80's Movie - Anonymous One-Shot Contest

Title: As You Wish

Movie Inspiration: The Princess Bride

Characters: Edward, Bella, Carlisle

Disclaimer: I own nothing. I am in no way affiliated with the creators of the movies or the books. A little of the dialogue is borrowed from the movie, but with lines that awesome-can you blame me ;) Eternal thanks to my beta-you know who you are and you know I bow down before your magnificence.

Summary: Edward left his beloved Isabella behind to seek his fortune in the world so that they could marry. But danger lurked on the high seas in the form of the Dread Pirate Cullen, who would change him... forever.

~ * ~ / ~ & ~ \ ~ * ~

"Farm Boy, polish my horse's saddle," Isabella called to me. "I want to see my face shining in it by morning."

"As you wish," I replied. They were the only words I was able to utter whenever her muddied brown eyes met mine.

For almost as far back as my memory stretched, I had lived with Isabella and her family. I arrived on their farm at a tender age-having been orphaned young. Isabella's parents had taken me in, exchanging food and lodgings for an honest day's work. At the time, Isabella was just a toddler-an annoying little creature-who followed me around during my daily tasks.

As she grew, her temperament changed. She became caring and gentle, willing to help others wherever possible-except me. Toward me, she remained cold and indifferent, barking out orders with little regard for whatever was occupying my time; it seemed to give her a certain perverse pleasure.

By the time she had reached her teenage years, her beauty was stunning to behold. There was no better sight I could imagine than seeing Isabella climb from her horse after a long ride; her skin would glow and a smile would be firmly fixed on her lips. No matter where I was on the farm or what I was doing, she would immediately seek me out and put me to some other task.

I performed every chore she issued, no matter how menial or difficult, and I did so without question or hesitation. For her, I would do almost anything. There was only one thing I was unable to do-declare my true feelings. To do so would risk banishment from the farm and her presence. Instead, I spent my time trying to convey "I love you", with three other words, "As you wish."

Months passed before I saw the spark of recognition in her eyes. She had finally heard the feelings I had repeatedly whispered in response to her demands. To my surprise, she didn't run to her father to demand my removal. She simply stopped and watched me for a moment. Her steady brown eyes held mine captive as she regarded me carefully, then a whispered, "Please," was added to the end of her command. She turned and walked away, stopping but once to look back at me.

A few weeks later, I was cutting wood for the fire and had just carried a pile into the small house when her sweet voice carried out to me from across the room.

"Farmboy," she called.

I turned around to look at her. Her eyes darted swiftly from side to side, and I realised she was searching for a task. She wanted to stall my departure-to keep me close to her-just as desperately as I wanted to stay.

"Fetch me that pitcher," she said eventually, pointing to one right above her head.

I strode purposefully toward her, reaching up at the last second to grab it from the hook. I met her eye as I presented it to her.

"As you wish," I told her. My heart swelled as her mouth twisted into a small smile.

I tucked a strand of her long brown hair behind her ear. She took the pitcher from me and set it down on the bench, before reaching her hand out to mine. As our fingers touched, we gasped in unison. A shock had run through my fingers, electrifying the air between us. I wondered whether she had felt it too. I took a deep breath and did what I had been dying to do for the longest time; I closed my fingers around hers and, disregarding my chores, led her away.

I took her to a secret place that I had found years ago. It was a small meadow on the high side of the farm and, when the day was clear, it had views of everything-farms and forest-as far as the eye could see. We said nothing, declaring our love for one another silently. At sundown, we became magnets-drawn to one another wordlessly. I closed my eyes as I leaned forward to press my lips to hers. She gave a little moan as her mouth opened slightly and her tongue slid across my bottom lip. I ran my hands into her hair, being careful to remain gentle and respectful as we kissed. When we broke apart, I cupped her face with my hand and touched my thumb to her lips to feel their warmth. I held her eyes and promised her the world.

After our evening together, we knew there was no going back to how things were. We didn't try to hide our feelings from her parents; instead, I went to them and declared my intentions. Her father refused me the right to marry her until I had enough money to take proper care of her.

In order to receive his blessing, I needed to leave the farm and make my way in the world. I had heard of the opportunity to earn riches across the sea in the country of Gilder and had decided that was where I would begin. It hurt to think about leaving Isabella, because I hadn't spent nearly enough time with her; all the time in the world with Isabella would not be enough.

She was beside herself when I told her of my plan. At first, she screamed at me, and then she begged me to stay. Finally, she realised that I needed to leave for a short time in order to be with her forever.

"I fear I'll never see you again," Isabella wept as I held her tightly in my arms, saying our farewells.

"You will," I assured her.

"But what if something happens to you?"

"Hear this now," I said. "I will always come for you."

"But how can you be sure?" Isabella asked.

"This is True Love," I replied. "Do you think this happens every day?"

