Hello, everyone. So I wanted to let you guys know a couple of things before you read this chapter, but I'll be quick about it, then you can get right back to reading.
First, thank you so much for all the follows, favorites, and reviews. Again, I may not respond to any of them, as I am quite busy between writing this and my book, put a lot of thought into each and every chapter, both for this and my book, as you will shortly see, but just know that I see and appreciate every single one and it means a lot to me that people are actually reading and enjoying my work.
Second, as you will soon see, this chapter has a lot of historical context, real historical events, so feel free to ask me any questions if you feel confused and I will attempt to answer them to the best of my ability.
Third, as I said in the beginning of the story, some things happened a little bit differently than in the books, that includes the timeline as well, as Edward and Bella met a bit earlier, though, of course, still at school, you will get more details in a later chapter.
Fourth, I am thinking of splitting this story into two, as it is getting quite long and I still have a lot I want to happen. It won't happen for a while, multiple chapters, if at all, but what do you think, should I split it into two or should I keep it all within the same story?
Lastly, if you like my writing style, are interested in reading my own, original book as well, I am working on getting a professional X account, will probably post my username in here once I have it, so those of you who are interested in following me beyond this story, reading my book, can do so.
That's enough rambling on my part, I think, now back to the story.
28
A ROYAL BLOODLINE REVEALED
IT WAS FINALLY HERE, the day when she and Edward would be wed. She stretched, rolled over, attempting to go back to sleep, for it was currently 4:00 in the morning in the part of France where they were, but couldn't, as she was too excited, her stomach filling with butterflies. "Kiss me, Husband." Her voice was husky with sleep though she was wide awake.
"As you wish, Wife." He shifted them both so he could lie atop her, his body pressed ever-so-gently to her own, the feeling of his bare skin in contact with her own raising goosebumps of pleasure all over her body, though it was, for now at least, only through the fabric of her negligee, a negligee that was a pale, pale blue, modest but alluring, made of soft one hundred percent satin. His hand came up to rest on her face, stroke her hair, his eyes, so beautiful, they were inhuman, unlike any other in the universe, shining, both with power and with unshed tears, for Edward, he could not cry, his body incapable of producing tears. "Only a couple of more hours, and it will be official, you will be my wife, I your husband, and we will claim each other as only husband and wife should tonight, make love for the very first time."
With a gentle grip on her hair, he tilted her head back, arched her neck, exposing her throat and throbbing and straining artery to himself, placed kisses along the soft, fragile, warm skin, letting his teeth graze over it lightly, flicking out his tongue, cold as ice, soaked with venom, licking along her artery. Her body bowed off the bed, pressed into him, her fingers threading through his hair of their own accord. "Oh, dear God, more, Husband, my love, feed."
A smile against her skin even as he grazed her artery with his teeth again, then licked over it with his tongue, which he made sure was soaked with venom, tantalizing her and driving her mad. "So very sensitive you are to me, my Bella, ma belle sirène, ma belle séductrice, and I am barely touching you. Tell me, did you have fun when you went to the shops with my beloved mother, Elizabeth, the day before last, get everything you need? And fret not, for though I can hear your thoughts now, I know not the kind of lingerie you bought, nor the kind of frocks, as your shield is keeping those kind of thoughts hidden from me, so it will be a wonderful surprise when I see what it is you have purchased."
Her mind was fuzzy, incoherent, for she was drunk, so very drunk on the intimacy, the pleasure, but she had to focus, had to answer him, even if it was mine-to-mind. Yes, I did. Such a different place, was England, the whole Kingdom, under the rule of King George V, for your beloved mother, Elizabeth, took me back in time, to 1917. I quite liked Marianne, think she is very nice, for though she had never seen me before, she questioned your beloved mother, Elizabeth, not, offered to make me corsets, corset covers, chemises, and, of course, more frocks for every occasion and time of day. I graciously accepted, as I quite liked that idea, sourcing and purchasing my clothes that way, rather than getting it in the 21st century, modern shops and chains, as I know exactly where the materials come from, how they have been sourced, the kind of care and work that goes into each piece."
She tugged at his hair, pulled him in for a sweet blood kiss. "Of course, we did return to the 21st century to purchase my lingerie, but I mind that not, was actually quite contented, as both of your grandmothers came with us to the shops in the 21st century, and I got to know them."
She went to speak, ask him to kiss her again, even as she was tugging him down with her fingers in his hair, but at that moment, his phone, the old one, the one he hadn't made from scratch, began to ring, meaning it was probably one of the Cullens, most likely Alice. Bella let out an exasperated breath, annoyed and on satisfied, for she was thirsty, so thirsty, craved the intimacy, the pleasure that came with feeding off of one another, drinking one another's blood. "I swear, whoever of the Cullens it is, though let us face it, it is probably most likely Alice, has the worst timing ever."
A soft, rich, musical, male laugh that was tinge with annoyance and anger, for he, too, was annoyed at being interrupted. "Yes, right you are indeed, whoever this person is, most likely Alice, has the worst timing ever." A sigh, a quick kiss pressed to her forehead, then her lips. "This will only be a moment." He rose from the bed, fetched the phone fast like only he could, then got back onto the bed, the same position he was in before, his body line gently atop hers, pressed the answer button, set the phone to his ear. "Yes, Alice?" The words were curt, quick, almost too fast for Bella to understand.
Alice and Esme's voices came on the other side of the phone, Bella able to hear them, connected to Edward's mind as she was, Edward her own. "Edward, we know how protective you are of Bella, that you wish for her to get a lot of sleep, but you need to wake her up soon so we can help her get ready, we brought a lot of makeup, are really excited, as this will be the first time we will get to do a modern makeup look on a first time bride, as none of us count, and the only time Bella will probably let us do a makeup look that is exaggerated."
"Absolutely not, Alice, I will not allow you and Esme to put a bunch of what are likely toxic products on my skin, nor do an exaggerated makeup look." Bella's voice was panicked, her words coming out quickly.
Alice let out an exasperated sigh, Bella able to hear it, connected to Edward's mind as she was, and she could picture her rolling her eyes, akin to a petulant child who was always used to getting what she wanted. "Come on, Bella, this is a once in a lifetime experience, because you will only get married, at least for the first time, once in your life. And, besides, where are Esme and I supposed to get organic makeup? It's not like we can just go and buy it, not with all the stores currently closed and your wedding a couple of hours away."
