I smashed through the door into Emily's cabin, my arm stinging. My breaths came in panting gasps as I ran into the eating area and grabbed the loaf of bread I had bought earlier today, tearing it in half.

"Bella!" and that would be Emily, catching up to me as I ran away from her. I ran to grab my cloak, my sword hitting against the back of my calf. "Bella wait!"

I lifted one of my spare shirts from the mattress I slept on and tore the sleeve, biting an edge in my teeth and wrapping it around my upper arm with my free hand. I tied it as best as I could, hoping the bleeding would at least slow.

I wiped the sweat off of my brow and threw the cloak over my shoulders. Emily smashed into my side then, knocking me into the wall. I hadn't even heard her enter the cabin. I cried out in surprise and pain and attempted to push her off, only her weight had caught me at an angle that made escape nearly impossible.

"Emily, are you mad?" I screamed, spitting into her face on accident. She grimaced and turned her head to the side. "Get off of me!"

She had fared worse than I on our sprint through town. Her pants were heavy and labored and hot. I could feel the air hitting against me, extremely unpleasant in its feeling. "Stop moving Bella and just wait! You cannot leave! It is absurd! You will die!"

"Where am I to go?" I shouted, moving my body in every direction I could. "Where am I to stay? They know Emily! You were in the square did you not hear Edward call after me? He knows! I must LEAVE!"

I threw my body to the left, bringing her tumbling to the floor with me. She grunted, and the breath was knocked out of her long enough for me to wriggle out of her grasp and stand up. "But he did not sound angry, Bella. He sounded surprised, yes, but he wasn't angry!" Emily gasped on the floor.

"It does not matter, Emily. He is to be king, he cannot break the law. He must do what is right and that would be to kill me and I cannot let him do that. I can't! Not until lord James is dead!" I stood to my feet, my chest rising and falling quickly as I was nearly overcome with the heat and heaviness of the day. "Let me leave, Emily. If I am ever able to come back, I will, please, you must let me leave though!"

Not that she would be able to stop me.

"I left my money on the counter. You can buy yourself food with it. I took three coins to find stay in the next town." I muttered.

I stuffed the bread into the folds of my cloak, and threw the hood up to cover my face.

"Bella, please my child, do not do this!" Emily cried helplessly from the ground.

I did not stop. I walked through the door and into the sunlight. "Goodbye, Emily." I said quietly over my shoulder.

…..

3 days earlier

EPOV

It would be too vulgar to say I shit my pants the minute I saw the letter. It would also be untrue. It just felt like I shit my pants.

I was walking to the battle fields and there it was. Not hidden like the others. So obviously out in the open for me to see and oh how I saw it. I hadn't even known I was looking towards the flower beds until I saw that scratched and dirty parchment. I read it on the edge of the fountain, interrupted every five seconds by some peasant passing by and thanking me for one thing or another that I did not even do. They just thanked me because I was the future king, and they hoped that I would remember their thanks specifically out of the thousands I received if they ever came into a time of trouble.

My Isabella wrote of forgiveness. She wrote of wanting to start a faint trust with me. She went through sleepless nights, she said, and the nights that she did sleep were filled with dreams of me. I smiled at that.

She could not see me, could not meet in person, as I wished in all of my letters. She wanted to write, and when she was ready she said she would speak, would meet with me in person, and that I should keep hope and trust her. I would. I would do anything she asked of me.

It was funny, how just moments ago I was walking through this square towards the fighting ground, depression creeping into my mind for I knew my Bella and I were never going to be together. And in maybe the three minutes time it took me to read the letter through the interruptions, and to reread it maybe ten or fifteen more times, my mind had completely broken down and my will power ceased to exist. Everything I had been working up to banish from my thoughts came rushing back and I welcomed it. I was powerless to the words and memories of my beautiful Bella.

I folded the letter and pocketed it into the back of my trousers. I had places to be, unfortunately. It would be amazing if I could have nothing to do, ever, and just sit on that edge of the fountain for the rest of the day, for the rest of every day to come, and just think of my beautiful Isabella.

I readjusted my shirt, deciding to opt out of the armor today. It was too heavy, and although the rain seemed to have come back regularly, the heat was coming on hard and strong and it was extremely overwhelming at times. The fields were crowded and filled with sweaty men. I noticed Isaac instantly, fighting with some of the men in his group. It was almost comical, watching his tiny body try to intimidate the extremely strong and well built men in his group.

I walked over to Jasper, who was leaning against a tree and examining the blade of his sword. He looked up when I came closer and smiled. "Alice told me about you and your secret lover. Way to go killer."

I scowled and leaned against the tree next to him, crossing my arms. "She was supposed to keep quiet about that. And I'm finished with that anyways. Carlisle told me I needed to stop fooling around." I said, lying easily. Of course I wasn't done with Isabella. I was only getting started with her.

Jasper snorted and looked over to me with raised eyebrows. "You know he's just stressed. Of course he wants you to fall in love, he just doesn't want the Volturi kingdom to come over here and kill everyone."