I picked up the bag containing my limited possessions and left my heart behind as I turned and walked out of her life.

~ * ~ / ~ & ~ \ ~ * ~

I used the little money I had to secure passage on a merchant ship bound for Gilder. I heard many rumours of the danger of the trip. The journey was not long, little more than a day from port to port, but the sea was treacherous and the area a known hunting ground of the Dread Pirate Cullen.

The stories of the Dread Pirate Cullen had reached my ears even back on the farm. He was a monster who looted and pillaged ships on the sea, taking no prisoners and leaving none to tell the tale. When the attacked ships arrived back to the shore, what remained of the poor souls aboard was a ghastly sight.

I trusted in the knowledge that what Isabella and I shared was indeed true love and our bond unbreakable. It would keep me safe, regardless of the peril I may face-not even Death himself could separate us.

We had barely hit the open sea before the alarm sounded. A ship was closing in on ours at a terrible speed-the Jolly Roger flying high on its mast. I grabbed a sword-despite not knowing how to wield it properly-to help defend the ship. The crew kept pushing me back, away from the front of the fray.

"Keep back boy," the Captain shouted. "You've got more to live for than this lot."

We stood at arms, issuing warnings and trying to get our assailants to back away as the captain worked to get extra speed to our ship. But it was all to no avail, barely half an hour after the first sighting, the assaulting ship was upon us.

The twenty men around me held their breath as we awaited the attack. I eyed our foe's approach and found the ship to be vacant. Logically, someone had to be at the helm, but I saw no one. A murmur ran through my shipmates as we all realized the same thing. There was no movement aboard, only silence.

Suddenly, a cry of pain issued from within the crowd. As one, we turned toward the sound, creating an opening and revealing a horrid sight. A man, clad in black from hair to feet, had his mouth at the neck of a sailor whose face grew whiter by the second. As we watched on, his eyes rolled back into his skull and he collapsed-dead.

A second passed in horrified silence, before someone gasped. It was all that was required to break the floodgates and send us flying in attack toward the man in black. The captain reached him first. Our attacker grabbed his shoulder, twisting the Captain around, and snapping his neck in the process. The captain's body slumped to the floor.

I was the second to reach the assailant. A hand that felt like a boulder smacked my face hard, knocking me roughly to the ground. My face hit the deck and everything went dark.

~ * ~ / ~ & ~ \ ~ * ~

As I came to, my skull throbbed as pain ran through my body. I cried out softly at the wave of agony washing over me. I opened my eyes and brought my hand up as a shield from the sun. My heart dropped to my stomach as I viewed the sight on deck. Eighteen men lay scattered about, unmoving. There was utter silence, except for the steady beat of waves against the hull of the boat. Other than myself, there was only one crewmember alive and the man in black held him firmly against the deck with one hand. The sailor's eyes searched for rescue as his mouth moved to form words that would never escape the mortal wound on his throat.

I stood shakily and reached for a sword. I stilled, cautious, as the man in black froze, pausing his attack. He turned toward me, his eyes a deep ruby red and a smile playing on his lips.

"You survived?" he asked curiously.

I tried to speak, but couldn't around the taste in my mouth. I spat out the mouthful of blood that had pooled there. "It will take more than that to kill me," I murmured. I wasn't sure he could have heard me with the distance between us, but I didn't have it left in me to speak louder.

He chuckled softly. "Don't worry...I have more than that...so much more." He took a menacing step forward.

I didn't shift in my steadfastness as he closed the distance; I refused to give him an inch. He tilted his head to the side and regarded me carefully. I took a step toward him, staggering a little, but pressed the sword into the wooden deck, using it to help me stay erect. He took another slow, deliberate step toward me.

"Stay back," I warned, pulling the sword from the deck and levelling it at the height of his throat.

He walked straight toward me, not stopping when he hit the sword. But instead of piercing his flesh, it glanced harmlessly off his shoulder. I stepped back as terror and rationality overtook any desire for justice for the crew who had been ruthlessly slaughtered by the man in front of me.

"What are you?" I asked.

The man in black laughed. His hand extended toward my neck, and I knew it was over. I fell to my knees. "Please," I said softly. "Please, I need to live."

He stepped back as if I had scolded him. His hand dropped to his side, but then he chuckled.

"Why?" he asked. "What is so important that you want to live through pain?"

"True love," I replied.

He scoffed at me. "True love? It doesn't exist."

I stood again and met his eyes. "Yes it does," I said defiantly.

"Prove it," he said.

"The girl I love is pure and true. Her beauty is greater than a thousand sunsets. Her voice sweeter than a gallon of honey. Her eyes are deep pools of brown that I can fall into the depths of and never wish to climb back from."

"That's not proof of true love," he whispered. "Only that you are blinded from the truth about the woman you love."