This time it was Edward who answered, a smile and love in his voice, both the smile and the love directed toward Bella, his patients running thin with Alice and Esme, for he, akin to Bella, hated the fact that they had gotten interrupted, wanted to continue tantalizing her and driving her mad, wanted to kiss and feed from her even as she, too, kissed and fed from him. "Oh, there is no need to fret over that, as my beloved mother, Elizabeth, made makeup both for herself and Bella, will come here to do it."
Soft gasps, both from Alice and Esme, then came Alice's voice, her words that of a petulant child just clinging to one last hope. "I assume both of your grandmothers are coming to help Bella, Edward?"
"Of course." The words came from both Edward and Bella, their laughter tangling together, for they were so very synchronized.
The sound of someone, likely Alice, taking ten deep breaths to calm herself, her attitude that of a child, the words that came next both from Alice and Esme. "Fine, but we'll still go to wherever you are currently staying in France, if not to help Bella, then to watch."
Edward tensed above her, clutched the phone just a little tighter, for, Bella knew, this, when she and Edward got ready for their wedding, to walk down the aisle, Bella being helped by his beloved mother, Elizabeth, as well as both his paternal and maternal grandmothers, Edward being helped by his father and paternal and maternal grandfathers, it should be a happy moment, create some of the most joyous memories in their immortal, eternal lives, not memories that were fraught with tension.
And there would be tension, Bella thought, for after Edward's parents left the Cullen household, returned to England, the country house where she and Edward were staying, Edward went to ask them how it went, what it was that they had discussed, but they smiled, shook their heads, stroked Edward and Bella's hair lovingly, kissed them on the forehead, telling them that such things were not appropriate for them to know at this time, not days before they were to be wed, as it would only make them angry and one should not be thus before one was wedded, but that they would tell them later, after they came back from their honeymoon, had at least a couple of months of naught but pure bliss.
Still, whatever they had discussed, it didn't seem to have worked, gotten through the Cullens' heads, not even after the second time . . . the incident . . . that wretched, vile phone call, things Bella didn't want to think about, quickly blocked—for they seemed just as intrusive as ever, Alice yet wanting to treat Bella as her own, personal, life-size doll.
Edward's thoughts, they matched Bella's own, were perfectly in sync. He took a deep, calming breath, then a sweet kiss, for, much as he was torn, wanted them coming here and ruining their perfect bliss and happiness not, he was about to agree, but not capitulate to their demands, for he would set conditions for them to be able to stay. "All right, but you overstep in the slightest, I care not if it is only the merest of details, and you will get kicked out, have to wait along with the rest of the wedding guests. Give us two hours, as I have not fed Bella breakfast and we were in the middle of something."
He hung up, and no sooner had his finger left the hang up button then Bella started placing sweet, warm, open-mouthed kisses to his chest, working her way up to his throat, letting her teeth, the only teeth in the universe that though human, could pierce through his hard, inhuman skin, draw blood—graze over his artery. "Turn it off, Husband, I wish not to get interrupted again."
She felt him shudder with pleasure above her, his breathing becoming labored and harsh though he didn't need to breathe. "Heaven above, my own, personal drug you are, the sweetest, most effective of aphrodisiacs."
He did as she had asked of him, setting the phone carefully on the nightstand on his side of the bed, then became akin to a possessed man, kissed her, sliding one hand under her head, lifting her up to meet his lips so he could kiss her deeper, massaging the back of her neck, her nape, in time with her blood humming in her veins. His tongue, cold as ice, soaked with venomm, flicked out to lick at the curve of her lower lip, and she opened her mouth wider, keen to taste his venom, an aphrodisiac of its own right. He gave her what she wanted, forcing himself to wrench away when he calculated she needed to breathe, however, he didn't stop kissing her even then, kissed his way down the length of her body, then back up, careful not to touch the places that were only for husbands to touch. Her body bowed off the bed, pressed into him, his lips, her eyes rolling to the back of her head with pleasure. "Oh, God, more, Edward, please, Husband, my love." It was a plea and a moan both.
He didn't torture her, instead gave her what she wanted, bit into her neck, the soft flesh of her throat, her throbbing and straining artery that ached for his touch, his blood kiss, careful not to inject any venom with his teeth, the flicks and licks of his tongue, cold as ice, soaked with venom—tender, so tender, as he licked and laped at her blood, it made her back arch, press herself against him, her body undulating in time with his tongue. Oh, God, she needed more, needed to feed from him, too, the taste of his blood, sweet, so sweet, tailor-made for her, hitting her tongue, but she couldn't articulate what she wanted, neither verbally nor mind‐to-mind, her body and senses consumed, awashed in pleasure.
It didn't matter, though, for Edward, her would-be husband in just a couple of hours time, he knew what she wanted and needed without her having to articulate it, was soon pushing his wrist gently against her mouth, and she was biting into his skin, his sweet, sweet blood hitting her tongue.
Time became non-existent, a fluid thing, and Bella didn't know how much time had passed, though it was probably a little over an hour, before Edward pulled away, withdrew his wrist. Of course, because he was fiercely protective and quite panicky of hurting her, taking too much of her blood at once, they didn't spend all of that time feeding, alternated between kissing and feeding. He rolled over, off of her, only doing so after making certain her skin was healed, soft and smooth—brought her atop his chest, her ear lying over his still heart that hadn't beat in a long time, almost, but not quite, a century, fingers running over her hair, soft and gentle. "I should give you breakfast, mon doux ange."
She turned to look at him, his arm shifting, coming about her back, sliding down to her waist. "Will you have a cup of tea with me this morn, husband of mine, my love?"
His eyes, such beautiful, inhuman, emerald green eyes that sometimes shifted to blue shone, became incandescent. "Of course I will."
