at Edward. "Best you take your leave, My Lord. I'll see you at dinner as planned."

Edward had a good idea of what was going on. Jasper's topic of conversation couldn't be coincidence, so he wasn't precisely surprised that his father's urgent message amounted to nothing but a pile of shit.

"Tell me, Father, were I to venture out again after I put out this minor fire, what excuse would you have to bring me back within the city walls?"

Aro's eyes narrowed ever so slightly. "I'm not sure what business you think you have gallivanting around with the Grand Alchemist's son in the first place. Your king has tasked you with arranging a tournament. There's work to be done."

"So there is. Jasper Cullen has wares that would make a fine prize for one of the contests. If I could agree to get a donation from him—"

"You take dinner with the Cullens nearly every night."

Edward grimaced. He'd hoped no one had noticed that, but, of course, his father knew everything that happened in the kingdom. What he couldn't say was that he could only stand so much of the king leering at Bella. It was a wonder his murderous thoughts hadn't become a physical entity and strangled the king where he stood. He'd thought more than once to ask Carlisle for a concoction—something to put in the king's drink so he need not even touch the vile creature to kill him.

"Alice Cullen and my wife get along quite splendidly," Edward said instead.

"And I am glad for it," Aro said, sounding bored. "The point being that if you cannot accomplish your task in those hours, you should be spending the daylight hours on something more productive."

There was no real sense in demanding his father tell him what he already knew. Edward bowed his head. "As you say, Father." With that, he went to do as he was bid.

~0~

"How did you know?" Edward asked Jasper as they sat down to dinner that evening in Alice and Jasper's temporary cottage.

The other man smiled. "It was Alice who noticed. The guards always watch Bella from the walls."

"Bella noticed that herself," Alice corrected her husband. She reached over and patted Bella's hand. "I just noticed that there was a signal when we got too close to the gate."

Edward looked to his wife. "You didn't tell me."

She ducked her head. "They've always watched me since the day my father…" She shook her head. "I don't even think about it anymore."

"And after I talked to your father, when he took such lengths to make sure you wouldn't leave the city gates either, I figured it was the same for you," Jasper said.

Edward set his mouth in a grim line, disgruntled. He was quiet for a long while as Bella and Alice set plates of food on the table and sat beside their husbands. Edward shook his head, his throat tight. "My cage is so well gilded, it's taken me all this time to realize it was even there. I've always done as my father wished, and I suppose that never bothered me."

Jasper nodded. "It's a son's duty to honor his father, My Lord. From what I've seen and heard, your father is quite the master manipulator. His power lies not in his birthright but his ability to control the pieces on the board." He grinned in that mischievous way, his blue eyes flashing. "I find it likely you surprised him as much as you surprised me. If your allegiance shifted to your wife above your father, of course he tightened his grip."

In spite of himself, Edward smiled. "They may have been right when they called me a coward, though for the wrong reasons." His smile tightened into a thin line as he looked to the horizon. "I've never been proud of my family and what they've done to the realm. Yet, it never would have occurred to me to oppose them to this point. I'm a Masen, and my allegiance must be with the rest of my kin."

"I don't find that cowardly. You know, this war began not because we all became sick of a tyrannical rule. Not because we feared for our lives under King Felix." He looked at Bella with a sad, apologetic smile. "It all happened because Emmett Swan couldn't bring himself to follow the rule of a man who murdered his father so viciously. I've met the man. Believe me, politics and rule were never what he wanted for himself. Had his father's head remained on his shoulders, it's likely none of this would have happened."

Bella, too, smiled. "Emmett hates being serious. When we had important visitors, and Mother and Father instructed him to use proper decorum, he would whine like a small child." She laughed, a faraway look on her face. "And if the dignitary was particularly stuffy, they somehow always found a frog in their room or, once, a snake."

Jasper and Alice chuckled. Edward reached out to tuck a stray strand of hair behind Bella's ear. He did so love her smile. Even more when, in the next second, she raised her head and smiled at him.

