A/N: Mina says I have to warn you that this is 99% sure the penultimate chapter. Which is okay with me because I do love using the word penultimate.

Edward woke out of habit in the early hours before dawn. He groaned, wondering why he was so sore. Then he remembered the beating he'd taken, and where he was.

Safe. In his brother-in-law's camp.

A soft sigh near his ear brought him further peace. He smiled, feeling the tickle of Bella's hair against his shoulder. She'd turned to him in the night and was curled against his back, her arm warm around his waist.

He turned in her arms, and she sighed, blinking awake. She offered him a sleepy smile and nuzzled his neck. When she splayed her hand wide against his chest, he couldn't stifle a moan quickly enough.

She touched him more gently and dropped soft kisses to his bruises. "I'm sorry."

"Well, if it's going to elicit this kind of response, I'll gladly take a few hits."

She harrumphed, but continued to kiss him until he forgot how much he ached. No sooner had he rolled over her, pressing down on her as their kisses became more ardent, did a stirring outside their tent draw their attention. They were able to pull apart, Edward rolling onto his back, before the bastard came in.

"Rise and shine, new recruits." Emmett's booming voice sent Edward and Bella scrambling upright. He stood in the entrance to their tent, looking down on them. He was quite the imposing figure, already fully dressed with his hands on his hips, his fine, blue cape hanging smartly behind him. "There will be no canoodling in my camp. It's clear I'm going to have to separate you for the morning."

Edward glanced to the side and saw Bella cover her flaming cheeks with her hands. She shook her head. "I'd forgotten just what a big pest you are." She got to her feet, making a face at her brother.

"I've been called worse, by kings and lords." He cocked his head, considering. "Though none quite as ferocious as you." He winked at her.

"I take it you require my presence this morning, Your Grace?" Edward asked, glancing about for his boots.

"Your husband is quite astute." Emmett turned to Edward. "Yes. It seems my lady wife has returned. I'd like you to accompany me to meet her. Her party is a few hours out yet."

Bella, who'd found Edward's boots and brought them to him, gasped and looked at her brother with eager eyes. "I'd like to meet your wife. Let me accompany you."

"There'll be time for that when we're all back at camp," Emmett said smoothly.

"Emmett—"

Edward put his arm around Bella's waist, pulling her against him. Clearly, she didn't yet recognize when her new king gave an order. "I'll be ready shortly, Your Grace."

Bella frowned, looking from her husband to her brother. She narrowed her eyes. "I see what you're doing. You needed an excuse to harass Edward out of my sight."

Emmett crossed his arms, staring Bella down. "He's well grown, Bella. I promise he'll survive without your protection for half a day's ride."

Edward probably should have felt irritated at the idea his seventeen-year-old wife thought she had to protect him. Even more so that she insisted on doing it in front of this young man—Edward's new king. Instead, he was rather charmed by the idea.

It was a surreal situation they found themselves in. If life hadn't gone so far off course, he would be nothing but this boy's elder, and only to be spoken to with utmost respect.

All things considered, though, he couldn't say he minded being under this man's thumb. Not after he'd been made subservient to his nephew—a man he'd known since he was a babe in swaddling clothes. Anyway, if there was one thing watching his father had taught him, it was that pride often got in the way of goodness.

Still, he was a man, and Emmett was addressing him as such, expecting him to be in control of his own actions. He took Bella by the arms and kissed her cheek chastely. "I'm sure I'll be fine in your brother's company." He turned to the side, keeping Bella in the shelter of his arms as he looked to Emmett. "Though it does raise the question of what you'd like Bella to do in the meantime with both of us gone."

The camp was, after all, filled to the brim with men who had left their wives at home. Men fought for many reasons, some because they were made to. Not all of them would be loyal to Emmett. Oh, they'd fight for him, but they might not think twice about leaving Bella alone just because she was his sister. Not all of them believed she was an unwilling captive, after all. She wouldn't like it, but she couldn't be left alone.

Emmett had already thought of all that, as he answered readily. He turned to his sister. "You could stay in my tent with Peter today. He—"

Bella was already shaking her head. "I don't wish to be minded like a child," she said, sounding as sour as Edward had predicted. "He'll only resent me if I have to sit in the corner while he deals with whatever comes up while you're away." She stood up straighter. "I can be of help. Show me to your wounded or to the cook. I'll pull my weight and be no one's burden."