Edward lifted her up, carried her to the kitchen, fast like only he could, made her a quick, high protein, healthy breakfast of eggs, the egg yolks cook through just enough so they weren't raw and runny anymore, were fully cooked through, but so the nutrients didn't get damaged, homemade baked beans, tomatoes, mushrooms, some small slices of homemade bread and butter, sausage, and slices of cured meat, akin to bacon, only made out of beef instead of pork, leaner, her breakfast akin to a full English breakfast, but for the black pudding. The thought of that, eating or drinking anyone else's blood but Edward's, it made her shudder with disgust, want to vomit.
Everything was delicious, perfectly seasoned, of course, very filling, likely the reason why he'd chosen to make her this rather than something else, as he surmised she probably wouldn't eat anything until their wedding reception and he didn't want her going hungry. Soon, they were drinking their tea with milk and sugar, the one Edward's family produced, had been doing so for generations, Edward sitting across from her, on a table made of English oak, the patterns carved into it, of roses and vines, with hummingbirds sprinkled throughout, intricate as they were beautiful, the table and chairs likely handmade. "You, my love, said this is some of your family's ancestral land, passed on from generation to generation, yet both sides of your family, they are very British, English, not French?" It was a query without being a query.
His emerald green irises that sometimes shifted to blue, so beautiful, they were unlike any other, sparkled and danced, so much knowledge and history in his eyes.
He stood up, teacup and saucer in hand, walked to the other side of the table, brought her into his lap, his arms, shifting her sideways so she was facing both him and the table and he could pour them more tea should they wish. "Ah, but once upon a time, centuries upon centuries ago, after the Battle of Hastings, when William the Conquer defeated King Harold II of England, England ruled more of France than the French King himself. He didn't speak a word of English, though, William the Conqueror, and for centuries, until Henry Bolingbroke took the throne from Richard II, it was only the peasants who spoke English, though it was an older form of English, one unrecognizable from the one we speak today, the rest of the people speaking French, though, again, it was a different form of French, one that is much, much older, unrecognizable from the one we speak today."
He took a sip of his tea, pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "My ancestors, who quickly rose through the ranks, got very close to the king due to their scholarly work in addition of their brilliance when it came to battle strategy and warfare, learned this form of French, even as they never forgot who they were, where they came from, kept their belief in one God, without any physical form or substance, neither beginning nor end, hidden, a secret, not imposing their beliefs on others even as they became stronger and stronger, gained more and more power."
He shook his head, laughed a little, likely because of how inpatient he knew she was, for even as she was engrossed in what Edward was telling her, fascinated, she did not yet understand how it was connected to this being ancestral land. "Most of the French territory that came under English rule thanks to William the Conqueror was lost by King John, his great, great-grandson, but my ancestors, who fought bravely and fiercely on behalf of the British crown, managed to retain several large pieces of land within France even as they maintained their territory within England, a territory given to them by William the Conqueror as they got closer and closer to him, so, though no one speaks about it, as it complicates things, this is not, as most people believe, French territory, as not even the king of France, Philippe II, was brave enough to go up against my ancestors, brave, fierce, strong warriors who were very adept with the sword, as I am today."
He took another sip of his tea, pressed another kiss to the top of her head, this time not stopping there, pressing a trail of cold, honey-sweet kisses up and down the length of her throat, paying special attention to her throbbing and straining artery, grazing it with his teeth, giving it a lavish lick, the feeling of his venom sinking into her skin making her crane her neck, wanting more intimacy, more pleasure. "Of course," the words were spoken against her skin, for he was yet kissing and licking at her throat, "Queen Elizabeth II, akin to those who came before her, leaves the ruling of the French territory my ancestors were able to retain, along with the territory I own within England, which is actually quite large, up to my family, in this case, to me, though I am very loyal to the British crown, of course."
His words, they confused Bella, the fact that her mind was fuzzy, nearly incoherent from pleasure, not helping in the least. What did Edward mean by "Queen Elizabeth II, akin to those who came before her, leaves the ruling of the French territory my ancestors were able to retain, along with the territory I own within England, which is actually quite large, up to my family, in this case to me?" Yes, Queen Elizabeth II was very much the reigning monarch, and yes, the majority of the English Isles, because parts of ireland had wanted Independence, were still very much a monarchy, but it was a constitutional monarchy, not an absolute monarchy. Was he and now, by extension, herself and their future children as well, not subject to whatever the parliament of the United Kingdom within Westminster decided within the territory he owned, a king of sorts?
No, that couldn't be, for that would mean that the United Kingdom and France had a smaller kingdom within them, and that, it was very confusing, would complicate things, no doubt. Besides, if this was the case, then how did he manage his territory all of these years, when he was living with the Cullens? Did the people within his territory not think him dead when he didn't return from Chicago until 1921?
More kisses pressed along her neck, her throat, Edward tugging the fabric of her robe aside, exposing her shoulder, pressing a kiss to it. "So very confused you are, ma belle reine, I can hear it in your thoughts, and I apologize for that, I will explain everything, but first, I need to give you some historical context." He stroked her hair, her face, her lips, igniting her skin on fire despite the cold temperature of her skin. "Do you know, mon précieux trésor, why the Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland became the constitutional monarchy we know today?"
A nod, Bella reaching up to stroke his hair, steal a kiss just because she could. 'First because King John violated several laws by which England had been governed for centuries, then the Revolution by Oliver Cromwell, and monarchs just kept on losing power, the rights to exercise certain things without consulting parliament first from there."
A smile against her skin, a kiss pressed to her artery, teeth grazing her skin. "Yes, very good indeed, my Bella, you are as smart as you are beautiful."
He tilted her head back, pressed a honey‐sweet, chased kiss against her lips. "I told you my ancestors kept to themselves, played any political or religious games not, however, there is one crucial exception, though it was never meant to be a political game or bid for power and prestige, as they already had that, though, of course, they were never power hungry, were content to remain amongst themselves, farming and tending to the land, but, and I can only put it this way, God had different plans, was actually out of loyalty to the crown."
Bella's heart started beating faster with excitement, for she was getting to learn more of Edward's history, history which was also European history, more specifically English and French history, history which was, for some reason, not taught in school, written in history books.
