Part II

"It's not amusing, Alice." Isabella's voice broke on her friend's name as Alice pulled tightly on the laces on the back of her chemise later that day.

"I find it very amusing actually." Alice laughed. "You've finally met your match and he's only a random traveler."

Isabella shot her an annoyed look in the mirror they were standing in front of. Alice tied up the laces and went to pick a dress from the wardrobe.

"I think blue today." Alice thought aloud. "You want to look your best when you meet the prince."

Isabella crossed her arms in front of her. "I don't want to meet any prince." She said stubbornly. "I'm perfectly content on my own but all my father wants is to marry me off. All he thinks about is making alliances with the right people. He probably hasn't given a second thought about what I want or my happiness."

"I'm sure that's not true." Alice said as she brought a dark blue dress over. She tried to sound convincing but her smile had disappeared. She helped her into the dress and began to fasten the long line of buttons in the back.

Isabella sighed and shifted uncomfortably inside her dress. "Well, at least I can pretend to faint if I want to get away from them all." She squeezed her eyes shut as the dress tightened. "Or maybe I won't have to pretend. I can barely breathe."

Alice finished with the dress and had Isabella sit to have her hair done.

"I bet he's ugly."

"Who?" Alice asked, beginning to brush her hair.

"The prince."

"I heard from Lauren in the kitchen that he's actually quite handsome." Alice informed her.

"How would she know?" Isabella asked with distaste. She didn't care for Lauren, she was always poking her nose where it didn't belong.

"She and a few other girls served him dinner when he got here late last night."

"It's probably just because he's a prince." Isabella reasoned as Alice finished putting her hair up in an intricate braid.

"All finished." She said, admiring her work.

Despite the fact that she hated being dressed up, she thanked Alice and tried to mentally prepare herself to go down to dinner with the king, lords, ladies... and the prince.

*

The chair next to Isabella was empty as she sat next to her father at the long dining table. She knew better than to think the prince had been called away or decided to leave on his own. No, she knew he was in the corridor outside the dining hall, waiting to be announced. She thought the formal announcement was a little unnecessary unless the particular royal had an inflated ego and wanted to flash their high status in the faces of those lower than themselves.

"Your majesty," the steward by the hall's entrance said formally, "may I announce Prince Edward of Port Angeles."

Everyone at the table rose from their seats. Prince Edward walked in and headed for the empty chair next to Isabella. He wore a black high-necked, long tailed jacket with a detailed silver leaf pattern embroidered on the front and around the cuffs. His black pants had silver stripes down the outside seam. Both of their eyes widened immediately when they recognized each other.

The man from the woods, she thought, he can't possibly be a prince!

Well, why not? thought her more rational side. You're a princess and you were out in the woods just as he was.

She broke out of her thoughts and noticed the large crooked grin that had appeared on his face. He took his seat and they all sat back down.

"Edward, my boy," Charles said as the first course began to be served, "this is my daughter Isabella."

Edward turned his attention from Charles to Isabella. "It's my pleasure to finally meet you, Isabella." He said, amusement clear in his voice.

"I think you two will get along quite well." Charles added as Isabella stared down at her food.

"I believe I agree with you, sir." Edward nodded.

She wanted nothing more than to wipe the smile right off of his face. She was also aggravated with herself for enjoying the sound of his voice as much as she did.

"Your fighting skills surprise me," Edward said quietly, for her ears only, "considering that you're a princess."

She swallowed a spoonful of soup and then spoke just as quietly, keeping her eyes on her food. "If it's a rematch you're looking for, I would be happy to oblige."

The laugh that erupted from him caught her off guard. She looked up quickly to catch a few people glance their way. They all quickly returned to the conversations they had been having when they saw her looking.

"I think not," he finally replied, still smiling. "I believe one hit like that last one is more than enough for a lifetime."

She huffed angrily and ate another spoonful of soup.

Her father got Edward's attention then and the two men began a long-winded conversation about Edward's kingdom. Isabella knew she should pay attention to what they said – she was expected to learn about his kingdom; their customs and how they lived – but she just couldn't bring herself to care at the moment.