We were silent, just looking across the field of fighting men.

"Why haven't you tried finding her yet?" Jasper asked, sheathing his sword.

"What?"

"Look for her. Why have you not even tried to find the love of your life? All you're doing is reading letters." Jasper sighed, as if this were pathetic.

I opened my mouth to say something and then closed it, suddenly at a loss for words. "I—she—she doesn't want to meet yet?" I stuttered out, almost as if it were a questions.

Jasper snorted and shook his head, beginning to walk away. "Don't you want to know if the love of your life loves you back?" he shouted over his shoulder.

I stood still, frowning, for a good five minutes before I left the field.

…B…E…B…E…B…E…B…E

"You've seen her?" I asked, breathless, my surprise overcoming my relief. Who knew five straight hours of walking around town and asking peasants if they had seen a brown haired woman, a traveler, could e so tiring? So many people said they had seen her and my heart had lifted straight from my chesty. But then I'd ask for more details and they would crush my hope by telling me she was missing her top row of teeth, or she had a broken leg or wrist or something. Yea, well, I was pretty sure when I saw Isabella, she had all her teeth and all her bones were just fine.

So I'm not sure why every time someone told me they saw their own version of Bella I got extremely excited. This time was no different.

I stood in front of a crippled baker named William. He had long black hair, tied behind him with a thin piece of twine. He stood behind a wooden counter, sitting upon a stool while his son gathered together ingredients for his father to mix. The little cabin was over whelmed with the smell of fresh bread, and I found it oddly fascinating that the stress of my day seemed to almost melt away with the calming scent.

"Yes, I believe I know who you are talking about." William said, holding a loaf of bread in his hand and squeezing it with his fingers to hear the crunch, and smiling when he did so. "She was small thing. I let her buy an entire loaf for a coin."

"B-but can you describe her to me?" I asked, breathless.

"Jacob, take the loaves out from the oven please." William called over his shoulder to the well built male scurrying around behind him. William turned back to me and sighed. "She was shorter than you, maybe to your shoulder, no higher. Her hair was long and brown, dirty, like she hadn't bathed in a while. Her eyes were brown I believe, kind of hard to forget those eyes. She wore a brown dress and boots, like the kind one would wear into a farming field."

I stared at the man, eyes wide. That was Isabella. That was her. "Your memory is impeccable." I said, my mind wandering.

"Hm, thank you my Lord. She was traveling, as well. Just came into town. Was asking where rooms were available. Poor girl, she could not have been more than seventeen years and was already on her own." He shook his head at the shamefulness of this, and I too felt the pain. My dear Isabella was on her own, fending for herself.

I cleared my throat, finding my voice. "Did you recommend her to any rooms that you can remember?" I asked.

"I personally did not." William said, shaking his head. Jacob came over then, placing freshly baked loafs of bread onto the countertop as some peasants came in, ready to barter. "But my son, Jacob, did."

Jacob looked over at the sound of his name. William nodded his head over in our direction and he obediently came over, lanky arms swaying at his sides. "Yes, father?"

"The Lord was inquiring about the young maiden that came in a while back, the one with the brown hair. Do you remember the places you recommended her to stay at?" William asked.

I felt a pang of jealously as Jacob smiled, obviously remembering Isabella. I pushed it aside though, too eager to gain more information. "Isabella, yes, I r member her. I think I told her about the Clearwater's spare room down by the fields, but when I told her about the prices she seemed kind of dissuaded."

I sighed. This did not help me at all. The boy was just wasting my time. I opened my mouth to excuse myself, but Jacob seemed to remember something suddenly. "Oh! I told her of the Emily woman, the widow, and she seemed to lean towards this idea more."

"Emily? Who is Emily?" I asked, back into the conversation at once.

"Her husband died in war a while ago." William answered. "She lives near the square and sells her cooking skills, sometimes even to your castle."

I could not remember any Emily woman cooking for my family, but then again I could not remember anyone who has cooked for us. "Where does this Emily reside?" I asked, my heart racing.

"Jacob, was it ten or eleven houses uphill from the butcher?" William asked, his eyebrows furrowed in thought.

"Eleven."

I hit the counter with the palm of my hand, a smile erupting onto my face. "Thank you. Thank you so much." I said. I turned and almost ran from the bakery. The streets were crowded as peasants came out to gather their ingredients for dinner, but I did not need to worry about pushing my way through or anything slowing me down. The peasants naturally stepped out of my way, knowing I was a Lord. They did not even have to recognize me. Only the clothes I wore and the fact that I was actually clean cued them in on it. The only obstacle that challenged me was a careless carriage rider who nearly trampled me with his wild horse.

I was too set on my destination to even care, despite his urgent pleas of forgiveness. I found the butcher, and broke into a jog, counting the houses as I moved up the hill.

Seven

Eight

Nine

Ten

I stopped in front of the eleventh house, my breathing coming in shortened gasps. The house was quant enough, slightly shambled from weather and the lack of a man to keep up with it. I barely hesitated, however, and entered the building.