He pressed another kiss to the crown of her head, her lips, no doubt sensing her excitement. "When my ancestor, whose name, believe it or not, was William, got news of King Philippe II's approach to the land he governed in the name of King John, land which was not in England but in France, a land which William the Conqueror, King John's great, great‐grandfather, had granted my family towards the end of his reign as a reward for their loyalty, he rallied all the men around him, everyone who was able-bodied, of what he considered to be fighting age, from twenty to sixty-years-old, told them they had to fight, defend the kingdom."
More kisses along her skin. "The men were tired and dissolutioned with King John, for though he had fought many battles, he lost them all, the enemy, King Philip II, getting only more and more territory with each battle, and they saw him not as they saw his great, great‐grandfather, nor his father, strong warriors and leaders, defenders of the kingdom, but as a weak, feeble king, who would not only destroy what his ancestors had built, but step all over them, his subjects, in the process, answered my ancestor, William, that the only way they would fight, was if they rallied under him, William, not under the banner of King John, for they only trusted him to lead them to victory in battle, not humiliate and step all over them."
Bella swallowed hard, couldn't help but speak, interrupt him, though she knew he already knew what she was thinking, for he could read her mind, hear her thoughts. "But that, what the people were asking of your ancestor, William, it was treason, could get all of them, as well as your ancestor, beheaded or worse, drawn and quartered."
A nod, his fingers running soothingly up and down her back, her arms, over her shoulders, for she was shivering, however, it wasn't from cold, as the cottage they had been living in for the past day or so was quite hot thanks to the heating system he'd installed, but from fear, Edward, of course, knowing this, for he could read her mind, hear her thoughts.
She snuggled deeper into him, needing the figurative, for he was cold as ice, warmth of his body. "I know, mon beau diamant, and so did my ancestor, William, but he could not let more parts of the Kingdom be conquered by the enemy, King Philippe II, for he loved the Kingdom so—so he devised an ingenious plan. He kissed his wife, Margaret, who was with child at the time, in farewell, promising he would return . . ."
He broke off so he could take a deep, honey-sweet, blood kiss, one that left her breathless, had her melting into him. "It runs in the blood, I reckon, to be wed out of love rather than financial or political gains, as all of my ancestors had true love matches."
That made her smile, press warm, honey-sweet kisses to his throat and neck even as he spoke, Edward able to focus on two things at once, his mind a vampiric one. "With some encouraging love words from his wife, who placed his hand over her stomach that was round with child, he got on his horse, traveled to King John, the journey from Dover to London taking him about three days, give or take, as he did not wish to injure his horse."
He paused to pour them each another cup of tea, preparing it with milk and sugar, both of them having finished it. "He was hold up in one of his many castles, King John, quite a famous one, actually, one that still stands, is in use to this very day, the Tower of London, hiding in the Great Hall, for he was weak and feeble, terrified of being killed by the enemy, King Philippe II. My ancestor, William, asked King John for permission to raise an army not under the Royal Banner but his own so as to fool the enemy, for King Philippe II had never seen it before, as my ancestor, William, who was about twenty-five, had never gone out to battle under my family's banner before, was mostly concerned with internal matters within the territory he ruled, making certain the people under him and his father and grandfather lacked for anything not, had everything they needed, part of the reason the men trusted him more than they did King John, though he was quite adept with a sword."
Edward laughed then, and his laugh, it was one she'd never heard before, that of a warrior and brilliant strategist, which, Bella was beginning to learn, ran in his blood. "Everyone, without exception, learns of Magna Carta, how King John was forced to sign it, but there is another document, mon précieux diamant, one that is just as important, particularly for my family, though it is less known by the wider public, Consensu Regum, which King John signed during his reign."
Though Edward was merely speaking, Bella couldn't help but feel like she was living and breathing history. It was true, Edward wasn't describing the great battles his ancestors, in this case William, fought, the blood soaked battlefields, but Bella didn't really need him to, the way he was describing things, his voice rising and falling depending on which part of the story he was on, what he was telling her, the way he described how the people under his ancestor, William, trusted him, it made Bella see him as a great leader and warrior both
.
His excitement, it was palpable, grew and grew with every passing second, as if he'd wanted to tell her this for a long time, but had waited for the right time, the subject having never come up before. "You see, mon coeur, my ancestor, William, he truly had no intention of creating his own kingdom, his only intention, pure-hearted, to not let the enemy, King Philippe II, conquer the territory he ruled under King John, for he knew that hundreds of thousands would die, either on the battlefield if they were led by King John, or after they were captured and tortured. However, King John, who, again, was week and feeble, not only did he agree to William raising an army under his own banner, but also told him the territory he now controlled, both within England and France, as well as any additional territory he and the army he would raise managed to retain, stop King Philippe II from conquering, would be his to rule as he saw fit throughout the generations, without any intervention from him or his government, no matter what happened in the mainland, thus creating a kingdom within a kingdom."
This, it surprised Bella, for medieval kings and queens, they were absolute monarchs, vicious and power hungry, ruthless, wouldn't give their land away. Certainly, King John was weak and feeble, especially when compared to other Kings, but wouldn't his successors have broken the covenant he made, taken back the territory? Again, though Edward could hear her thoughts, read her mind, already knew what she was thinking, she couldn't help but speak out loud, interrupt him. "But, husband of mine, my love, it makes sense not, how the covenant your ancestor, William, made with King John still stands to this very day. Medieval kings and queens, they were vicious and ruthless, they must have not liked having another king on their doorstep."
He kissed her, his kiss tasting of him, honey lilac with a hint of lavender and freesia, along with tea with milk and sugar.
"Yes, quite right you are, ma belle mariée, medieval kings and queens were vicious and ruthless, it is how William the Conqueror came to power in England in the first place, for King Harold, by taking over the crown of England after Edward the Confessor had died without heirs, had stolen what was William the Conqueror's, as Edward the Confessor had promised him the Throne of England upon his death if he did not produce any heirs himself. My ancestors as well as myself, however, we are quite different from most people, for we never actively seek more power than what we are given, already have, have come to the aid of the British crown more than once, be at in battle, as was the case with my ancestors, or, in my case, my work on British history and archeology, had and still have, not only the backing of nights and warriors, but the regular, everyday people who we rule over as well, for though we rule with an iron fist, tolerate crime not, we are kind and gentle, listen to everyone's concerns, not only the people who are the richest, at the top."
