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Chapter 12

Sweet Music

Edward

There she slept, my little sick angel, and I looked at Mr. Darcy. I envied him - he had a place in her heart. She knew whole books by heart. What thoughts she had regarding this? 'All the sunshine I can feel is in her presence,' Mr. Rochester had said to Jane Eyre. I felt the same way just now. I had known her a few days and when I saw her I felt sunshine. My Princess.

I sighed.

After a while she became more restless and tossed and turned.

"James, I'm so hot," she whispered in her sleep.

I carefully took the woolen blankets from her body.

Now she had only the normal blanket. But even that was still too much. She pushed it away and now I also saw that she was sweating. Just as she had been freezing with fever all morning, she was now sweating.

James stepped behind me.

"We should cool her down, Your Highness. Shall I or would you like to?" he asked.

"I would like to, but what would she prefer?", I asked.

"Edward," Isabella breathed in her sleep.

I winced.

James smiled.

I took off my shirt and lay down with a naked upper body to her. She had her back to my chest and I slid a little closer.

She was scorching hot. Madness. Quite calmly I remained lying and enjoyed it to be able to touch her so.

After a while she turned over, pressed her face against my chest, put her arm around my side and squeezed herself against me. Then she fell fast asleep again. Gently, I put my arm around her body and slid the other one under her head. This allowed me to cool her head as well. She snuggled up to me and slept on.

"She's getting calmer," James noted.

I nodded.

After an hour - the most beautiful hour of my life so far - she became more restless again.

"Edward," she whispered.

"I'm here, my sweet," I whispered in her ear.

I held her and she stayed. We lay very still. She nodded off again and again, startled up again, calmed down again.

Then she was awake and slipped out of my arm.

"I need to drink something," she said and James immediately handed her some water.

I helped her up and she drank.

"You cooled me?" she asked.

I nodded.

"Do you want me to go. James could do that too?", I asked.

"No," she said, "but I have to go to the bathroom."

James carried her, came back and picked out dry nightwear for her. She had been sweating. Then he carried her back again.

"I'm causing you so much trouble," she whispered.

"It doesn't matter," I said. "We'll be glad to help you."

"Now I'm cold," she said, shivering.

I quickly covered her up again.

She had turned to me and was looking at me. I returned the look.

"Will you forgive me ... please?", I asked.

"Yes," she said.

I would have loved to scream with relief. But I just smiled at her in love.

"Thank you. I swear to you that I will never hurt you like that again," I said.

"I believe you!" she said, "It's also the only chance you'll get. I wouldn't give you a second one."

"That's okay, my Princess. I won't need a second one," I said with relief.

She held out her hand to me.

I took her and kissed her tenderly.

She smiled and then closed her eyes again, exhausted. The fever rose again enormously. At times she was out of it. Dad checked on her again, but remained relaxed.

"We have to wait and see. Keep doing what you're doing, you'll be fine!"

All night I warmed or cooled her, as needed. She often whispered my name and every time I was happy like a child about it. I was so happy.

The next day she still had a slight fever, but felt a little better.

I stayed at home and with her.

Not for one minute could I have left her alone like that.

Her desk and rocking chair and music system were delivered and James set everything up.

"Would you like me to put on some music for you, my Princess?" asked James.

"Gladly," she said, "The Magic Flute please!"

We lay on her bed, her in my arms, listening to the music.

It was so intimate and beautiful. I was infinitely glad that she had forgiven me. Nevertheless, I held back. I would only touch her where she expressly requested it.

In between, she slept again.

My mom came in and smiled when she saw us lying there like that.

"Has she forgiven you?" she asked.

I nodded.

"I'm glad, but you don't really deserve it!" she said.

One more woman with whom I had to put myself in a better light again. She ordered new curtains in a dark shade of pink and now she put them up on the window herself. She also hung up a picture of a sunset.

After that, she left, humming.

James smiled.

In the evening Isabella was actually a little hungry and ate a little.

"I need a bath and fresh linens. I feel terribly dirty," she said.

We found nothing dirty there, but still, of course, she could take a bath.

While James helped her, I sat down at the piano and played.

When my Princess was back in bed, I ended and went to her.

Fresh magnolia scent flooded the room and beguiled my senses. I inhaled deeply.

"Do you feel better now?", I asked her tenderly.

"Very," she said. "What did you just play?" she asked.

"Isabella's Moonlight." (Moonlight by Yiruma)

She looked at me in wonder and questioning.

Oh God, that look. Those eyes.

I squatted in front of her.

"It's your song. I composed it for you," I whispered. "Your lullaby. It came to me when I was able to hold you in my arms like that."

She looked at me touched, her expression now soft and gentle.

"You wrote it for me," she whispered reverently.

I nodded and looked at her tenderly.

My heart was full of love for her and her look got under my skin. My feelings overwhelmed me.

"Isabella, I love you," I said softly

At the same time I was terribly afraid of her reaction. But I just had to say it, she should know.

James took a deep breath.

He was slightly horrified and Isabella looked at me with wide eyes.

"Are you sure?" she asked.

"For sure, Isabella. I have never been so sure of anything as this. I am two hundred years old and I have never used these three words. They are yours, my heart is yours, and my life is yours."

I sat down on the edge of her bed.

She looked at me and then thick tears rolled down her cheeks.

"And when did you realize that?" she asked.

"In the conversation with Mr. Rochester," I explained.

She looked at me questioningly, not understanding what I was trying to say.

"Isabella - I only feel sunshine when I'm near you," I said softly and with a gentle tone.

She sobbed.

I gave her a handkerchief and she wiped her face with it and looked at me.

Her eyes, glistening with tears, returned my love, but unfortunately her mouth did not.

"Would you play it again?" she asked softly after a while.

