Finally, the last chapter to Paramour.

Thanks to Mackenzie for her betaing powers.

And thank you all for your patience.

Hope you enjoy.

Epilogue

He tilted up his head when her cry intensified. Resolute, Carlisle left his place by the fireplace and walked past his counselors out of the study.

To think they could keep him away from her during that critical moment was ridiculous.

"Your Highness…"

Someone called him, but Carlisle ignored the voice as he walked down the corridor of the palace that led to Esme's bedchambers.

Without announcing himself he intruded into the main bedroom. The women around the bed looked at him in shock, some curtsied before him.

"Oh, Carlisle, you shouldn't be here." His mother approached him.

But it didn't matter. He wanted to be with Esme.

His love was exhausted, suffering the pangs of childbirth. Didyme told him something again, but Carlisle didn't listen. It didn't matter if it was unfitting for him to be present. Ignoring their words, he went to lean by Esme's side. His forehead tenderly touched hers, and one of her palms went to caress his face almost instantly.

Esme was happy to see him.

"You highness," The midwife interrupted the moment. "It's time again."

Esme bore down, and breathed in again, making one final effort to bring their child into the world.

The child her mother once called bastard, the one that would've been taken away from her if it had been born out of wedlock, and the one that had been constantly seen as evidence of their sin, even after a wedding had taken place.

"If it's a boy you will be forgiven; if not, consider yourself ruined, Esme." Those were her mother's final words in a letter Esme had torn to shreds days earlier.

Through letters to Carlisle as well, the Empress insisted that Esme was too young, that she wouldn't survive the birth, and that perhaps, Renata would have a chance if the worst happened.

But Esme proved to be stronger than anyone thought.

Her final cry of pain melted with the weak cry of a newborn.

The words of the midwife brought joy not only to the new young parents, but also to the household.

"It's a son." The woman gave them a warm smile, tenderly cleaning the baby in her arms, under the relieved eyes of the Queen and the other women in the room.

A large part of the English court loved Esme, and the fact that she had given them an heir to the Crown was surely going to earn her a higher level of respect.

Carlisle smiled with bliss. Whether he had a son or a daughter was never his concern. He loved their little one ever since he could feel it moving inside Esme, and for the only reason that it belonged to them. He kissed Esme's temple as she rested back on the pillows, receiving in her arms a newborn with the most beautiful eyes she had ever seen.

Emmett Cullen was born that day, formerly named Duke of Cambridge and Sussex. Emmett grew into a strong, healthy little boy that filled every place he went with energy. But to the Crown's dismay, and Carlisle and Esme's amusement, at the age of five little Emmett declared that he didn't want to be king. Instead, he proclaimed, "I want to be a soldier!"

He admired the army with passion, just like his younger brother…

Esme bore Carlisle and the Crown four children afterwards, all in quick succession:

Prince Jasper, Duke of Edinburgh and Princess Royale Rosalie, Duchess of Rothesay. They were the first born twins in the royal line, and to the Crown's delight and surprise, they were both born twenty-seven minutes apart, Jasper before midnight and Rosalie afterwards, being the first twins in the nobility to have different dates of birth.

With beautiful waves of blonde hair and light blue eyes, both Rosalie and Jasper resembled their father most. At the age of four, Jasper showed to be as thoughtful and quiet as Carlisle to a point in which his aura of peacefulness was contagious, and Rosalie displayed the breathtaking beauty of her Austrian side. The amount of compliments she received at that young age made her believe that she was the most stunning princess on Earth.

Princess Alice, Duchess of Kent, was a little joy that arrived on the day of her father's coronation as a British monarch. Esme stood for three hours with little Alice trying to come into the world, but as stubborn as only Esme could be, she was determined to witness her husband's coronation with pride, as it was dictated. It wasn't until when Carlisle met her for the Coronation banquet that Esme's knees finally bent, and she was immediately taken to their bedchambers for the birth.

Princess Alice was born that day to fill their world with enchantment, since she possessed the talent of predicting events in the future. At three years old, while being held by her dear daddy by a window in the palace, her rosy lips spoke the impending future: "We'll have to leave, Papa." She told Carlisle. "Someone wants to hurt us."

It was true. A conspiracy had been built behind the Crown, in an attempt to remove the new King and his apparent heirs. It was led by Charles, an aristocrat with wide influences who was looking to gain back a Crown he believed belonged to his lineage.

It was during this particular time of intrigues and accusations, that Esme found herself pregnant again.

Unfortunately, the political chaos reached its peak when the conspirators began to attempt against the lives of members of the Royal Family.

"Why are they doing this? We haven't given him any reason." Esme embraced her stressed husband after he received the news of the murder committed against a member of the Royal family. The homicide was a signal of how far the detractors were willing to go.

"It's not what we have done." Carlisle embraced her. "It's who we are. They are not going to stop." He looked at her. "You must leave with the children. You must leave and hide."

Esme refused to leave him, but Carlisle insisted she must to keep their family safe. He would escort Esme on the secret trip, then he would later return to England and try to control the insurgence.

They left the Palace two nights later. Esme and their young little children travelled in a separate carriage from Carlisle with the promise to see each other later in Italy, where they would meet with Jane as planned.