This, it made very much sense, however, several questions remained. Whether it was because he was absorbed in his memories, memories of the stories of his ancestors, stories which, Bella had no doubt, his beloved mother, Elizabeth, had told him, or because he wanted her to speak out loud, for he loved the sound of her voice as much as she loved his, Bella didn't know, but Edward, he didn't speak again until she did. "But, my love, what happened after Carlisle changed you and you returned not to England until 1921, how did you maintain all of this ancestral land, rule over it if you were neither in England nor France, but in America, a different continent, a world away, especially in those days, when traveling was very difficult and long?"
A shrug, Edward's eyes, so beautiful, inhuman, heavy with memory, glittering. "When my family, my beloved mother, Elizabeth, my father, and I, did not return to England after the period that was customary, King George V briefly took over the territory , my beloved mother, who was training me to take over the Kingdom at the time, ruled, as most of the land within our kingdom came through her bloodline, the second reason why she did not wish for me to join the army, as though my ancestors had fought and won many battles, things were very different, and if I, heaven forbid, got killed on the battlefield, my beloved mother would be left without an heir, and our kingdom would fall into complete and utter turmoil."
Bella's knowledge of history, specifically world and European history, was not so much wrong as incomplete, but she didn't mind, was actually fascinated, became even more so with every word he spoke.
"One of the first things I did upon my return to England in 1921 was to go see King George V, as well as the prime minister, Lloyd George, who, upon seeing me, for though I had become very beautiful, I was still very much recognizable, immediately relinquished control of my ancestral lands, my kingdom, back to me, my people rejoicing upon hearing of my return, that the son of their beloved queen, for it was my beloved mother who ruled our kingdom, was alive, would reign over them once more, as they did not like living under a constitutional monarchy. This might seem controversial and contradictory, I know, but the people of my kingdom were, still are, used to kind, just rulers, not big governments and Parliament, liked not the politics and voting, for they knew, if they had any concerns or problems, they could come directly to me, no matter their social or economic status, and I would fix it, seek a solution, as my family had been doing for generations, would never betray them, tax them too high, etcetera."
So many things made sense now, like, for example, the way he was always so regal and well-mannered, especially when compared to other people, the Cullens, for example, the way he wasn't nervous when it came to going to see Queen Elizabeth II, knew how to behave. Of course he knew how to behave, what to do when going to see a reigning monarch, wasn't nervous, for he was a monarch himself, the king of a Sovereign Nation, and, Bella knew, when she wedded him in just a couple of hours time, she would become his queen, and though she was a little nervous, she trusted him, knew he would teach her everything she needed to know, but she still had so many questions.
He ran his fingers over her hair, her throat. "So many questions you have, I can hear them all in your thoughts, ma belle reine."
She set her teacup and saucer down on the table, turned her head to look at him, wrapped her arms about his neck, her eyes and voice fervent, filled with love. "Yes, I do, but I doubt not that you will answer each and every one, even tell me the answers to queries I cannot even fathom asking, as I know not how this monarchy works."
He kissed her, biting down gently at her lower lip, careful not to inject any venom with his teeth, taking it into his mouth, sucking at it gently, tongue flicking out to lick at her blood lavishly. His actions, his kiss, it made her womb and tiny internal muscles clench, heat pooling low in her stomach, to the hot, aching place between her thighs. "Yes, I will. I apologize for not telling you of this sooner, but I knew you would have panicked at the thought of becoming queen, fretted over it, though you will make a great one, for you are as kind as you are beautiful. It is a very good thing indeed, mon doux ange, that this came up now, for I would not begin our marriage with secrets, especially not such a massive one, will tell you everything that I can now, though, much as I do not wish, some things will have to wait until after our wedding, as there is quite a lot for me to tell you."
He rose from the chair, Bella yet in his arms, move fast like only he could, went to their bedroom, set Bella down on the bed with a kiss on her forehead, her lips, the crown of her head, a caress of her cheek. "Wait here, please, Amour, I will only be a moment." He walked slowly, like a human, into their closet, a closet that was an adjoining room in and out of itself. Bella, she had nearly had a heart attack when she first saw it, for while they had a lot of clothes, especially with the clothing Bella purchased from Marianne, they were in no way akin to Alice, who bought clothing as if it was candy or food, wondered why it was that big, an entire room in and out of itself, and now she got her answer. Edward moved his hand slowly, carefully, a long one wall, pushing down gently in several places, forming a very specific pattern.
Snick.
The sound, it was quiet, so quiet, Bella wasn't sure how she was able to hear it, whether it was because she was connected to Edward's mind and the fact that he had vampiric senses, far superior than that of a human, or because of her own senses. An entire hidden vault was revealed, and that vault, it was filled with thick, very old, older than all the books in the library of their cottage back in Forks—black leather-bound books and rolled up parchment. The vault, the way it was organized with tall bookshelf after bookshelf that were massive, reached all the way to the ceiling of the vault, had compartments for all the rolled up parchment, it put Bella in mind of a royal archive, only . . . she didn't know how old this monarchy was, but she was certain this was naught but a mere fraction of all the royal paperwork and historical documents.
She watched Edward grab a thick book bound in leather like the rest of them that seemed quite new when compared to all the others, though its pages, made of parchment, were a little yellowed at the edges. He also grabbed an ornate, beautiful box that was made of solid white gold, encrusted with diamonds all about the edge, came to sit beside her, setting both the book and the box carefully on the bed, shifting her to face him, taking both of her hands in his. "I know, mon beau diamant, you like it not, when I spend a lot of money unnecessarily, but I hope you will indulge me in this, actually like what I have for you, though it might be a little overwhelming at first. You see, there is a royal tradition that goes back centuries, all the way to 12:21, for the future monarch, if that future monarch is a boy, to start building a repertoire of jewelry for his future bride and queen, upon reaching the age of fifteen."
He produced a small key from somewhere, Bella didn't know from where, fitted into the tiny lock on the box, turned it.