"You're no burden," Emmett said. "But you're father's daughter through and through. Our wounded soldiers could always use a kind word or help writing to their loved ones. If it would please you, I'll introduce you to Sue. It may be gruesome work," he warned.

Bella nodded. "Anything you've seen, I can handle."

"Give us a few moments, and we'll both be ready, Your Grace," Edward said.

When Emmett left, Bella gave a short laugh. "I'll never get used to hearing you call him Your Grace." She shuddered. "Every time I hear those words, I think Felix is lurking."

Edward pressed a kiss to her forehead. "You know, if I had any say in the matter, I would take every memory of him from your mind and rid you of him forever." He brushed her hair back with a tender caress. "But it's a proper title, and one you should learn to use."

Bella arched an eyebrow. "Me?"

"Even Jane called her own son such, my love. Power is a fickle thing, especially in times of war. He can't be seen to be below anyone."

Bella swallowed hard, but she nodded with a small smile. "We're still playing a game of sorts, aren't we?"

His answering smile was wry. "So it goes for all lords and ladies." He pressed the tip of her nose playfully. "I quite remember a wise woman telling me that we are all someone's pawns. Yes, it's a game, but the players have shifted. We play for our own power and peace now. Not for anyone's gain but ours."

"You don't resent that my brother is including you in plans for his own gain?"

"Well, I trust your brother has your own best interests at heart, so it seems we have the same goal."

~0~

Emmett was quiet for a long while as they rode out. He appeared contemplative, but Edward noticed his sharp eyes drift over the edges of his camp as they passed. He thought it best to keep his peace and let his brother-in-law speak first.

It was only when they were beyond the edges of the camp that Emmett pulled his horse to a brisk step next to Edward's. He spoke without preamble. "The little girl who left Rainfall was a trusting sort. She wanted to believe the best of everyone."

Edward's lips quirked downward. "I remember that little girl. She was a bright presence at our court in those early days." His heart twisted, and he had to remind himself that his nephew had died slowly and painfully. "Are you implying that you don't take her word that you can trust me?"

"In my position, would you trust you?"

"No," Edward answered readily. "A man in your position shouldn't trust easily at all. To trust a Masen. A man twice your sister's age who took her as his own and on the small council to the king you challenged? Some will call you a fool for trusting me." He tilted his chin up to meet Emmett's gaze. "Yet, it's said that you're known for trusting your intuition even when supposedly wiser men tell you it's foolish. It took time to earn your sister's trust, but it was time I spent gladly because she deserved no less from her husband. I suspect you don't have that kind of time, though."

Emmett frowned. "You're right. I don't."

"So what does your gut tell you?"

When Emmett didn't speak for a full minute, Edward continued, treading carefully. "I know you and Bella spoke at length last night." Edward had given them the space to grieve their parents together and speak of their hidden little brothers. "I don't know what she told you, but perhaps enough to know I'm not the man I was before we wed. I was rather more apathetic. I did as I was bidden because, well...I suppose because I was comfortable enough."

"There was a time when you wouldn't follow an order if it was the wrong one." Emmett's glance was pointed.

"Yes, and it got me no small amount of grief throughout my life." His lips quirked. "Forever the black sheep of the Masen family. But the point of that was to say, particularly with the king and my father dead, I can think of no advantage of pretending friendship, let alone love, to Bella. You know what they think of her in the capital."

Emmett grimaced. "The word I have received is that Felix's younger brother has been crowned king. There's speculation that it's Jane running the kingdom as they scramble to replace your father."

Edward laughed, surprised. "Are you suggesting all of this is part of a plan between myself and Jane?" He shook his head. His heart aching out of habit if nothing else. "My sister hates me perhaps more than my father did. That was never a secret; she and my eldest brother blamed me for our mother's death, as I survived and she didn't, and it only got worse from there. Any love Alec had for me will have disappeared now. No, save for Bella, I am without family. I couldn't betray you even if I wanted to. I'd be dead before I got within five day's ride of the place."

"Well, in that case, I'll tell you the truth." Emmett reached out and clapped his shoulder. "My instinct tells me I spoke correctly last night. You are my brother, and you have a family with us."

Edward had to clear his throat to rid himself of the lump that had formed there. He'd known the night before, when Emmett accepted him so readily, that the man had to have had reservations. Yet, he had little choice to announce his acceptance, lest someone in camp decide it was better to slit the throat of the demon in their midst. "Then you'll tell me your plan? For the good of our family, my brother. My king."