"I left her so that I had the means to look after her forever," I said, setting my jaw and meeting his eyes. I refused to look away from him, even as his red irises cooled the blood in my veins. "If that isn't true love, what is?"

"True love is staying away from the woman you love because your very presence will end her life."

I was confused by his statement, but shook my head. "True love is making things work when they look their most hopeless."

"You have no idea what you are talking about," he snapped. "You have never had to make the choice."

"I made the choice," I argued. "I will return to my Isabella, no matter the risk to my own life."

"What about the risk to hers? If it was truly in her best interest that you stay away from her-could you?" he asked.

"It would never be in Isabella's best interest for me to stay away."

He sighed. I thought he must have been growing weary of our argument, so I raised the sword again.

"I swear to you..." I said. "Death will not stop me from returning to Isabella."

"We shall see..." he whispered, crouching low as if to attack.

I sliced at his shoulder, using all the strength I could muster, but the blade simply twisted where it had struck him and pain shot up my arm. I cried out as his hands came to my throat, before he pulled me roughly onto his own ship.

"What's your name?" he asked harshly.

When I didn't answer immediately, he pinched my shoulder. I heard a popping sound and cried out in pain as my bones snapped at his touch.

"What's your name?" he commanded.

"Edward," I murmured as I tried to stop myself from passing out.

"All right, Edward, I've never had a valet...or a crew for that matter..." he mused. "You may try if you'd like. I'll most likely kill you in the morning."

He threw me roughly into a room on deck and locked the door behind him. I whimpered softly, not willing to give him the satisfaction of tears or begging. I was sure that was what he wanted.

I ripped my shirt and fashioned a rough sling with it before settling against the wall of the ship. I rested my head against the wood, feeling that I had failed my Isabella.

~ * ~ / ~ & ~ \ ~ * ~

That night, the man in black returned to the room where he had left me. He had changed into a white satin shirt and black pants-the mask he had worn discarded.

He ran his hand through his now loosed short blonde hair and regarded me carefully.

"What do you want from me?" I asked.

He smiled wickedly. "You smell too good," he whispered, apologetically. "I've been alone on this ship too long. I couldn't ignore it anymore."

My heart beat loudly at his words. The next instant his mouth was at my throat. "Don't worry, Edward," he murmured. "I think I can control myself enough not to kill you. Just...don't struggle."

I tried to back away but his hand clenched tighter and his teeth bit into my throat. I could feel my blood being drawn through the wound that he had ripped into my neck and cried out in agony as he drank. He pulled me closer but at the same time pushed me away. It was as if there was an internal battle raging within him. He eventually removed himself from me, shoving me away roughly.

Almost instantly, a fire raced through my veins, and I begged for death... for unconsciousness... for anything that would soothe the inferno.

"I am sorry about the pain," the man whispered between my screams. "It will get easier...then we'll test your theory on true love, shall we?"

~ * ~ / ~ & ~ \ ~ * ~

I burned. For days-which felt like years-I burned. Nothing had ever hurt so much in my life, except the pain of separation from Isabella. I screamed until my voice became hoarse and failed me.

Finally, the pain lessened as a new one appeared. I could concentrate on nothing but the scolding fire in my throat; it flamed as though parched for days.

"Please," I whispered into the empty room. "My throat...it aches."

That'll be the thirst. I startled when I heard a voice, as I was certain I was alone. I sat up and looked around. Everything was the same...but different; richer somehow. I could see the smallest, most intricate details of the knots and bows in the wood around me and appreciate the different textures of the material that rested against my body.

Maybe I shouldn't have done it.

I recognised the voice; it belonged to the man in black. The regret he felt was evident, but regret over what exactly?

"Shouldn't have done what?" I asked, realising he must have been somewhere close by for me to hear his voice.

What? he asked, confused.

"You shouldn't have done what?" I asked. I wasn't sure why it was such a confusing question.

The door crashed open.

"Are you talking to me?" he asked.

"Unless there is someone else here," I queried.

He laughed. "Surely you can tell... listen... do you hear anyone else around?"

I shook my head.

"Why did you ask that?" he said, growing serious again.

"Because... you said you shouldn't have done it. I was... curious."

Interesting.

"What is interesting?"

You are. "Nothing." He laughed.

"Is it me... or nothing?"

I turned to look at him and gasped. He was-as everything was-the same... but different. His skin shimmered slightly in the light.

"Come on. If you are going to be my valet, I best show you around," he said, walking from the room.

He showed me to the lower quarters. I immediately noticed the lack of a galley, but I stilled the question on my tongue. We reached the main deck and his skin radiated light, as if a thousand individual crystals had been buried throughout. The sun reflected from own hand in the same way. I crouched low and hissed at him before becoming distraught over my reaction.

"What have you done to me?" I roared, launching myself at him.

He twisted easily out of my grip and laughed as he secured my arms behind me.