It opened with a quiet sound, and what it contained within . . . it took her breath away, made her throat dry up, her eyes become blurry with tears. Beautiful jewelry, necklaces, bracelets, and earrings, all of them made out of pure, undiluted, solid gold, both yellow and white—in a way jewelry today wasn't, encrusted with diamonds and precious stones, the craftwork so exquisite, delicate and lovely, she knew it couldn't be found in store-bought jewelry, which meant Edward had to have had a jeweler make it, and, if Bella had to venture a guess, it was their own, personal jeweler, a royal jeweler.
The centerpiece of attention within the box, which had its own shelf, however, it was a tiara, delicate as it was lovely and intricate, made out of white gold, encrusted with thousands of tiny white diamonds, along with several blue sapphires polished to a high shine, set into crevices in a curve from right to left. She reached for it even as she spoke, her voice coming out a rasp, stroked her finger over the sapphire at the center, which was set slightly higher than the others. "Oh, Edward, it is so very beautiful, exquisite, all of this jewelry you had made for me, I love it, husband of mine, you must have put a lot of thought into each piece, I thank you."
She heard him let out a breath, then a laugh of relief. "I am very glad indeed that you like it, all of it, ma belle reine." He carefully took out the tiara from the box, set it upon her head. "There is an old royal tradition that goes back centuries, nearly a millennium—all the way back to the Middle Ages and the founding of the monarchy, for royal brides to wear the tiara the groom, either the king, or the prince, had made for her on their wedding day, as well as any state or government events. Not only did I design your tiara, but the rest of your jewelry as well, took my designs to the Royal Jeweler, Thomas, who you will meet shortly, at our wedding,—whose father, in turn, was my beloved mother's jeweler, the job passed on from generation to generation, kept within the same bloodline, though Thomas will forever remain our Royal Jeweler, the job no longer needing to be passed on, as he is a vampire, too, akin to Gideon, Liam, James, and Henry, who are not only my friends, but part of my court as well."
She looked down at her bracelet and ring, traced them thoughtfully with her fingers. "My bracelet and ring, Husband, are they somehow part of the royal collection?"
A shake of his head, his eyes dark, heavy with memory, luminous with power, a power that wrapped all about her, was warm and familiar, loving. "No, the jewelry my father gave to my beloved mother, Elizabeth, was not made by the Royal Jeweler, though it still came from a European country, one that, at the time, had a monarchy as well, Greece, for it is where they first met, not in Chicago. I know not the whole story of their courtship, though I am certain it was a romantic one, but I do know my beloved mother was in a Royal Engagement at the time, along with my grandpapa James."
She scooted closer to him, crawled into his lap, buried her face against the junction of his neck, where it met with his shoulder, inhaled the sweet, addictive, intoxicating scent of his skin. "Will they all assist our wedding, your courtiers?"
He wrapped his arms about her, stroked his fingers over her spine. "Yes, of course, it is why I suggested having our wedding either in England or France, as the places I had in mind when I suggested it, they fall under my, and now yours, too, jurisdiction, are part of our kingdom, the Kingdom of Anglonormandia. Our wedding, it will be a royal one, though, of course, none of the Cullens, nor the Denali coven, currently know about it, as I suspect they will find out soon, probably when Alice and Esme come to watch as my beloved mother, Elizabeth, as well as my grandmamas, help you get ready to walk down the aisle. As for Charlie, Renee, and Phil, I reckon it is best if we tell them naught, as it will only bring up an innumerable amount of queries."
He reached for the book, opened it to a very specific place. Not saying anything, he shifted their positions so she remained in his lap, the book in front of both of them, but so she was facing away from him, had her lean forward slightly so he could massage her shoulders and back, giving her time to take in the document, aware that it was a lot to process. She scanned the page, seeing not the words, but the script handwriting, the way the document was written, laid out, there was something very old, delicate, genteel, about it. "This document, husband of mine, it is written with a quill and ink, is it not?"
A nod, Edward turning her back to face him, positioning the book so they were both able to look at it. "Yes, it is, all of the documents in this vault, as well as the entire Royal archive, are." He cupped her cheek, fingers spread over her skin, thumb tracing the curve of her lower lip. "I still manage all the official, state, government documents this way, as I will allow no one to invade the privacy of my people, get their medical records, etcetera. The internet is a very helpful, brilliant Invention, but I know as technology grows more and more, develops rapidly, people around the world will become more dependent on it, some of those people attempting to steal others information so they can extort them, and it is something I will never allow to happen to my people. Of course, my people still have access to state of the art technology, the internet and such, but they and we, too, use not the satellites used around the world, by big companies, but the one I built and launched, which I did not get a chance to tell you about earlier."
Despite her fascination, the fact that she was utterly absorbed in what Edward was saying, Bella found herself laughing, and Edward, he clearly wasn't paying attention to her thoughts because he didn't laugh along with her. It didn't matter, she still wanted to tell him so they could laugh together. "I was right, then, when we discovered we would remain fertile even after you changed me, discussing where it was that you went to university, I pictured you with beeswax candles lit all about you as you poured over and old document while everyone, all the humans, were sleeping, took notes."
He laughed a little, then, too, then became serious again, winding a luck of her hair round his finger. "Yes, you were, mon doux, but instead of using a pen and regular paper I used parchment, a quill, and ink to write, transcribe everything. The reason why I spend so much time in the British library and archives when I am here is because I am trying to complete the history and records, both Royal and not, of our kingdom, as there is a lot missing. It is not that my ancestors were not good with recordkeeping, they were, in fact, they were so thorough, there is a lot for me to sort through, but a large quantity of it remains hidden, either beneath what used to be ruins, as I am slowly but surely restoring everything to the way it was, or mixed with the records of British Monarchy."
He shook his head, pressed a kiss to her forehead, trace the letters carefully Inked into the parchment. "This, mon précieux trésor, is an official Royal Writ given to my grandpapa by his father, Edmond, the king at the time. When we went to Chicago, I told you my grandparents moved to America during the reign of Queen Victoria, seeking new opportunities and fortune, but in the case of my maternal grandparents , it was so they, though my grandpapa in particular, could establish agricultural trade with America on behalf of our kingdom, for we had fought on the side of the British crown during the American war of independence, had not bothered to establish any kind of ties with America until then."