"Hello?" I called out into the house upon entering. "Is anyone home?"

"Excuse me?" a woman called from another room. I smiled and moved towards the doorway. "Who do you think you are, just barging into a ladies home?" I stopped mid-step when a petite woman carry a frying pan rounded the corner, her face set in an upset scowl, a scar running down the side of her face. My eyes widened and I held my hands palm forward in front of me.

"No! No, I'm Lord Edward, I am only here to ask you a few questions. Please, I apologize for entering without permission, that was rude." I rushed to say, hoping she would recognize me before she bashed my head in. That looked like fine, expensive metal, capable of doing some heavy damage.

Her eyes widened the minute she had time to really process who I was. The pan fell from her hand, landing in a loud crash to the dirt floor. Her hands flew to her mouth, looking horrified and stricken. "My Lord!" she gasped through her fingers. "I am so sorry! I didn't recognize you, please forgive me. I'm not used to men barging in, I live without a man myself and I must be prepared to defend myself—"

I held my hand up, cutting her off. "Emily, it is fine. All is well. It's completely my fault. All I want is to just ask you a few simple questions."

Emily nodded, her hands still clasped to her mouth, what seemed to be a permanent look of horror painted across her face. I moved to sit in one of the wooden chairs set in the center of the small room, and she slowly seated herself across from my, finally removing her hands from her face to flatten her skirt.

"What do you wish to know, my Lord?" She asked, clearing her throat.

I sighed and clasped my hands in my lap. "I just wanted to know if you currently have any guests residing in the room you were advertising."

Her eyes narrowed instantly, most likely without her knowing. I could see her struggling to hide her suspicion, and I could also see her failing horribly to do so. "Yes, my lord. I have had that room rented out for a little over a week now."

I hid my smile. "I only ask because I am searching for a woman by the name of Isabella." I watched her closely as I said the name, watched her eyes widen and her chest rise and fall in fast breaths. I watched her desperately try to hide her reaction. "And the baker said he told her to come here. Do you recall renting out your room to this woman? Is she here now?"

She was silent for a moment, staring at my with her lips pressed together in a thin line. "My Lord—"

"Emily!" a high pitched male voice sounded from outside. A very familiar male voice. "I have Samuel with me; I hope you made enough stew. The stupid bastard nearly cut my arm clean off today."

Isaac came into the cabin, smiling and laughing with Samuel by his side. Isaac supported a limp arm with part of the fabric stained with blood. He seemed unaffected by this. He did notice me immediately upon entering though, and paused.

"My Lord." He said dumbly, staring at me with wide, bruised and swollen eyes. Although the swelling was going down by an incredibly large amount. I hoped that by the time his face was healed I would be able to tell who he was, where I knew him from. Otherwise I might go mad from the feeling of recognition.

"Isaac." I said, surprised, and stood, along with Emily. Isaac looked to Emily, eyes still wide. Emily was standing in front of me, back to me, and I could tell they were having some secret conversation, if only with their eyes, for Isaac's mouth did not move and Samuel was looking back and forth between them in a stupid, confused way.

"How do you know Emily?" I asked, trying to end their communication, however odd it was.

Emily turned to me quickly, cutting Isaac off as he opened his mouth to answer. "He's the one I am renting the room out to." She said quickly. I looked at her for a long time without speaking and then up to Isaac who stood frozen at the doorway.

Something was wrong here.

"Did you not even see Isabella then? Did she not stop by at all?" I asked, a spark of hope yet again getting quenched within me. There was a strange choking sound by the door and I looked to see Isaac, coughing on what seemed to be air.

"Isabella?" he asked, once he had righted himself. "W-who's that?" I looked at him for the longest time as he blushed. I could see the feminine thing even behind his bruised skin.

Emily seemed too nervous and jumpy and twitchy, and Isaac had obviously recognized the name by the way he reacted to it. He must know the name very well, judging by the fact that he had choked on air.

I looked back and forth between the two, then deciding I was getting nothing, nodded. "I will be back. I have just a few questions more to ask." I walked past Emily, but paused once I reached Isaac, who was stepping out of the way so I could leave. "Tend to your wound, Isaac. Don't want you getting too seriously injured, now do I?" I saw him swallow thickly. I paused, watching him closer. There was something incredibly off by that one simple act, yet I could not place it. All he had done was swallow, yet something was missing, something key.

I brushed it aside and walked through the doorway, into the air that was fast approaching dusk. I would definitely be back. They knew something of my beloved Isabella. If they had done anything o her, then they would surely pay. But I had no idea where she was yet. They did, however. I was sure of it.

And Isaac? He was seeming weirder and weirder to me by the second. I would have to keep my eye on him at all times, never letting him out of my sight. He may just be the key to finding the love of my life, the woman I dreamt of every night.

…E…B…E…B…E…B…E…B...