"I remember the anger," he said. "It's nearly as bad as the thirst."

At his words, the pain in my throat blazed hotter than before.

"What have you done to me?" I asked, defeated.

"Testing your theory on true love," he said simply.

He ran off before returning-too swiftly-and throwing an outfit at me. "Get dressed."

"I want answers first!" I demanded.

"No," he said. "You need to feed first."

"Feed?" I asked.

"We'll find something small to start with... maybe a fisherman. I'm Carlisle by the way."

~ * ~ / ~ & ~ \ ~ * ~

I soon left humanity behind for a life of blood and hedonistic pursuits as Carlisle showed me the true nature of my new life. For months, we hunted on the open seas, capturing ships, taking riches purely to further the pirate rumour. In doing so, we could get away with the wholesale murder of boatloads of victims without raising suspicion. My outfit mirrored Carlisle's, designed to hide the skin which would otherwise expose us.

Not long into our partnership, Carlisle had admitted that I had something he had never encountered in our kind before, an extra talent of sorts. I discovered my gift was not limited to him. I was able to hear the innermost thoughts of every man, woman, and child we encountered. Perhaps I had always possessed the ability to some degree, but the venom had amplified everything of who I used to be. The venom... I shuddered as I remembered the horrible fluid that had burned through my veins and turned me into a vampire. If I ever forgot what I was-impossible given my increased mental abilities-the venom was there to remind me. All it took was a shift in the breeze to carry the scent of a human in my direction to give me an impossibly painful reminder. The smell of blood-or even the thought of it, if I was thirsty enough-was enough to reignite the painful fire in my throat. When I was unable to satisfy the thirst immediately, I would claw at my neck in an attempt to quench the burn.

Only after six months of the relentless pursuit of blood, did I begin to wonder whether there was another way. Only then, did I begin to see the lie in Carlisle's eyes and in his thoughts. I didn't want to broach the subject with him, aware that he remained the better fighter. My only advantage over him was the ability to see his thoughts and be able to anticipate any potential attack.

Another year passed before I told him I was leaving. Over time, my desire for blood had lessened to the point where thoughts of my Isabella began to take over. I wanted to see her again. I wanted to hold her in my arms and tell her I was a fool for leaving; that I had known nothing of the world outside of the safe fences of the farm.

"Go to her then," he said. "Go to your true love."

He said the words with a contempt I didn't understand. He masked his thoughts, concentrating on the face of every kill he'd made in the past twenty years. He knew I didn't like to think about the people we had killed, for I did it out of pure necessity-to salve the burn.

I left him, getting as far as the port at Florin before I killed anyone. As I drank the blood of my prey, I knew I could not risk being close to Isabella. If she died at my hands, my grief would be unbearable. If I killed her purely to satisfy my own selfish desires, I would never forgive myself.

I arrived back at the boat and greeted Carlisle with a growl, slapping his hand out of the way when he offered it to me to help me onto the boat.

"You fed," he accused.

"Why did you do this to me?" I asked, my voice cool and quiet.

"Because, you had no idea what love was."

"How dare you," I hissed. "I loved Isabella. We would have been happy."

He shrugged. "And now she's dead."

I launched at him. I had pure anger and raw emotion on my side, and quickly brought him to submission. "Don't you dare say that!"

He looked surprised. "You didn't kill her?"

I shook my head. "I couldn't go to her. I couldn't risk it."

"Maybe it was true love after all," he whispered, but his thoughts were still unapologetic.

"Why?" I asked again.

His thoughts and voice remained silent.

"Why?" I demanded.

I saw the truth then. The truth he had hidden from me for over eighteen months-the death of his beloved by his own hand. "I knew that only someone who had experienced true love would have the compassion to kill me for what I did."

I released him. "What was her name?" I asked.

Esme, oh my Esme! He bowed his head, knowing I would hear his silent lament.

"What happened?"

"I woke...and no one was there. I didn't know what I was. She was..." his voice was amazingly steady before it cut off suddenly. "She was the first person I encountered after..."

I saw the scene play out in my mind as he woke in a strange place in his hometown. His beloved saw him on the ground and ran toward him. He leapt, taking her down like common prey.

He looked up at me, his eyes earnest and wanting. "Please," he begged.

I closed my eyes, but it didn't block the pain from his memory.

"I can't," I apologised. "The killing ends now."

"It's what we are!" he said. "It's what we will always be."

I shook my head. "Not anymore. We will find another way."

"I can't live without Esme any longer!" he cried. "It's been twenty years." He dropped his head into his hands. "Twenty years living with what I have done."

"Then live for her," I said. "Make yourself better in memory of her."

He nodded but wasn't convinced.