But it never happened. Someone betrayed them.

On the way to the Royal port, Carlisle's carriage disappeared along with him, and the young Queen and children were taken into captivity by the detractors. Charles almost immediately announced Carlisle's death, and disregarding the succession law, coerced the members of the Parliament in order to take control of the goverment.

Chaos and a sequence of unfortunate murders brought terror to the country.

Esme was imprisoned in her bedchambers in the Palace along with the children. The night they were taken captive, the doors opened, and Charles walked in with arrogant demeanor.

"Carlisle is dead." He tossed a piece of jewelry at Esme's feet. She immediately recognized her keepsake. "And it is a very unfortunate loss." The cruel man feigned an expression of sadness.

Standing behind Esme, little Rosalie buried her face in Emmett's hug, sobbing for her dear daddy. Whilst Jasper was on the verge of attacking the man who killed his father, thankfully Alice had her small arms enveloped around his waist, preventing him from doing so.

Trembling, Esme leaned to pick up the locket Carlisle once helped her to find in the sea.

Ever since Emmett was born, Carlisle claimed himself owner of the sterling keepsake. He always carried it with him, close to his heart, since now it held the photographed images of his wife, and four children.

"Her Majesty might want to cooperate now," Charles said as he stood before Esme, "or the children will be the next ones to follow their father's luck." He made a gesture towards the children.

Esme choked back tears of disbelief. Her beloved Carlisle was dead, and soon they would all share his fate.

o)O(o

Three months passed after the official announcement of Carlisle's death, and Esme was still being held captive with her children in the bedchambers she once shared with him. They had to endure the obnoxious mistreatment Charles gave them, but fortunately, the faithful servants were constantly providing them with water, food, and wood for the fireplace.

Esme became heavy with child. The baby that would never meet his father had grown inside her the past few months. Heartbroken, she tried to be strong for her children, tried to believe the words little Alice always repeated.

"He is not dead, Mama." The toddler sat on the bed by her side, snuggling against her. "He will come back. Daddy will come back."

"He is dead. He won't come back." Rosalie wept, the way she used to do whenever Alice spoke her irrational wishful words. Little Rosalie was hurt, and she didn't want to be pretty if Daddy wasn't with them; she missed him dearly. "I miss Papa."

Esme pulled her daughters into an embrace as her oldest boys planned a fairy tale escape by the fireplace. They were only little boys, but Emmett and Jasper were determined to work an escape plan. In their minds, they were experts on fleeing strategies and battle schemes. "And then we'll knock out this guard," Emmett whispered to Jasper, pointing at a hand drawn map. Jasper nodded in understanding.

Escape… But where could they go?

Esme heaved a sigh. She was the young mother of four children and a baby that would soon be arriving. It was difficult for her not to have a meltdown at the prospect of an uncertain future. Escaping was an option... Perhaps Jane would receive her now that she had moved from Vienna to Volterra. Her dear sister would never turn her back on her.

That night, Esme couldn't sleep. They had to escape. As heirs to the crown, her children were a threat to Charles, and she was sure that sometime soon he would start poisoning their food. She shifted on the bed next to her sleepy children as a cold breeze blew into the large room.

She saw the curtains flowing against the wind, and a glimpse of the moon over the balcony, when a second later, a cold hand covered Esme's mouth, muffling a cry of shock.

In the darkness of the room, she breathed in terror. The shadow of the man who was preventing her from asking for help got closer to her face, revealing a pair of golden eyes as he stared at her with love and concern.

Her heart leaped in her chest.

The cold hand left her face, tenderly placing a finger on her lips, as if sealing them.

She immediately sat on the bed, enveloping her arms around the man's shoulders. She knew the owner of that gaze. "Carlisle!" She breathed out, balancing herself over the shadow. He wrapped his arms tightly around her. Her sweet perfume felt like home to him, and her figure fitted so perfectly in his arms. How much he had missed her!

"Oh, Esme, I'm so sorry." He whispered. His voice seemed different, but it didn't matter to her. Esme melted in his arms, quietly crying his name.

"I thought I'd lost you."

"Shh." He cupped her face. "I promise to explain it all, but we must leave now. There's a carriage waiting accross the forest."

Esme examined his eyes, noticing they had changed. They were of a sunny honey hue, but it was him. It was Carlisle!

The imprisoned family disappeared that day, and until present times, it remains a historical mystery what happened to them. While it is believed they were murdered by their captors, the Cullens secretly remained living in Europe for two years before moving to America.

Carlisle bought a small cottage in the south of France before rescuing his family. It was a peaceful place surrounded by wide green gardens, where he knew Esme and the children would feel free and happy to leave their past behind.

It took Esme a great deal of courage to accept what happened to Carlisle - the way he was ambushed by their detractors the night of their escape, and how the ambush turned unsuccessful when a group of unnatural beings attacked them all in the darkness of the night.

Everyone was murdered, except him. Badly injured, the figure of one of those mysterious creatures approached him, and burying its teeth in the back of his arm, he left Carlisle in the most excruciating pain. It wasn't until the pain subsided when he realized that he had been turned into one of those beings.