Dinner ended too long after that and everyone stood to leave. Charles left first, followed by Isabella and Edward.

"May I call on you later, Isabella?" Edward asked her quietly as they left the dining hall.

She raised an eyebrow but refused to look at him. "That's very forward of you."

"Yes," he replied, "but I wouldn't have asked if I didn't have a reason to."

She glanced at him and then quickly looked away. He was looking forward as if they weren't talking at all. As soon as they entered the corridor outside of the dining hall, she walked away without giving him an answer.

*

A few hours had passed and Isabella had been pacing her bedroom almost the entire time. Alice had checked in on her but, not wanting Alice there in case Edward arrived, Isabella gave her the rest of the night off. She hadn't missed the questioning look in Alice's eyes as she turned to leave.

Isabella went to the window by her bed and stared out over their large expanse of land. She could see some of the servants' homes off in the near distance. There was light in the windows of Jasper's house and she bet herself that Alice was already there. She had rarely ever seen the two of them together, but from knowing Jasper and hearing stories from Alice, she knew they had a great love. They respected one another and complimented the other's personality perfectly. Jasper was quiet, thoughtful and strong, while Alice was more of a free spirit, caring and compassionate. Jasper never once tried to tame Alice's boisterous nature, only allowed her to be who she was.

This thought saddened Isabella. She knew that, as being a princess, she would never have the chance to fall in love. And if she did it wouldn't matter. She would be married off to a prince she barely knew for political gain. She would be forced to stand by her prince's side and not do anything to attract attention to herself.

Turning away from the window, Isabella closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She had to get the ideas about falling in love out of her head; continuing to think on them was torture and a horrible way to waste time.

There was a short knock at the door, causing her eyes to snap open. She knew exactly who it would be and, even though she had been ready for him to come, she didn't know what to do. She stared at the door, clenching and unclenching her hands into fists to work out her nerves. The knock came again and she forced herself to cross the room. After taking one more deep breath, she opened the large wooden door.

Not to her surprise, there stood Prince Edward. He no longer wore the formal clothing from dinner but now donned an outfit similar to the one he had worn in the woods earlier that day. His pants were black, instead of tan, and he wore boots instead of the fancier shoes from dinner. His shirt was slightly different, still white but the sleeves hadn't been rolled up to his elbows. There was no string lacing to tighten at the neck of it. Instead there were buttons down the middle, holding the shirt closed. She had never seen that type of shirt before.

Must be a new fashion from his kingdom.

"My lady Isabella." Edward spoke, taking her attention away from his shirt. He bowed to her slightly and then stepped inside her room.

That really got her attention.

"What do you think you're doing?" She asked incredulously as he shut the door behind himself. "You can't just barge in here, you know! What if you had been seen?"

He shook his head, a lock of his unruly hair falling into his eyes. "No one saw me." He replied and ran his hand quickly through his hair in an attempt to tame it.

"How can you be so certain?" She took a step back from him.

"I'm certain enough that I did not run from your door while waiting for you to finally open it." He answered, raising an eyebrow, challenging her to question his logic.

She rolled her eyes and folded her arms across her chest. "What is it that you want?"

He flashed a dazzling smile and her heart jumped in her chest. The glint in his eyes sent her mind reeling with inappropriate thoughts. Surely he had not come with the intention of seducing her? She swallowed thickly and willed her heart to stop racing.

As if he could read her mind he took a small step toward her and bowed his head slightly. "I don't have any secret intentions, Isabella."

A breath she hadn't known she'd been holding slipped out.

"I only came to return something of yours that I'm sure you would prefer your father not know about."

Her eyebrows came together in confusion at his words. She watched Edward reach behind his back and produce her cap. The cap she wore when she snuck out of the castle. The cap she had dropped in the woods after her first meeting with him. She took it from him and stared down at it in her hands.

"Thank you." She said quietly, even though she didn't want to. There was a feeling of rivalry when she thought of him and having to thank him for anything felt like a defeat.

To her surprise he ignored her thanks and grinned. "I for one know that I wouldn't approve of our daughter sneaking into the woods or nearby village. Who knows what could happen to her, who she could meet?"