It was another twelve months before we discovered a different way. It was a happy accident. We were both desperate with thirst when we came across a ship. It was sinking, the crew long gone-the livestock aboard deserted. The horses and cattle were panicking when we arrived. The blood, a fast rhythm of wet thuds, pumped rapidly through their veins-a siren's call to my thirst. It wasn't nearly as appealing as human blood-but it was wet and would soothe the ache.

Carlisle looked on in disgust as I sank my teeth into the veins of the first of the livestock, but once the scent of the flowing blood filled the air, he could resist no longer.

Afterward, we laughed at the ridiculousness of what we had just done. We had consumed cows, just as we had when we were human. It was all it took for me to swear off human blood forever. I knew it would be a struggle, but I couldn't continue the life we had led any longer. Carlisle had agreed with me-or at least, he agreed to try.

~ * ~ / ~ & ~ \ ~ * ~

Life at sea changed. We didn't pillage or plunder, we had enough fortune amassed to last us a hundred lifetimes, but the legends of the Dread Pirate Cullen remained. After a time of hunting wild beasts, we began to risk short journeys into populated areas.

In one of these journeys, Carlisle returned to his hometown and things changed again.

Carlisle sprung onto the ship, a new exuberance in his step. I hope he takes this news well.

"What news?" I asked without turning to look at him.

"There are rumours in the town; rumours of the ghost of a woman of extraordinary beauty. The legends say she feeds on the lonely and distraught men in town."

"So?"

I think... in fact, from the description I'm almost sure... that it's her.

"Her?" I asked. "You mean... Esme?"

He nodded. "What if I didn't kill her-what if I just started the process of turning her?"

"How can you be so sure?"

"I can't," he said, but smiled widely. "But if there is even the chance... shouldn't I try?"

I nodded, reluctant to lose my only friend, but agreeing with him. If there was even a chance it was his true love it was worth it.

"I am truly sorry for what I took from you," he said before leaving the boat, and my life.

~ * ~ / ~ & ~ \ ~ * ~

After that, life became desperate. I had no companion, and I realised how lonely Carlisle's life had been before he had turned me. Both day and night were empty, permitting far too much time to think about my life and my love. Soon Isabella consumed my every thought. I wondered what she knew about me. The boat I had travelled on would have arrived ashore mere weeks of my leaving her. Did she think me dead? If so, was she still in mourning over her loss, or had she moved on with someone else?

I found myself closing in on the port of Florin without making a conscious decision to do so. Finally, the need to see her, to know that she was safe, was so great it was a constant ache. Nearly five years had passed since I'd left her, and I couldn't bear to face another day without her. I needed to see her smile light up the day and make everything right.

I planned my homecoming meticulously. I created a plausible story of why I was away from her for so long. I fed regularly, ensuring I was as safe as possible before I risked approaching her.

I left the Dread Pirate Cullen's ship anchored at sea, rowing into the harbor in the dingy. I had barely crossed onto dock when I heard a tale that made my eternally strong knees buckle beneath me. Isabella was set to marry. Prince Jacob had announced their engagement only days earlier. I turned and fled the land, heading back to the familiarity of my ship. I roared at the sky and shouted curses to the sea. Life kept finding ways to mock my love. I began to doubt the emotion. Although I knew I would rather see Isabella happy and safe in the arms of another than alone and in agony, that knowledge didn't stop the monstrous pain within me try desperately to claw its way out of my aching chest.

For the first time in years, I desired a hunt in which I could inflict agony upon another. I slipped into my Dread Pirate Cullen outfit and prepared the ship. I closed my eyes and tracked the first scent I crossed, a boat carrying half a dozen people-maybe less. One of the occupants had the most intoxicating smell I had ever encountered. Even from a distance, and with the salt from the ocean between us, I could tell it would be the sweetest blood I had ever tasted. Because of the lack of supplies and crew, my ship was lighter and quickly closed the distance between us. As I came within range of the boat, I began to hear the thoughts of those aboard. In their thoughts, I saw Isabella.

"Despite what you think, you will be caught," Isabella said, interrupting a short, weedy man mid-speech. Her chin jutted forward purposefully, her pride clear. "And when you are-the prince will see you all hanged."

It hurt to see Isabella relying on the prince to rescue her. Clearly, I was long forgotten. Regardless of that fact, I needed to save her. I couldn't allow anyone to inflict harm on my Isabella and not react.

I knew one of the men, one with wild, wavy hair had spotted me and his thoughts were full of concern. He stood on the stern of the boat and watched me over his shoulder.

"Stop doing that!" the weedy man snapped at him. "We can relax, it's almost over."

"Are you sure nobody is following us?" the worried man asked.

"I told you, it would be absolutely, totally, and in all other ways, inconceivable. No one in Gilder knows what we've done, and no one in Florin could've gotten here so fast." He rested his head against the side of the boat, but lifted it again almost instantly. "Why do you ask?"

"No reason," the worried man said, his head turning to stare over the back of his ship to mine. "Just that I happened to look behind us and something is there."