"They wore dark cloaks, and I would be dead if it weren't for them." He told Esme, while resting on the cottage's garden after their long journey from England. "I'm afraid they were led by a young woman that looked like your sister; like Jane."

Esme embraced herself. Jane left Austria shortly after Esme married Carlisle; rebelling against the Empress, and seeking her much coveted independence and power. She couldn't help but wonder what happened to her sister ever since then. They had exchanged a few letters, but Jane was always enigmatic in her replies. Esme wondered if her youngest sister had been turned like Carlisle, and if Jane had been guarding Carlisle and her the night of the ambush.

"Look, Father!" Emmett ran in front of them. "I can run like you!" A rock hidden in the grass made Emmett trip and fall onto his face in the most ungraceful manner. Jasper, who was running behind him, fell on top of his brother.

Rosalie and Alice began to giggle hysterically.

Esme covered her face to avoid revealing a chuckle that would hurt the boys' pride, but Carlisle laughed with no restraint. He was happy. She stared at her husband's beaming smile, until he stared back at her. Softly, she took his hand, and they shared a gaze that said it all. They had each other, and nothing else mattered.

Two nights later, Esme went into labor. They thought the birth would be easier, considering she had given birth four times before, but misfortune touched them again.

Complications during the birth placed Esme's life in danger, and whilst Carlisle had been an intellectual in medicine as well, his knowledge on child labor was limited. He managed to help bring their child into the world, but unfortunately, he couldn't prevent Esme from developing an intense fever.

"I would like to name him Edward." Esme told him as her weak hands tried to cuddle the newborn against her. With no objection against the name, the little newborn yawned.

Carlisle gave Esme a timid smile. He didn't have to ask her why she wanted to call him Edward; it was obvious. It was the name he used to introduce himself to her the first time they met.

"You'd be blushing if you were human." Esme laughed softly, watching him as he tucked her in with the bed covers. She closed her eyes, the fever making her aching body feel worse. "I'm dying…" Her voice was soft, but her words tore Carlisle's heart out. "I might not see the sun tomorrow, but I want you to know that I'll always love you. Always."

Carlisle shook his head in denial. It couldn't be possible; it seemed to him that they were doomed to suffer for the sin they committed when they met each other.

The fever intensified an hour later. Esme didn't open her eyes anymore, as her body was beginning to struggle for life.

Carlisle broke down, begging God for a miracle.

Urged by her brothers and sister, little Alice approached him. "You are the miracle, Papa." She whispered. "God changed you for a reason. You're meant to save Momma."

o)O(o

100 years later…

Sitting behind his desk, Carlisle observed the photos on the website with interest. He tapped his fingers, pondering the idea until Esme walked into the study. There was something about the purple blouse she was wearing, that made her glorious reddish brown hair stand out. Although he couldn't deny that she was a vibrant beauty without the blouse too, just the way she had been a century ago.

Time hadn't passed for her, or for any of them.

With light steps, Esme walked towards him, holding a book in her hand.

"We are making Italiano." She leaned over his desk with a beautiful smile while placing the cookbook on it for him to see. "…and Emmett, Rosalie, and you are helping."

Carlisle raised an eyebrow as a smile grew on his face. She was happy because their youngest son had found a special someone to love, and as forbidden Edward's love for the human girl was, neither Carlisle nor Esme were going to go against it, for they knew what it was to fall in love with a forbidden someone.

"Is Rosalie going cooperate?" He asked, amused to imagine their princess - who thought very highly of herself - cooking for Bella.

"Oh, she will cooperate. I'm not taking a no for an answer." Esme shook her head, her waves of caramel hair swinging gracefully as she did. "I'll be waiting for you in the kitchen." She winked an eye at him before turning around to walk out of the study.

Watching her movements was pure bliss to him.

"Esme." A bright smile formed on his face, already imagining her reaction to what he was going to say. "The Achilleion is for sale."

The sound of those words made Esme stop in her tracks. She softly turned around to face him. Her beautiful golden eyes were filled with disbelief. "Is it?" She immediately went by Carlisle's side, leaning on his shoulder to see the images Carlisle was pointing at.

It was the palace in Corfu, with its magnificent shores by the blue Mediterranean.

They shared a look before smirking. The palace was going to be a wonderful addition to their private properties… In just mere seconds, The Cullens placed a generous offer for the splendid palace.

"I'm going to enjoy exploring those sands with you again…" Carlisle stood from his seat, a mischievous smile on his face as he gave his arm to Esme.

She laughed softly, leaning into his embrace. "Oh, exploring is good." Her face burned even though she wasn't blushing. "Come on, we must hurry. Edward will be arriving with Bella anytime soon." She pulled him out of the study.

A second later, Carlisle returned to grab the silver trinket he had forgotten on his desk. The old locket that still held the quiet gazes of a family that somehow succeeded to survive not only a tough journey, but more than a hundred years.

A family formed out of the pure, genuine love a boy and a girl shared.

A love that promised to last the whole eternity.

-THE END-

Thanks so much for reading this unbelievably crazy AU. Comments & complains -like why the kids are all related, lol; are always appreciated.

Again, thank you!