"All the more reason to fight like hell," Jasper said. "Now, Emmett will tell you readily that he has no wish to rule. However, that's an unlikely outcome if he wins this war. He'll then tell you that he need only rule the northern colonies, that it's high time we divide the land. But to hell with that as well, I say." He slammed a hand palm down on the table. "I say we will have a high king with a good heart, who may or may not put snakes in your bed when you visit."

Even Edward laughed at that. "And there will be much drunken revelry."

Jasper pointed at him, his eyes bright and smile wide. "Now that is a good idea if ever I heard one. Wife!"

"Why are you bellowing? I'm right here." Alice looked bemused as she put a hand to her husband's chest.

He grinned at her and raised a hand to put over hers. "I think this evening calls for our best whiskey."

"An excellent idea." Alice smirked at him cheekily. "I trust you know where it is."

Edward glanced, as he did quite frequently, at Bella and was surprised to see a shocked look on her face at Alice's words. She was, after all, a well brought up young lady. Ladies didn't question their husbands in front of guests. Alice and Jasper were so different from their usual company, but Edward found it refreshing.

Jasper gave his wife a wry look. "I'm ever so glad when you agree with my diabolical schemes, dearest." He kissed her cheek and got to his feet, going to open cabinets.

He came back with a bottle and set about pouring some for all. When he raised the bottle in question to Bella, she looked to Edward. He was surprised to see she seemed eager. She'd been dubious about his offer of wine early in their marriage.

"It's quite a bit stronger than wine, I'd wager," he warned.

"Pish. She's no babe, My Lord, and she knows her own mind," Alice said. "In fact, I'd wager Bella and I can hold our liquor better than you and my darling husband."

Edward smirked. "I highly doubt that."

Some minutes later, they were all racked with chortles, red in the face with not a care in the world. Alice was on Jasper's lap, her arm slung around his neck. Bella rested her head on Edward's shoulder. She looked lovely and relaxed. He sighed.

"It does rankle though," Edward said in response to Jasper's making light of the day's events. "I watched Father use Jane and my brother Felix to further his ambitions. He would have had Alec had he not joined up with the Guard. Still, I didn't realize I was so under his thumb." He caressed Bella's cheek with the back of one knuckle. "How have you borne it all this time?"

She raised her head to look at him. "I've told you before, My Lord, a lady is brought up knowing she's to be a pawn. She is taught how to act and how to be biddable so that she may eventually be sold for money or land or prestige. No one is crass enough to say so, but that's precisely every high-born lady's lot." She tilted her head as though in thought. "I suppose little lords aren't so much different except that they may grow up to make decisions for their wives, children, and what townspeople they may be responsible for. Then, it is them in control of the chess board."

Her smile fell as she looked around, her cheeks flushing a deep red. "I-I'm sorry. I spoke out of turn."

"Don't apologize." Edward took her hand and squeezed. "You're not wrong." She had been originally promised to then-Prince Felix to secure her father's waning loyalty and that of his people. Though Edward was certain her father wouldn't have made the match had he known Felix's true nature. That may have even been why he went digging for proof of Felix's true parentage.

What Edward knew for certain was that Charles Swan would never have approved a match with him. He tilted his head down, burying his face in her hair. She was a treasure he'd never live long enough to deserve.

"Well, lowborn though he may be, my father also benefited from my marriage," Alice said, her tone light as always. "One less mouth to feed, and a smart mouth at that. Though I didn't really ask him what he thought of the matter."

"His loss," Jasper said, his smile adoring as he gazed at her. He kissed her. "My gain."

Beside him, Bella relaxed again. She played with his fingers and leaned her forehead against his shoulder. He lifted a hand and pushed her hair back.

This was nice. For the first time in maybe forever, Edward felt as though he was among friends. Ironically, on this day when he was shown just how far his chains allowed him, he felt, for the moment, truly free.

A/N: I know it was short. You know why?

Well, I know why!

Which is good. Because I'm writing it.