I leaned against that oh so familiar tree in the back center of the field, arms crossed, my eyes trained solely on Isaac. He was desperately trying to dodge one of the more massive, muscle toned mans swipes. It was not skill Isaac showed when dodging the blows, but one of panic. I understood. Isaac was so tiny that one hit could chop his entire arm off. At one point I thought I should go over there and stop the guy from going on a killing rampage, but I decided I was too content just leaning against the tree.

I couldn't even pay attention to any of my other soldiers. I got no sleep the other night, instead opting to pace around my room and grow further and further suspicious of Isaac. There was a gnawing, almost insane type of feeling in the pit of my stomach that something was terribly wrong here. I just couldn't pin point it.

The big guy Isaac was fighting made the mistake of swiping at his left side, then immediately following with the right side, which allowed Isaac to easily see this coming and he hit the sword with his own in a way that sent a painful vibration up his arm. Isaac took this moment to move his sword against the handle of the big guy's sword, twisting his fingers and making him lose the grip he had on it. It dropped to the ground, sticking into the soft soil. Isaac, panting, stood with the blade of his sword pressed against his neck.

I nodded, impressed, and continued watching. He turned to the rest of the group, wiping sweat from his forehead, and started describing the movement he did that caused the big guy to drop the sword.

"You know it's rude to stare, Eddie." Emmett said, hitting me in the arm as he came to a stop next to me, drinking water from a jug and readjusting his breast plate.

"Don't call me Eddie." I muttered, although my heart wasn't behind it. Isaac had let the men partner up ad they were dueling, trying to copy the movement. Isaac was just walking around, and I watched him as he tripped over his own feet every other step.

"Oo, someone's got a stick up their ass. Who you looking at?" he followed my gaze to Isaacs group. "The English guy?"

I nodded my head, absentmindedly. Isaac daintily brushed a strand of his bangs form his eyes and then stumbled to the side, having hit the heel of his right shoe. I chuckled, despite myself. "That kid is good. At the sword, I mean." I said, finally looking over to Emmett. He was looking across the field, wiping sweat from his face with the back of his hand.

"Yea, I noticed before. I went over there to see what he was doing the other day and he was practically fighting those men with his eyes closed. Impressive." Emmett said, nodding.

I looked back over to Isaac, and saw him standing by his friend Samuel, laughing. He turned to look at his men, but caught sight of Emmett's armor, and then my underdressed self next to him. He looked at me for a second and our eyes connected. He looked away the next second, barely even a second actually, but we still made eye contact. And I had no doubt he was hiding something now.

"Days over so I'm heading back to the castle to see Rose." Emmett sighed, handing me the jug of water which I took. "You coming back with me?"

I shook my head. "Naw, I'm going to wait out here a moment longer."

Emmett walked off, back to the castle. I stayed by the tree and watched as the men slowly filtered off of the field. Isaac, now knowing I was watching him, looked over his shoulder continuously, every time looking away as soon as our eyes met. He seemed to be the last one to leave, or maybe it was just that way to me. But finally, as the sun was beginning to get tainted by a pinkish hue, him and Samuel walked off from the field.

I pushed myself away from the tree and followed. They moved in the direction of the square, and when they entered the crowded, packed area, Isaac paused and said something to Samuel, in which a moment later Sam walked down through the square in a separate direction, towards Emily's house.

I stayed at a good distance, so whenever Isaac looked back over his shoulder to see if I was still watching or following, he could not see me through the sea of people.

He moved to the castle wall, underneath the balcony, that was always covered in shadows and at a cooler temperature from the stone wall. He stood towards the back corner, biting his lower lip. No one would notice him instantly if they hadn't been looking for him. I tilted my head, wondering what he was doing.

Then I saw Alice.

She came into the shade under the balcony and stood in front of Isaac, her back to me, so I could not see Isaac's face. I stood still, my eyebrows scrunched together in confusion. Okay, so now Alice was involved as well?

And involved in what, exactly?

What was happening?

Alice stood there for maybe ten minutes and seemed to be in a heated discussion with Isaac, although she was always overly dramatic with every one of her conversations. Isaac stood in his same position for a month, chewing on his lip, looking torn between something. He left a moment later, however. I followed him back to Emily's at which point I figured the surprises for the day were done, since Samuel was inside eating as well, and I didn't think he was in on whatever was happening.

I walked back to the castle slowly, nodding to the peasants who stopped to thank me for something, my hands clasped behind my back. Dinner was being served when I entered the cool castle, but I denied the invitation and moved to my room, sitting on top of my bed.

Emily knew something about Isabella. She saw her, judging by her reaction. Isaac at least recognized the name, and some sort of symbolism behind the name, maybe from what Emily told him, judging by the way he choked on nothing by the sound of her name. And Alice was having secret meetings with Isaac, who was talking to Emily. So . . . my sister-in-law was involved in some sort of cover up for something that had to do with Isabella . . .

My head spun with this confusing discovery. I sat on the bed for what felt like a short time, but I was suddenly torn from my thoughts by a tight knocking on the door. My head snapped up, surprised, and I stared into a pitch black room. I rubbed my eyes, surprised by how my thoughts had run away on me that badly.