Anger rose in her. She felt as though he was judging her; painting her as some wild child rebelling against her father. That wasn't it at all. She liked the freedom, the anonymity she had when she left the castle in her commoner clothing.

"I don't have to explain myself to you." Isabella's voice was quiet but shook with the control she had over the anger she felt toward him. "Please leave."

He frowned. "As you wish." He bowed to her one last time – properly now that he wasn't trying to hide the cap behind his back – and headed for the door.

After he left, she sank down onto the side of her bed and stared at the door absently. The reality hadn't really hit her until the words 'our daughter' came out of his mouth. She really was going to be married to this man. She would almost always have to be by his side, and mother his children...

Never in her life had she felt more like an object – a bargaining chip between two kingdoms – and less like an actual person.

*

The arrows hit the target with a satisfying thud, one after another in quick succession. Her aggression eased slightly with each arrow fired.

She was upset with so many people; her father, Edward, herself. She didn't understand how her father could just marry her off without thinking about her feelings about it. Ever since her mother had died, he had become consumed with the political aspects of his kingdom. He had been a loving, care-free king and now he was not. She could see the emptiness in his eyes when she looked at him. She thought he would want her to marry for love – like he had – but now he acted as though love was a bad thing.

Edward was so frustrating. He seemed cocky but caring at the same time. How could that be possible?

She was upset with herself because no matter how arrogant Edward was, she still found him handsome. She would have had no problem looking at his gorgeous face every day, she just didn't want to be treated like an object to be used and discarded.

With that thought she fired off the last arrow from the quiver on her back. She turned to grab the second quiver before she went to collect the arrows from the target. As she set the empty one down she heard men's voices outside the barn, getting louder the closer they got. She tensed when she recognized Edward's laugh and then there was silence.

"I'll see you in the morning, Emmett." She heard him say.

Isabella turned around a moment later to see Edward standing just inside the door of the barn.

"Couldn't sleep?" He asked as he walked to the target and started pulling the arrows out.

She pulled an arrow from behind her back, notched it in the bow and aimed. Edward turned to face her and smirked when he saw her arrow trained on him.

"Would you really hurt me, Isabella?" He asked softly, no hint of fear in his voice that she might actually shoot him.

When she didn't lower the bow and arrow, Edward dropped the arrows in his hand. He reached up to the neck of his shirt and slowly undid the buttons along the front, one by one, until it hung open, exposing his bare chest. His arms hung at his sides, his palms turned forward as he waited to see what she would do. Her heart began to race and her hands started to shake.

Why did he have to open his shirt? It was bad enough that she was attracted to him but now she wanted to touch him as well. She imagined how it would feel to run her hands over his chest, his sparse hair tickling her fingertips.

Finally, she lowered her bow and put the arrow back.

Leaving the pile of arrows on the ground, Edward strolled over to her, not bothering to close his shirt.

"I know why you're angry with me," he said when he reached her, "but I did not mean to upset you, my Isabella." He reached up and brushed her cheek softly with the back of his fingers.

"Don't call me that," she said quietly but allowed him to continue touching her. "I don't belong to you or anyone else."

He chuckled and slid his hand to rest on the back of her neck, under her hair. His thumb traced her cheek bone. "You are a stubborn one." His eyes softened. "I would never treat you that way."

She shook her head. "How can I possibly believe you?"

"You'll just have to trust me."

She looked down, away from his sparkling green eyes, to his chest. It would have been so easy for her to reach out and touch him. Her fingers twitched at her sides from the thought of it. She closed her eyes and sighed.

"I'm sorry," she said, looking back into his eyes and taking a step back, "I just can't."

*

Isabella refused to go to breakfast the next morning. She didn't want to be near anyone; she didn't want to see Edward's face. She sent Alice on ahead to enjoy her morning. As soon as Alice left, Isabella took a trip outside to the royal garden. She didn't disguise herself since she wasn't going outside the castle walls.

The royal garden sat in an enclosed courtyard, the castle built around it. There were trees, bushes and flowers planted in a breathtaking arrangement. There was even a tiny lake in the center of it all, a pair of swans floating happily under the sunlight.