"Probably just a local fisherman... out at night... in eel-infested waters."

I concentrated and could make out the mental voices of three men. I quickly gleamed all I need to know. Aro, the weedy man, was the leader and the other two, Emmett and Jasper, were hired thugs.

I noticed almost immediately the lack of any female 'voice'. Concentrate as I might, I could not hear Isabella. I could not know if she thought of me at all or whether she was consumed by thoughts of her precious Prince Jacob.

A splash drew the attention of all the men on the boat. I saw that Isabella had taken advantage during the few seconds everyone's attention had been on me to dive over the side. During her childhood, I had given her many lessons in diving and swimming, so she easily pushed away from the boat and put space between herself and her captors. I tensed, ready to jump in and save her from the eels should she need it, but I couldn't risk giving away what I was until I was sure I needed to kill these men. If they thought I was human, I would not need to do them any harm, but I couldn't risk rumours of something unnatural on the water.

The sounds of the eels preparing their attack rent the otherwise silent night.

Aro jumped to his feet and shouted at his men. "Go in! Get after her!" His voice carried on the wind as Isabella continued to push as far away from the boat as she could. The piercing cries of the eels grew louder.

"Do you know what that sound is, Highness?" Aro shouted to her.

Isabella paused.

"Those are the shrieking eels," Aro continued. "If you don't believe me, just wait! They grow louder when they are about to feed on human flesh. If you swim back now, I promise no harm will come to you. I doubt you'll get the same offer from the eels."

Isabella kicked her legs furiously as the eels rose to the surface. They writhed around her, and I could see them begin to tear at her dress. One reared out of the water and charged toward her. The shrieking grew louder as its head rose from the water, baring a mouth full of razor sharp teeth.

The large one, Emmett, reached out and smacked down hard on the eel's head, knocking it under the water. Without pausing, his arm closed around the neck of Isabella's dress and she was pulled from the water. He placed her on the deck as she gasped and shivered from the cold and shock.

Jasper was back at the rear of the boat, watching my ship edging ever closer. He shouted out a warning to Aro.

"He is no concern of ours. Sail on!" Aro instructed. He turned to Isabella, tying her wrists with new bindings. I noted that he took no care for her comfort and decided he would pay. "I suppose you think you're brave, don't you?"

Isabella looked to him, her brown eyes steely and cold. Though her long brown hair hung limply around her as shivers ran through her body, it was obvious she refused to give up her pride. "Only compared to some," she whispered, her voice filled with hatred.

Everyone on the boat fell into silence, save for the loud chattering of Isabella's teeth as she huddled against the wood of the mast, watching her three captors with open contempt.

Through the night, I toyed with them, trying to work out why they had Isabella, and what they planned for her. But I spent most of the time trying to work out why I could not hear my darling Isabella's thoughts.

I saw the cliffs they were clearly heading for long before they did.

As the three men noticed the cliffs, Jasper turned to Aro. "Look!" Jasper said, indicating my ship. "He's right on top of us. He can't be using the same wind as us."

Aro rubbed his hands together delightedly. "Whoever he is, he's too late. See? We're safe. Only Emmett is strong enough to scale the Cliffs of Insanity!"

They quickly anchored the ship and climbed into the rowboat to get to the small beach at the base of the cliffs. Aro had already prepared their escape route, tethering a thick rope to a stone at the top. Jasper set to work quickly strapping a custom-made harness onto Emmett, before hooking everyone up. Isabella watched wide-eyed, before being secured to the giant. She turned back to look at my ship, but I knew she wouldn't recognise me with my mask on. It covered most of my face, and that which wasn't covered had changed.

Emmett pulled the four of them up the cliff-face inch by agonising inch. The upper body strength it took to pull even himself up made it a feat of strength greater than most men would be able to perform. For me, it would be an easy task. I would catch them when they reached the top of the cliff-and I would decide what to do with them from there.

"He's climbing the rope," Jasper said. "He's gaining on us."

"Inconceivable!" Aro shouted, before looking down, seeing that Jasper was in fact correct. "Faster!" he shouted into Emmett's face.

Aro continued to shout at Emmett, telling him he was useless and stupid.

"I'm carrying three people," Emmett said. "He's got only himself."

"I do not accept excuses. I'm going to have to find myself a new giant, that's all."

"Don't say that, Aro," Emmett said, pouting. "Please?"

I found a rhythm and climbed at a steady pace.

"Did I not make it clear that your job is at stake?" Aro shouted as I grew closer.

Finally, after a mammoth effort, Emmett hauled them all up and over the top of the cliff. Aro darted straight off, pulling a knife from his belt as he ran. He reached the rope and began to slice at it. I anticipated the snap and reached for the cliff-face with seconds to spare. Climbing the rock was going to take a little longer, but I would still be able to reach the top with ease.