Emmett grinned at him. "I wish for you to go home. Immediately."

Edward stared. "Home? You can't mean—"

"To Casterly Port? That's exactly what I mean."

"I killed the lord of Casterly Port."

"Which makes it yours by rights, your father being dead." Emmett waved a hand, getting Edward to shut up before he could protest again. "Your father took most of his fighting men to throw at my soldiers. It was a strong move for King Felix, but it left the people of the port chafing. Then, it had been nigh on five years since Aro last visited. As you know, Aro left his land in Lord Caius's hands. The man is good with money, I'll give him that, but he doesn't have an ounce of the charisma your father had."

"If my people were upset that my father all but abandoned them, what will they think of me? I've been gone longer."

"You're a Masen which still counts for much. And the fact you had a hand in killing the king may yet play well."

"How?"

Emmett flashed him a grin again. "Casterly Port is closer to the Midlands than anything, and only barely loyal to the maniac king. Neither Felix nor his father did much to benefit them, and yet demanded the service of all their own royal family.

"So my proposal is simple. You simply stride in as though you own the place. Which you do. You'll have your home, and I'll have a Midlands port."

Edward scoffed when he realized Emmett was serious. "There are less drastic ways of getting me killed."

"I have no intention of getting you killed. In fact, I fully intend to send Bella with you."

"What?" Edward tensed.

"You'll arrive dressed in finery that suits your station. Bella too. We have a trunk with dresses and the like that'll do. You'll go in through the front gate. It won't be so difficult to get your people to welcome their native son." Emmett's grin widened. "Particularly with a small army at his back. You'll tell Caius you're there to claim your birthright, and you'll tell your people that your family became entrenched with the evil that is the Volturi family, as evidenced by your father's abandonment." Emmett's grin fell into a hard, angry line. "And the fact the king attacked your wife, forcing her to defend herself."

It was an incredible plan. It wasn't as though Edward couldn't see the merits. Often enough these last few years, he'd heard his father mutter when he received correspondence from Caius about the goings on at home. "They'll see the good of it in the long run." Aro had always believed that his people, like his children, would fall in line.

"Honor is a strange thing to a great many people," Edward said. "My reputation has been one of cowardice since I was not much older than you are now. Whether or not they despised him, I killed my father. There's no honor in that."

"Yet, you were defending your wife's honor. That's something they can be made to understand." Emmett paused, looking thoughtful. "My father told me that the common people need only reassurance. If you speak with enough confidence, they'll believe what you say. You may have no specific love for your people, Edward, but I doubt you'd want them to come to any harm."

"Of course not."

"Then that message will come through to them. And you may trust that I have no intention of letting those people come to harm either. They'll see the advantage of having someone give a damn about them again." He looked to Edward, his face sincere. "It's not the first time a son overthrows his father by force, and it shall not be the last. You have good reason."

Edward thought this through. "You mean to say I may yet be able to bring my wife to a home she may call her own? To have the means to provide for my family?"

"To have an ally in Casterly Port would only benefit my cause. I wouldn't be a threat to you," Emmett said. "Not ever, and you have the promise of my ongoing protection. My men are near enough to protect the city should the need arise."

Edward was quiet again for many long minutes. "Then, there's no time to waste. If Caius hasn't already made a play for the city, he will soon."

"I agree." Emmett offered his hand, and when they shook, he smiled. "You know, it wasn't only Bella's word I took to know whether or not I could trust you."

"Oh?"

"My father said you were the only one of House Masen that he genuinely liked. He said you were wiser than anyone gave you credit for, and if only your brother-in-law had listened to you, you could have made the kingdom a better place." He paused, and for a moment, Edward caught a glimpse of the scared boy he had to be on some level. He was far, far too young to be leading this kind of campaign. He had to, at least, feel out of his depth, even if he didn't act on it. "All of this got so far out of hand, but I don't know what else to do but win. If I win, then my men and every province they hail from expect me to be king.

"Should that day come to pass, brother, I will not make the same mistake Felix's father did. I hope this is the beginning of a great partnership."

Edward couldn't help but sit up straighter in the saddle. He'd never really let himself acknowledge the ache he'd felt that his family dismissed him as easily as they did. He was unexpectedly overwhelmed by emotion at just how far Emmett's trust went. "It would be a great honor, second only to being Bella's husband."

A/N: Mina says it's weird for me to listen to her reactions as she reads. Hehe.

Ahem.

How is everyone?