I stood up and lit a few lanterns around the room before I moved to my door and opened it. Alice stood in front of me, bouncing on her tip toes, hand raised to knock again. She smiled when she saw me.

"Eddie!" she cheered, moving beside me and into the room. "Have you heard anything from your special little lady?"

She moved to her favorite part of my room, the closet, and started shifting through the clothes once again. I stared into the empty hallway where Alice stood maybe three seconds ago for about two minutes before I stepped back and closed the door. I moved and sat down on the bed.

"Yea. She wrote a few times." I said quietly, looking at her back as she pulled some shirts out.

"And…?"

"I wrote some letters back."

She paused and looked back at me so I could see her roll her eyes. "Any amazing breakthroughs?"

"No."

She sighed and pulled out a maroon shirt, staring at it for a while before making some sniffing noise of disapproval and replacing it.

"Alice," I said, rubbing my jaw, covered in stubble. "How do you know Isaac?"

"Isaac?" she asked, pulling out a navy blue colored shirt. "Who's Isaac?"

She sounded so sincere with her confusion that I almost believed her. "Isaac is the English guy who is in my ranks. Came in a little over a week ago."

"Oh, I've heard about him." She said absentmindedly, deciding with a deep blue shirt for me to wear tomorrow. "I've been meaning to find him. His accent is supposed to be really amazing. I think I might do that tomorrow, if Esme doesn't need me for anything."

I stared at her as he laid the shirt out on the bench by the fire place. She sighed and looked over to me, resting her hands on her hips. "You better wear this shirt. I was so insulted last time when you didn't wear it when I laid it out for you."

I nodded my head, trying to read her expression as closely as possible. She looked sincere enough, bored even. There was no fear of being discovered in her eyes, no nervousness or embarrassment. She just looked like she always did when she was picking out clothes. Oddly at ease.

"Good night." I said quietly. She smiled and nodded, wishing me a good night as well before leaving me alone in the room.

I had seen her talking with Isaac, I was sure of it. I recognized Alice anywhere; she had a very distinct way about her. And I knew it was Isaac she was talking to as well, because I had just been watching Isaac for the past eight and a half hours. There was no possible way I accidently mistook him for someone else.

I fell asleep there, thinking about it, and having restless dreams of Isabella.

BPOV

He knew. Or . . . he at least knew some of it. Alice assured me he was clueless, but I didn't believe her. The way he was staring at me at the practice field today was . . . was defiantly a sure sign he knew something. I didn't think he knew I was Bella, because he would have definitely approached me about that the minute he discovered it.

The minute Samuel left last night, Emily told me about what he had asked, how she had reacted, why he was even there in the first place when I showed up. He had looked for me, she said. Had walked through the entire town for hours, asking random people, finally stumbling upon the Black's who told him they had referred me to this place.

I knew it was stupid of me to react the way I did at the sound of my name, but I was just so surprised. That was what probably clued him in, damn it.

But he had shamelessly stared me down all day today, and I even felt as if he had been following me home, although that had turned out to just be my paranoia working at its best since I could not see him. Alice wanted me to make a move, too. Tell him about me, since according to her, his suspicion was the perfect gateway into letting my secret out. I disagreed immensely to that statement. And I disagreed with it the entire time she tried pushing it earlier. Which was why she made me agree to meet her within the throne room the following day.

I didn't sleep at all that night, instead going to the baths with Emily again, wearing my peasant dress this time and my cloak, with the hood raised. The sun rose as I sat in the straw mattress, and I watched the rays of elongating light stretch across the dirt floor, through the cut out window.

I sighed and rubbed the back of my neck. I stood when the room was fairly lit, and moved into the eating room to grab two coins from the money pouch. I pulled on my boots and walked into town, walking down the hill and to the bakery. The smell of bread brought a faint, tired smile to my face. I was slightly surprised they were up this early, but then again, according to Samuel and Emily, their bread was in high demand and they were always in production.

I entered the bakery and saw an empty counter, but heard noise in the back room, where the oven was. I stood still and quietly cleared my throat. "Hello?" I called out. There was a loud crash, followed by cursing, and then Jacob came through the doorway. "Sorry, didn't mean to startle you." I apologized, unable to keep the smile form my face.

"No, no it's fine. We just don't usually get customers this early." He said, rubbing flour off of his hands. "What can I do for you?"

"I just wanted some bread." I said, holding out the coins. I dumped them in his head and he nodded. "I just started baking about thirty minutes ago, so it'll be about another ten minute before a loaf is ready."

I nodded and moved to the table set in the back corner of the bakery, sitting on top of the small wooden stool.

I looked at my hands, picking at the dirt underneath my nails. I sighed and pulled my sword out from its sheath, turning it upside down so the handle was held between my feet. I moved my nail across the blade, sawing through it. They were getting way too long.

"Do I know you?" Jacobs asked, startling me. I jumped, cutting my finger. I hissed in pain and brought it to my mouth, sucking on it. I looked up at him as he leaned across the counter, looking at me closely.