He closed the book, having showed her what he wanted, set it carefully on the nightstand, then laid down with her in his arms, her tiara yet perched atop her head. "They moved to Chicago shortly after they were wed, my great-grandfather, Edmund, making my grandfather promise that when they had a child, an heir to the throne, be it male or female, they would bring him or her to the kingdom as often as they could so he or she could get the education of a prince or princess, learn the ways of the Kingdom, be amongst her people. My grandpapa, of course, promised, for he knew he would inherit the throne one day, pass it on to his first-born child, and he wanted that child, whoever it turned out to be, to get the best education possible, be around its grandparents, who would help teach him or her the ways of the world, how to be a royal child, kind and well-mannered, and so it was that a future king and queen moved to America."
He stroked her hair, caressed her face, then tangled his fingers in her hair again, playing with the heavy silk, being careful so her tiara didn't fall. "I suppose if there was more time and my grandpapa hadn't been so busy establishing the agricultural ties between America and our Kingdom, my beloved mother would not have been born in Chicago, America, but within our kingdom. Still, it mattered not, for my grandparents took her to the kingdom as often as they could, spend an increasing amount of time over there rather than Chicago as she got older, especially after my great-grandfather, Edmund, passed away and my grandpapa inherited the throne."
This made sense, explained so many thing such as, for example, the way both he and his beloved mother, Elizabeth, had a behavior and mannerisms that were very European, that of nobility or royalty, for they were royalty. It also explained the way they were so modest, for, in addition of the fact that they had both been born in a different time, they were royalty, and royalty, particularly a queen and her heir, couldn't be seen as scandalous and unreliable, or the monarchy would begin to fall apart. Still, so many questions remained, and Bella had two on the tip of her tongue, decided to ask what she thought would be the easiest one for him to answer first, Edward again not speaking until she did. "But, my love, Husband, it makes sense not, why would your father go to work if your beloved mother was a queen?"
He shifted on the bed, rolled so he was atop her, her tiara somehow not falling off. "Because, mon coeur, my father loves my beloved mother not because of her title but for who she is, wanted to contribute somehow, provide for her though he had no need to. I suspect they were not expecting her to become with child so soon after they were wed, for my maternal grandparents did not conceive until they were twenty-one each, else, he would not have taken so many clients, and they would have moved back to the kingdom soon as they knew of my beloved mother's pregnancy. You and I, ma belle reine, we will be different than they in that respect, for we will reign over the kingdom jointly, as equals."
Something clicked in her head, and though it was seemingly random, but not a total change of subject, she had to tell him, had to get it out, see if she was right. "The parties your parents used to throw, they were not just parties but Royal events, that is why our house in Chicago has a massive ballroom?"
His smile . . . it took her breath away, was filled with love. "Yes, very good, my Bella. As we were not in the palace when we were in Chicago, my beloved mother, Elizabeth, needed somewhere where she could hold court and government. It is also why I was beside her at those parties most of the time, as, other than the most important thing, me wanting to make certain she lacked for anything not, she was teaching me how to be king, for I would one day inherit the throne. Of course, those parties, it was not the only time when she would train me to take over the kingdom, as she would do it constantly, it is part of what she meant when she said 'such things we would get up to when your father was not around."
Bella tried, really tried not to let her mouth drop open in shock, but it was impossible, the word "palace" playing over and over in her head. "We have a palace, husband of mine?"
A nod, his beautiful, inhuman, emerald green eyes that sometimes shifted to blue dancing. "Multiple, actually. Some my ancestors built from scratch, others, such as The Chateau de Chinon, , which I am restoring slowly, were already there when they came to rule the territory." He pushed his wrist gently against her mouth, encouraging her to bite into his skin, feed, Bella doing so without hesitation, for she could never get enough of him. "I know what you are thinking, and the reason why my beloved mother, Elizabeth, never brought our kingdom up is because she believed it forever lost, as I have been living with the Cullens for quite a long time, but it was never lost . . . not since 1921, when I reclaimed it, I even hinted at it when I took you to our cottage back in Forks for the very first time."
She gasped, stopped feeding, remembering what he said when she asked him about the symbols above the door frame. "That is what you meant when you said 'my birthright', you were referring to the kingdom, not simply your bloodline, my love?"
A nod, then a wince. "Again, I apologize for not telling you of this sooner, mon beau diamant, but I did not wish for you to fret over naught, for you will make a wonderful queen, you will see."
"I know, especially with you by my side, for you will teach me everything I need to know." She sat up, shifting so she was astride him, her negligee not sliding up despite the intimate position, something else occurring to her, her tiara falling from atop her head. "Your people, do they not question the fact that you do not age, pass on the crown?"
He braced one arm behind his head, his other hand grabbing her tiara, placing it back atop her head, loving to see her wearing it as much as he loved to see her ring, for it was another symbol that she was his, would be his queen. "No, my people, and now yours as well, they know what I am, for I revealed it to them in 1921, when I reclaimed the throne, promised I would never again allow another foreign king, queen, or government to reign over them, the story passed on from generation to generation. Our borders are closed to strangers, immigration tightly controlled, though our people are free to come and go as they please, and even bring people back with them, but I then decide if the intentions of the people they bring back are pure hearted, no ill intent, are able to keep a secret, if they can stay, using my mind reading ability, for our people are kind and gentle, innocent in many respects, know not the evil some people have inside and I would protect them."
He wound a lock of her hair round his finger, brought it to his nose, inhaled. "The native population is strong and true, the birth rate quite high, with four to five babes per family, divorce non-existent. As far as the vampiric population, both within and any passers‐by, draining a human of their blood, killing them just to satisfy the vampiric thirst is punishable only by death, the execution carried out by me, though, unlike in the rest of the world, vampires and humans are free to intermingle, part of the reason why my courtiers were able to fall in love with their respective partners, no secrets needing to be kept here. I have an army at my disposal who are loyal to naught but me and now you, too, part of the reason why the Volturi are so envious of me, wanted me to join them urgently, as they cannot stand it, the fact that they are not the only vampiric rulers in the world, though they rule over the rest of the vampiric world, the fact that I have an army of my own, as Chelsea cannot break our bindings, for they are true and genuine and strong."
Her mind whirled with this information, and still she wanted more, was thirsty for it as if it was water. "So our kingdom, husband of mine, my love, it is not part of any outside body?"