"He's got very good arms," Emmett said, watching me over the edge of the cliff.

"He didn't fall?" Aro shouted incredulously. "Inconceivable."

Jasper turned to him. "You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means."

Aro wrestled with the idea that I was actually climbing up the cliff for a moment. "Whoever he is," he said eventually, "he's obviously seen us with the princess and must therefore die. You,"-he pointed to Emmett-"carry her." Aro instructed Jasper to stay on the cliff-top to 'finish me off'.

Smiling to myself, I thought of my time with Carlisle and the books I had studied regarding sword fighting. It would be interesting to see how much of it I could apply. It would also give me an opportunity to determine whether Jasper deserved to die for his part in the plan to kidnap Isabella.

After Emmett, Aro and Isabella had left, Jasper waited, looking over the side of the cliff from time to time. I could hear his impatience growing with each passing minute, but I had to keep up my human appearance.

"Hello there!" Japer called down to me. "I don't suppose you could speed things up?"

"If you're in such a hurry, you could lower a rope or a tree branch or find something useful to do."

"I could do that, I have still got some rope up here," Jasper said. "But I do not think you would accept my help, since I am only waiting around to kill you."

"That does put a damper on our relationship," I said, truthfully. I was really hoping I wouldn't have to kill anyone else. I had murdered enough people in my existence.

"But, I promise I will not kill you until you reach the top."

"That's very comforting," I said. "But I'm afraid you'll just have to wait."

"I hate waiting. Is there no way you'll trust me?" he asked.

"Nothing comes to mind," I said.

"I swear on the soul of my sister, Rosalie Whitlock Hale, you will reach the top alive."

I heard the solemnity in his thoughts. His sister's soul was not something he would risk.

"Throw me the rope," I said, showing that I would trust him.

He threw down the rope and I climbed as quickly as I dared to reach the top. I pretended to be exhausted as I said, "Thank you."

"We'll wait until you are ready," he offered.

I was astounded by his sportsmanship. "Again, thank you."

"I do not mean to pry, but you don't by any chance happen to have six fingers on your right hand?"

"Do you always begin conversations this way?" I asked.

"My sister was slaughtered by a six-fingered man," he said. "She looked after me after our parents died. She was a great sword smith-her skills were renowned. When the six-fingered man appeared, he requested a special sword and my sister took the job. She slaved for a year before it was done."

He held out his sword-the one from his thoughts-to me.

"I've never seen its equal," I spoke honestly. I thought about the swords back in the hold of my ship and could think of none as finely crafted as the one he extended.

"The six-fingered man returned and demanded it, but at one-tenth his promised price. My sister refused. Without a word, he slashed her through the heart. I loved my sister dearly, so naturally I challenged her murderer to a duel. I failed. The six-fingered man left me alive, but he gave me this." He showed me a scar on each of his cheeks.

"How old were you?" I asked, curious about the stranger who seemed so willing to share himself with me.

"I was eleven years old. When I was strong enough, I dedicated my life to the study of fencing. The next time I meet the six-fingered man, I will not fail. I will go up to him and say, 'Hello. My name is Jasper Whitlock Hale. You killed my sister. Prepare to die.'"

"You've done nothing but study swordplay?" I asked.

"More a pursuit than a study. I cannot find him. It has been fifteen years, and I am starting to lose confidence. I only work for Aro to pay the bills. There's not a lot of money in revenge."

"Well, I certainly hope you find him someday."

"Are you ready then?" Jasper asked.

"Regardless, you've been more than fair," I said.

"You seem a decent fellow," Jasper said. "I hate to kill you."

I smiled at him. "You seem a decent fellow. I hate to die."

He thrust toward me with his sword, and I parried. I fought at a human's pace, deciding that this man was worthy of my pity, not my vengeance. He had been genuine when stating he only desired the money while waiting for the six-fingered man. He meant no harm to Isabella or myself.

I danced, just out of reach of his sword's blade, knowing that if it struck me it would injury him more. I anticipated his moves through his thoughts, so it was easy to stay a step ahead of him. I swiped my blade beside his head; it harmlessly whizzed past him. Clangs filled the air as our swords combated for dominance.

We traded banter as we danced our macabre waltz. It would have been easy, but deadly, to overpower him. Instead, I found myself fascinated by his masterful swordplay. In my human life, I would never have been able to learn to handle a sword in such a way.

"Who are you?" Jasper asked, as I exerted domination over him without risking his life.

"No one of consequence," I answered.

"I must know."

"Get used to disappointment," I whispered. If he knew I was the Dread Pirate Cullen, and I let him go, my reputation would be soured. People would no longer fear my name.

Jasper shrugged. "Okay."

I flicked my sword at his, loosening his grip. I tossed it to the side, and he fell to his knees.

"Kill me quickly," he whispered.