"I don't know, maybe I came in for bread one time. I'm new here so odds are you recognize me for my voice." I applied the accent thick there, hoping he would just stop with whatever he thought he was on to. There was no possible way he recognized me from that first day I came in here, so he obviously mistook me for some other guy who was short, English, skinny, and dirty. Obviously.

"No, I don't think so. I would recognize if an English bloke came in here. You guys are famous. I remember you from something else." He said. I sighed and dropped my hand from my mouth, sheathing my sword and leaning against the mud wall behind me.

"I don't know Jacob. Maybe I bumped into you in town." I said.

"Ha, you said my name." he said, standing upright and pointing at me as if he had caught me confessing to a murder.

"So?"

"How would you know my name if you hadn't met me before, and remembered me too?" he asked, smiling.

I was silent for a moment. "Because—because your bakery is famous so your name is famous too." I stuttered out, bowing my head to hide the blush that gave the lie away.

"Yea, right." He scoffed, and shook his head as he moved into the back room to grab the loafs of bread. I sighed and stood, wanting to get out of here as fast as I could when he handed me the bread.

Maybe ten minutes later he came back out holding a hot loaf in his hand. He handed it over, smiling. "I'm going to figure it out, you know." He said, winking.

I turned around, swallowing, and walked out the door. God damn it why was my life doing this to me.

I walked back to Emily's and dropped the bread on the counter. I wasn't going to the practice field today. I just didn't have it in me to do it. The men in my group would have to fend for themselves, and frankly, they weren't so stupid as to not know what to do. Or were they?

I shook it off and collapsed onto the straw mattress, hoping to catch at least some sleep before I had to meet Alice.

…E…B…E…B…E…B…E…B..E…B

"Bella, Bella wake up." Something hit my harshly across the face and I gasped, flying into a sitting position and reaching for the sword at my hip. I saw Emily standing above me though and paused, letting out a slow breath. "Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you like that. You're just a heavy sleeper." She said, shrugging.

She held her hand out and I took it, standing to my feet. "What's wrong?" I asked, looking around with heavy eyes.

"Oh, nothing, sorry, should have started off with that. It's just that the sun is going down and I just wanted to know if you planned on eating anything today." She said, swallowing thickly.

"The sun is going down?" I asked, eyes wide. I strode over to the window, looking up at the sky to find she was telling the truth. "Shit." I moaned, moving to the eating area and grabbing some honey to spread through the tips of my hair. "Okay, thank you for the offer Emily, but I have to meet Alice. I should be back in like thirty minutes or something. We never talk about anything useful in those meetings."

I sniffed and rubbed my nose, yawning. "Is Sam coming for dinner tonight?" I asked.

"Oh, no, not tonight." Emily said, moving into the eating room. I nodded and moved out the door, onto the street, into the quickly cooling air.

The men from the battle field were probably returning home by now, which meant I would have to be a little extra careful upon entering the castles for fear of Edward seeing me. He already suspected too much anyways.

I entered the square and moved along the wall of the castle until I rounded the corner where the horse trail led to the large wooden gates. I stood outside of them for a moment and then knocked. The doors opened slightly and a large, burly guard stood in front of me, his face covered in a bushy brown beard. "Isaac?" he asked.

I nodded my head, a little weirded out, and was allowed to walk through the gates. "Um, I'm not sure where I'm supposed to go—" I started, but he was already walking off through a small outside garden. I followed him, biting nervously on my bottom lip. Yea, it was official. I wasn't meeting Alice inside the castle anymore.

The man was silent as he led me around a small fountain and a small, shallow bath until we entered a spacious, open stone room, with reclined chairs and plush cushions to relax on. I looked around, stunned by the obvious riches the castle held.

He led me down a small corridor and through a door with a large lion, obviously their kingdoms symbol, and into the throne room. Alice was pacing in front of the two empty throwns, her hand held in a fist and to her mouth. She looked over at the sound of our approach and sighed.

"Finally." She groaned, and stepped off of the thrown platform. "Not to say a word, right Sir Banner?" Alice said, looking towards the knight who escorted me with raised eyebrows. He nodded his head and Alice dismissed him. We were left alone.

"My Lady, I really don't enjoy meeting in the castle." I said nervously, looking around the giant, empty room.

Alice sighed and took my hand. "Come, let's go to my room. Jasper is out with Edward somewhere. He won't be back for a little while."

I swallowed, but I knew better than to argue with a princess and just allowed her to tow me along. She walked quickly, but cautiously, through a hallway. Her room was surprisingly close to the throne room, and we entered the large space, where Alice released my hand to shut the door. Her room was huge, with a roaring fireplace set against one wall and a closet, big enough for me and Emily to sleep in. I looked into it curiously and I actually think I gasped at the sight of how many dresses she had hung up.

"Isn't it amazing?" Alice whispered, suddenly next to me. I jumped and moved away, allowing her to stare adoringly at her collection of garments. I moved to the small area in front of the fireplace, where a rug sat underneath several chairs and cushions. I seated myself down in one and stared at the fire.