Edward made a face of revulsion and disgust, drew in a deep breath, inhaling the scent of her skin, her blood. "No, ma belle reine, mon précieux trésor, it is the reason why our countryside and forests are blossoming as they are, our part of the oceans the cleanest and most well maintained, why our currency, the Anglolical, made out of pure gold, is the strongest in the world, though it is less known, for I see to our people first and foremost, let not any outside forces pressure me. That is not to say that we trade and do dealings with the rest of the world not, of course we do, I only make certain it is the best for our people, affects not our ability to produce energy for ourselves, local agriculture, the farming industry—first."
She narrowed her eyes, glared at him with muck anger, nudged him playfully on the shoulder. "You told our people that you were a vampire, but you kept it hidden from me for a while?" Bella wasn't mad at him, not really, was only playing with him, teasing him, but she wanted to see what he would do.
He tumbled her into the sheets, rolled atop her so fast, she didn't even see it, began kissing her neck and throat, grazing her skin with his very sharp teeth gently, spoke between kisses, punctuating each word with a kiss and a lick of her artery. "I. Am. So. Very. Sorry. Amour. I. Wanted. To. Tell. You. The. Truth. From. The. Moment. I. Knew. I. Loved. You. Each. Time. I. Had. To. Lie. To. You. Was. A. Knife. In. My. Heart. But. We. Were. Not. Here. In. Our. Kingdom. But. In. America. With. Or. Near. The. Cullens. All. The. Time. And. You. Know. How. They. Are. Forgive. Me."
She laughed breathlessly, pulled gently at his hair so he would look at her. "You are more than forgiven, Husband, I was only playing with you." She lowered her voice, heat and blood coloring her cheeks. "Did you ever think about it, throwing in the towel, forgetting about the Cullens and the rest of the world, kidnapping me, bringing me here, where you knew you could tell me the truth, love me without being judged?"
His beautiful, inhuman, emerald green eyes darkened, shimmered with hunger, a hunger not only to feed from her, be intimate with her thus, but to make love to her, be with her as only a husband should be with his wife. "Yes, I did."
He reached down, traced her lips, stroked her throat, running his fingers over her blue veins. 'When I watched you sleep, the first time I heard you say my name, that you loved me . . . " He closed his eyes, leaned down to take a deep, sweet, though brief, blood kiss, and when he opened them again, his irises were shining, burning with emotions that were potent, strong, so strong. "My heart expanded with happiness and love, and I wanted naught but to stroke your beautiful hair and skin, take you into my arms, run away with you to my kingdom, where I knew I could love you without being judged, but I was so afraid of making you cold because of the cold temperature of my skin, afraid, too, of hurting you, not being able to control my thirst, for I knew not then what I know now, that my first is not akin to that of other vampires. My craving to bring you here, to my kingdom, it only intensified after our first kiss, when you attacked me, opening your mouth beneath mine, inviting me to taste you."
He brushed his lips over her own in a whisper of a kiss. "I wanted to accept that invitation so much, you have no idea how much, taste you, my tongue, already soaked with venom so I could bring you pleasure, which, I realize now, was driven by my soul and not by my thirst, for my soul, it always, always knew my venom would not bring you pain but pleasure, begging me to let it stroke into your mouth, continue kissing you, but, again, I was so afraid I would hurt you, the reason why I forced myself to break our kiss, not kiss you on your beautiful, delicious lips, for the entire car ride, until the next day, when you came downstairs wearing that blouse and skirt and we spent the day in our meadow once more. "
He stroked his fingers gently, lovingly, over what had been her broken leg, Bella sensing he'd get back to her question, finish answering it, and though she could have gotten what he wanted to tell her from his thoughts, for even now their minds remained connected—she waited for him to speak, loving the sound of his voice, the lilt of it.
"After James attempted to drain you of your sweet, sweet blood, when I drank it for the very first time to suck his venom out, knew I would never leave you, took you to that cabin in the middle of the woods, tended to you, I was torn, wanting naught but to take you to my kingdom, where I knew I could protect you the best, nothing and no one able to hurt you again. Still, I knew I could not do so, not because of any legal paperwork, as all the passports of my kingdom are issued in my name, and you had no need for any legal paperwork, in addition of the fact that I would have made you my queen, wedded you sooner rather than later, but because of the way we left Charlie, and the fact that the Cullens knew exactly where we were supposed to be, would not have stopped pestering me if I just disappeared with you as I wanted to."
She sucked in a sharp breath, her heart beating faster and faster, Edward able to hear it, taste her blood in the air. "So the dual citizenship . . . the legal processes you have to go through in order to make me a British citizen—that is all unnecessary?"
Edward looked a bit sheepish, apologetic, pressed a sweet kiss to her artery, then grazed it with his teeth, making her arch her neck, silently ask for more.
"Again, you must forgive me, mon beau diamant, for that is a bit of a white lie on my part, but, again, I wanted you fretting over the thought of becoming queen not. While it is certainly true that my father had dual citizenship, my beloved mother, Elizabeth, and maternal grandparents, a royal, reigning family, need not such a thing. In fact, because our monarchy, unlike the British Monarchy, is an absolute monarchy, and my grandpapa, when he was king, decided who needed a passport and who did not, my beloved mother did not even have a passport, nor do I to this very day. All of my passports I have had over the years are fake, not because they were, heaven forbid, illegally obtained, nor because I had to keep up with a charade, unlike the Cullens, though I certainly kept up with one just so they did not find out who I truly am, started pestering me, asking for favors—obtained a new passport every couple of years, but because I had no need for a passport, and now neither do you."
She glared playfully at him, with muck anger, then smiled, her grin like that of the treasure cat's. "So many secrets you kept from me, Husband, my love, I need payment, you need to make it up to me right now."
His grin, beautiful and open and happy, ecstatic, it matched her own, for he already knew what she wanted, could hear it in her thoughts, but he wanted her to say it out loud. "And tell me, wife of mine, what sort of payment do you seek from me? "
She didn't hesitate, told him what she wanted even as she was already pulling him down, her fingers threading through his hair. "Kiss me."
And he did, kissed her for as long as he could, feeding from her even as she, too, fed from him, the pleasure and intimacy incredible.