"As often as you like, my Princess," I said, walking back over to the piano and playing for her.

'Congratulations, my Prince, I am happy for you both,' James thought.

I played and she listened. After a while I went back to her.

"Thank you, it's so beautiful," she smiled.

"I'm glad you like it that way," I said.

"I like it very much. I can't believe you did this for me."

I gave her a smile.

"Do you want to sleep now?", I asked.

"Yes," she nodded.

"Good night, Isabella," I said lovingly.

"Did you want to leave?" she asked.

"Not?", I asked. "I thought you didn't need cooling anymore?"

"Maybe not cooling, but you?" she asked softly.

"Isabella, thank you," I breathed touched and lay back down with her.

She snuggled tightly against me and I stroked her back, enjoying her scent and warmth.

That she had allowed this! Could I take that as a positive sign? She still had a slight fever, but she was clearly feeling a little better.

So she spent the night in my arms.

When I tried to break away from her in the morning, she said, "No don't, please!"

I kissed her hair.

"I have to go to the law office, love, I can't stay here. But I'll be back at noon. I'll try to get as much done as I can this morning, okay?", I said.

She squeezed me tightly once more and then let me go.

I found it harder to leave than ever before. What was she doing to me?

I quickly showered and put on a suit, quickly went to her again and kissed her hand.

She had fallen asleep again, but woke up immediately and smiled weakly at me.

"Get some sleep and stay in bed today, okay?", I said and she nodded.

"I'll keep an eye on her," James said.

He felt both our pain and suffered with us.

"Thank you," I said and left the room finally.

I could hardly concentrate on my work because I had to think about her all the time. She had charmed me.

Pull yourself together, Edward, and you'll finish faster, I scolded myself, and I was actually finished at 2:00 p.m..

I still distributed work to my staff and took some papers with me that I would have to read by tomorrow, but I might be able to do that at night when Isabella was sleeping next to me.

I quickly ran back to the palace.

Emmett crossed my path.

"In such a hurry?" he asked.

"Yes," I said.

"When are you going to introduce them to me?" he asked.

"When she's well again, Emmett, okay?", I said.

"Hopefully soon. I guess I'm the only one in the family who hasn't had the pleasure?" he said in frustration.

"No, Alice hasn't seen her yet either. You have to be patient, dear brother," I said.

"Wish her a quick recovery from me," he said and walked on.

As I stepped into our hallway, I heard a harp.

That sounded good. So it had been delivered this morning and Isabella was up.

I listened.

She played Clair de Lune. Right, she had brought the sheet music with her from Olympia. Through James' thoughts I saw her. In a white nightgown barefoot at the harp. She looked like an angel. An idea came to me.

I went to my room, quietly crept to the grand piano, and then accompanied her playing.

I saw her smile in James' mind. It looked beautiful.

"James, could you carry the harp over to the grand piano. I think it works better if we're closer together."

James smiled.

"You're welcome, Your Highness," he said, carrying the giant piece over to me.

I ran to Isabella so she wouldn't carry the chair alone.

"Hi," she greeted me with a smile.

"Hi, Princess," I said and bowed.

"Thank you for the harp. It is wonderful," she said.

"She sounds wonderful, too," I agreed.

The harp was now next to my grand piano and Isabella sat down.

"Here's to another?" she asked with a smile.

"I'd love to," I said enthusiastically.

She started and I got in.

James listened with fascination.

Isabella was completely concentrated and played with her eyes closed. She seemed to already know the notes by heart. She didn't notice that my parents entered her room and stopped at the door to my living room, listening with fascination.

We played it together three times right away, then we had tuned up so that it really harmonized with each other.

When we ended, she looked at me.

"That's just brilliant. Have you written down the notes for Moonlight yet. Maybe we can manage it as a duet?"

"Yes," I said, "they are here."

She got up, sat down next to me on the piano bench and looked at the notes. Then she played. Flawlessly, she had it in her blood. On the second run-through, I joined in and it sounded simply brilliant ... four-handed on the piano.

Isabella smiled at this.

It was so beautiful to watch her. My parents stood there, silent, enjoying the spectacle. When we ended, Isabella looked at me and I at her.

"We have listeners and viewers," I whispered.

That way, she wouldn't think of doing something right now that would embarrass her - although that would have been the fulfillment of the day for me.

She turned around, spotted my parents, and blushed slightly.

"You guys are a dreamlike duo," said Mom enthusiastically.

"We just found that out too," I said with a smile.

"Are you feeling better, little Princess?" asked Dad, stepping up to Isabella.

"Yes, much better. I'm still a little floppy, but I'll be fine," she said.

"Please don't overdo it today. You need to rest already," Dad said.

"Yes, I'll do that. I'll lie down again in a minute," she promised.

And I would make sure of that too.

"Great, have a musical afternoon," Dad said and left again.

"See you tomorrow," Mom said with a smile, and left us as well.

Isabella rose and disappeared into the bathroom.

"Did she eat?", I asked James.

"Yeah, not much, but it was okay, I guess, Your Highness."

"Good," I said.

She had left the door between our rooms wide open and I wished it would always stay that way now.

Then she came out of the bathroom and looked over at me.

"Can the harp stay there?" she asked.

"Of course, then I'll have a chance to see you more often," I said with a smile.

"That's nice," she said, swaying and holding onto the door frame.

James and I were there at the same time holding her.

I took her in my arms and carried her back to bed.

"I was just a little dizzy," she sighed.

"You shouldn't be running around so much yet," I said anxiously.

I covered her up.

"Yes, I'm not quite fit yet," she said.

"And you're still very pale," I said.

So we spent the afternoon in her bed, talking, sleeping and I was allowed to hold her in my arms. The night was the same and I felt good.

But she didn't return my love yet. Would she ever do that?