Alice joined me maybe five minutes later, looking happy as she always did. Nothing ever really seemed to effect her. What a life.

"So, how do we plan on telling Edward." She said, flattening the skirt of her dress.

I sighed and turned away from the fire to look at her. "We're not." I stated firmly. "I've decided that this is not going to work. I'm not going to risk everything I've worked for, for one stupid man. It's ridiculous and absurd and if he reacts differently than you anticipate, then I'm done, I'm dead, and my father would have died in vain because I fell in love with a stranger in the middle of the night."

Alice groaned and leaned back in her chair, twirling a piece of her jet black hair around her finger. "Isabella, we've been over this again and again. You have to tell him. There is just no possible way to get around it, and you need to face this fact and get over it."

"My Lady, we both know there are plenty of other ways." I said, rubbing my temples delicately with my finger tips. "I cannot tell him. I can leave. Or I can stay and fight and eventually he will lose suspicion. Or I stop writing to him. I can tell him to leave me alone, that I lied again and I did not love him. Need I go on?"

Alice frowned, looking towards the fire. "You won't be happy though." She pouted.

"Happy?"

"Tell me, Bella, what does it feel like when you read his letters." Alice asked absentmindedly, fiddling with a lose strand on her dress.

"What does it feel like?" I asked, confused.

"Yes, Bella, it's not a difficult question. Are you happy, sad, angry….?"

"Oh." I said. "I'm, well, I'm flattered, I guess. And a little happy."

Alice smiled and looked back at me. "And what about when you sleep at night, and dream of the last time you saw your father." I winced, the memories suddenly slapping me in the face. "Exactly."

We were both quiet, having her point brought across. "I need to leave. I must go to the bathroom." I said finally, standing up.

Alice groaned. "We are not done talking, Bella. So just use the chamber room. It the second door on the right, down the hallway. Come right back."

I grimaced, but I knew better than to argue. She was still a princess, and I was still a peasant, no matter what we knew of each other. I exited the room and moved down the hallway, looking behind me constantly to see if anyone saw me. No one did.

I entered the chamber room quietly and closed the wooden door. It smelled vile in here, but I didn't intend to use their chamber pot anyways. I had just used that as an excuse to leave. I sat down against the door and rubbed my face.

I had gotten myself into such a mess. Things were spiraling out of control and it seemed to me as if I couldn't grab onto them again. Alice would not leave me alone until her brother knew of who I truly was, and I could never tell him. What I said by the fire was true, and I meant it. I was not going to give up the vengeance of my father for a boy. No, not just a boy. A god damn Lord.

I sat there for a while, until the smell over came me and I had to stand. A small trench was cut along the wall, where the aqueducts poured in a stream of water to look like water was coming from one wall and pouring into a hole in another. I kneeled and placed my hands in the freezing water, washing them, and then splashed my face.

I knew my bruises were fading, because I was not in nearly as much pain, but I had not yet thought of another excuse as to why I could let Emily bash me again. I had said I was beaten up last time. If I used the same thing again, they would surely demand me to tell them names and faces and that I could not do. My hair was growing as well. The honey only made it look greasy now; it didn't even hold it up in spikes anymore.

I lifted the sleeve of my shirt up and looked at the slightly scarring cut Sam had given me the other day. It still stung, and I knew if I even touched it, it would break open again. I sighed and lowered the sleeve. My body would be riddled in scars by the time this was over.

I opened the door of the chamber room and carefully stuck my head out. No one was around. I listened and heard nothing. I stepped out carefully, drying my hands on my pants, and jogged the two doors down to Alice's room.

"Alice, I need to go." I said, entering the room. I didn't look at her by the fire place, rather kept my eyes averted and moved to the dry rag by the large basin she used to wash her face at night. I used that to dry the extra moisture from my fingers.

"And I'm not telling Edward, so please, leave me alone on that." I swallowed thickly, keeping my back turned to her.

Alice tried to say something, but I shook my head. "Alice, I don't know how many times I have to say this. I cannot tell him who I am. That's out of the question. If I were to die before I can avenge my father, then I have failed at not only my own existence, but my fathers and mothers as well. Please, my Lady, let me be. I need to do this on my own."

I swallowed again and dropped the rag. "And I'm sorry about Edward, too. I don't think I've ever felt for a man the things I feel for him." I turned around to look at Alice. "But this was doomed from the start—"

I froze.

Alice froze.

And Edward froze.

He stood a little ways behind Alice, his eyes wide his mouth agape. He stared at me as if he were seeing a ghost.

"Oh no." I whispered, shaking my head. I started backing away in a large arch, towards the direction of the door, making sure to keep a wide berth from him. "Oh no no no."

"Isabella?" he whispered, taking a step forward.

"Stay back!" I shouted, my body starting to shake. Stupid, Bella. Stupid! How could you not even look to see who was in the room before you entered? Stupid stupid stupid!