She sat down carefully on the ground under a cherry blossom tree by the lake.

The garden had been her mother's favorite place to spend time. When Isabella was younger, she and her mother would feed the swans and sit under the tree she sat under now. The two swans ignored her, she assumed because she rarely went to the garden nowadays and they had stopped expecting extra food from her. It reminded her of her mother too much, but when she needed something to distract her from things in her life, there was no better place than the garden.

That morning, however, the garden did nothing to occupy her mind with anything other than thoughts of her future.

By this time tomorrow I'll be preparing to be married to a man I barely know. She thought sadly. It was tradition in most kingdoms that the betrothed by married on the third day.

How could life be so cruel? She was supposed to marry for love like her mother and father had, not to make alliances with other kingdoms.

Tears came to her eyes.

"It's a beautiful garden."

She looked up quickly and let out a harsh breath, suppressing the sob that was stuck in her throat. Of course Edward would find her there. She turned her head from him to wipe away her tears as he sat down next to her.

"It was my mother's."

Why did she tell him that? It was as though she couldn't help but tell him, to share herself with him.

Avoiding his gaze, she pulled a blade of grass from the ground and started picking it apart.

"Please don't cry, Isabella." He said softly. "I can't bear it."

She had to look at him then. "Why would you care if I cried or not?"

He opened his mouth to answer her but quickly closed it. He was silent for a moment, just looking into her eyes, and then spoke.

"I've come to realize how unfair it is that I know more about you than you know of me."

She was confused. How well could he think he knew her?

"I learned much about you through correspondence between your father and my own." He continued. "The things you seemed to like and dislike, though I never learned of your rebellious streak." He smiled crookedly, teasing her.

She looked down, pulling another piece of grass out of the dirt.

"Now I see that your father didn't offer you the same courtesy." He paused, watching her fidget with the grass blades. "So many times I tried to imagine what you looked like... but I never thought you would be so beautiful."

"Stop it." She said quietly, catching another sob that threatened to come out.

"Stop what?"

"Being so nice."

He let out a short, half-hearted laugh. "You would rather I be a tyrant? Lock you away from the world unless I have a need for you?"

She shook her head. "No... but how can I marry someone I know nothing about?"

"I'll tell you anything you want to know." He said. "I want you to trust me, Isabella."

She looked back into his eyes and knew he was sincere.

They spent the majority of the day sitting side by side, asking each other questions about their lives. She learned he was also an only child. That he thought of his personal guard as a friend and not someone who worked for his family, just a she thought of Alice. She learned that, while they thought differently on certain subjects, they also had quite a bit in common. The longer they talked, the more her affection for him grew. She wasn't in love with him but she could see that it would be easy to eventually feel that strongly for him.

They were both surprised when the sun began to set.

"We should go inside to dinner." Edward said, standing up and holding his hand out to her. She took it. "What kind of man would I be if I let my future wife starve?"

She expected to become angry again at his words, but didn't. She smiled slightly instead. Learning so much about his life made the thought of marrying him less upsetting. He tucked her hair away from her face and behind her ear.

"Thank you, Edward."

His brow furrowed. "What for?"

"For answering my questions and letting me get to know you better."

"I hope you do learn to trust me more." He told her, resting his hand around the back of her neck like he had the night before. "I would never intentionally hurt you in any way. I just want you to be happy."

She smiled a little more as he brushed his thumb along her temple. He glanced down at her lips and then back into her eyes.

Her heart began to race. Would he kiss her? A part of her desperately hoped so. She reached up and put her hand to his cheek. He put his free hand over hers and turned his head to kiss her palm. She giggled and he raised an eyebrow.

"It tickled."

He laughed and kissed her forehead. He took her hand and tugged on it gently.

"Let's get inside before they send people out looking." He said.

"You go ahead," she told him, "I'll be there in a moment."

He kissed the back of her hand and walked away without questioning her.

She smiled as she watched him leave. He had turned out to not be as egotistical as she thought he was. Maybe spending her life with him wouldn't be so bad.

Maybe life wasn't so cruel after all.