"Isabella, what—"

"I said stay back!" but he was moving forward and I was moving back. My foot caught on something and I swayed violently before toppling over, taking a small table covered in sewing needles and cloth down with me. I crashed to the stone floor, landing on my arm. I could feel the scar on my cut tear open instantly and I cried out in pain.

Edward was next to me the next second, grabbing my arm to help me to my feet. I gasped and pulled my arm from his grasp, scrambling to my feet. "I need to leave." I whispered, backing away, almost tripping again on something. "Don't follow me."

I turned and ran from the room, holding onto my injured arm and feeling the blood stain yet another shirt. I ran down the hallway and into the throne room. There was a good pause before I heard Edward shout my name again.

"Isabella, wait!"

I ignored him, my heart beating at an incredibly fast rate. I ran into the open sun bathing room, then into the garden, and to the gate where the guard, Sir Banner, stood. He nodded to me, and I smiled, making sure to keep my wounded arm from his sight. I slowed down to make it look like I hadn't been running for my life and slipped through the gate he opened.

"No, stop her!" I gasped and spun around, and saw Edward sprinting through the garden, his hand pointing at me. My eyes darted to the knight, who looked at me, confused. Then I suddenly had tow knights chasing me.

Fear was clenching my gut and I carried my limp arm with me as I sprinted around the castle wall and into the square. It was supper time, so the square was packed with people, and I forced my way through, pushing and shoving people. Many protested, and shouted things at me, but I ignored them. I could hear them gasping the next second, however, as the knight and Edward followed. The willingly stepped out of the way for them, though.

I broke through the more crowded area and looked back over my shoulder to see Edward craning his neck all around to see where I had gone. So being short did have its advantages . . .

I turned around and slammed into Emily, who nearly toppled over if I had not gained my senses so quickly and grabbed her arm to steady her. My fear erased any confusion or curiosity as to why she was in the middle of the square rather than at home.

"Bella, what happened?" she gasped, righting herself and zoning in on the blood pouring from my arm. "Oh my god your hurt."

"Emily, I need to go, I have to leave." I panted, looking over my shoulder. He would see me any second. "Emily, he knows. He knows it's me."

I moved around her, my eyes wide, my breathing fast.

"Isabella!" Edward shouted. I looked over, saw his eyes trained on me, and made some pained noise in the back of my throat.

"I have to leave." I panted, and turned around, sprinting through the streets. I quickly got a stitch in my side, and I held it as I refused to slow my pace to Emily's house.

I smashed through the door into Emily's cabin, my arm stinging. My breaths came in panting gasps as I ran into the waiting area and grabbed the loaf of bread I had bought yesterday, tearing it in half.

"Bella!" and that would be Emily, catching up to me as I ran away from her. I ran to grab my cloak, my sword hitting against the back of my calf. "Bella wait!"

I lifted one of my spare shirts from the mattress I slept on and store the sleeve, biting an edge in my teeth and wrapping it around my upper arm with my free hand. I tied it as best as I could, hoping the bleeding would at least slow.

I wiped the sweat off of my brow and threw the cloak over my shoulders. Emily smashed into my side then, knocking me into the wall. I cried out in surprise and pain and attempted to push her off, only her weight had caught me at an angle that made escape nearly impossible.

"Emily, are you mad?" I screamed, spitting into her face on accident. She grimaced and turned her head to the side. "Get off of me!"

She had fared worse than I on our sprint through town. Her pants were heavy and labored and hot. I could feel the air hitting against me, extremely unpleasant in its feeling. "Stop moving Bella and just wait! You cannot leave! It is absurd and you will die!"

"Where am I to go?" I shouted, moving my body in every direction I could. "Where am I to stay? They know Emily! You were in the square did you not hear Edward call after me? He knows! I must LEAVE!"

I threw my body to the left, bringing her tumbling to the floor with me. She grunted, and the breath was knocked out of her long enough for me to wriggle out of her grasp and stand up. "But he did not sound angry, Bella. He sounded surprised, yes, but he wasn't angry!" Emily gasped on the floor.

"It does not matter, Emily. He is to be king, he cannot break the law. He must do what is right and that would be to kill me and I cannot let him do that. I can't! Not until lord James is dead!" I stood to my feet, my chest rising and falling quickly as I was nearly overcome with the heat and heaviness of the air. "Let me leave, Emily. If I am ever able to come back, I will, but please, you must let me leave!"

Not that she would be able to stop me.

"I left my money on the counter. You can buy yourself food with it. I took three coins to find stay in the next town." I said quickly.

I stuffed the bread into the folds of my cloak, and threw the hood up to cover my face.

"Bella, please my child, do not do this!" Emily cried helplessly from the ground.

I did not stop. I walked through the door and into the sunlight. "Goodbye, Emily." I said quietly over my shoulder.

Where would I go? I didn't know.

All I knew was that I couldn't stay, because I knew for sure the look on Edwards face was not one of sweet relief and love when he figured out Isaac was actually Isabella.

No, the look upon his face was one of horror.