"I would as soon destroy a stained-glass window as an artist as yourself," I said. "However, since I can't have you following me either..."

I raised my sword and, with as little pressure as I could, hit him over the head to render him unconscious. I listened for his heart to ensure he was alive.

"Please understand I hold you in the highest respect," I whispered to his unconscious form.

I listened for the party of three that was ahead of me. Emmett towed Isabella behind him until she cried out in pain, then he swept her into his arms with great care-a wonder considering Aro's talk of her imminent death. The only true threat to her life-the only one who deserved death-was Aro himself.

I raced as swiftly as I dared in their direction. If they were paying me attention, they would have noticed I was faster than any human could ever be.

"Inconceivable!" I heard Aro shout before giving Emmett directions to kill me, while he went on ahead with Isabella.

Emmett found a hiding place and as I approached, he aimed a boulder so that it hit the rock just in front of my head. I knew he had done it deliberately, and his next words confirmed it. I was in a hurry to get to Aro now that he was alone with Isabella. With Emmett or Jasper, he may have delayed killing her, but with the threat of an imminent rescue…

"So what do we do now?" I asked Emmett as he collected another rock.

"We face each other as God intended," Emmett said. "No tricks or weapons. Just skill against skill."

"So you'll put down your rock, and I'll put down my sword, and we'll try and kill each other like civilized people?" I asked.

"I could kill you now," he threatened, bouncing the rock in his hand. I wanted to laugh at the ridiculousness of the situation, but I reminded myself I needed to appear human.

"The odds are in your favour if we are hand fighting," I said, knowing I actually had the upper hand.

"It's not my fault if I am the biggest and the strongest," Emmett said. "I don't even exercise."

Emmett swiped at me, and I ducked under his hands.

"You're quick," he said.

"And a good thing, too," I whispered. He would likely break his hand if he hit me with the force he was exerting.

I ducked around him again, getting a stranglehold on his throat, squeezing with just enough pressure to cut off his air supply without crushing his windpipe.

I noticed his steps began to falter. He slumped forward a little, and I tightened my grip. I guided him to the floor as he lost consciousness.

After checking that he would survive, I ran after Aro and Isabella, no longer caring for human pretences. I watched as he pushed her roughly onto a flat rock, fashioning another into a rudimentary table. He walked behind Isabella and made a blindfold out of a scrap of material before tying it around her eyes, ensuring she would not run off.

As I tracked their scent, I realised that one of them was the owner of the sweet-smelling blood which had made my throat ache feverishly; I doubted it was Aro.

He unpacked a few items of food from a satchel and settled in to wait for me.

Aro pulled a knife from his belt as I approached. "So it is down to you, and it is down to me," Aro said, pressing the knife to Isabella's throat.

I read his mind, seeing that he didn't want to hurt her...yet. I took a step forward to test his patience.

"If you wish her dead," he said. "By all means, keep moving forward."

"Let me explain-" I started, taking another small step.

"There's nothing to explain. You're trying to kidnap what I have rightfully stolen," Aro interrupted.

"Perhaps an arrangement can be reached?" I asked.

Aro pressed the knifepoint further into Isabella's skin, to the point of nearly breaking the surface. It was taking everything I had to stay rooted to the spot as her enticing blood called to me. If it spilled, I knew I would not be able to stop myself.

"There will be no arrangement," Aro said. "And you're killing her."

"If there can be no arrangement, then we are at an impasse."

"I'm afraid so," he said. "I can't compete with you physically, and you're no match for my brains."

"You're that smart?" I asked, knowing that he absolutely thought himself to be.

"Have you heard of Plato, Aristotle, or Socrates?"

"Yes."

"Morons," he sneered.

"Really?" I asked. "In that case, I challenge you to a battle of wits."

"For the princess?" he asked.

I nodded once.

"To the death?"

I nodded again.

"I accept."

"Good," I said. "Then pour the wine."

He poured a small amount of wine into each of the goblets. I pulled a small vial from my belt. I had hoped this would come in handy at some point.

"Inhale this, but do not touch," I murmured to Aro.

"I smell nothing," he said.

"What you do not smell is called Iocane powder," I told him. His thoughts told me he recognised it, but I explained anyway for Isabella's benefit. "It is odorless, tasteless, dissolves instantly in liquid, and is among the more deadly poisons known to man."

I grabbed the goblets and turned my back, I put half the powder in each one. Frankly, I was not looking forward to having to drink the wine–or bringing it back up again later. I placed the goblets back onto the table.

"All right," I said. "Where is the poison? The battle of wits has begun. It ends when you decide and we both drink, and find out who is right...and who is dead."

"But it's so simple," Aro laughed. Then he started on a rambling explanation of why he knew the poison couldn't be in my wine, but also why it couldn't be in his. His mind worked round and round in circles as quickly as his mouth.

"You're trying to trick me into giving something away," I said, finally. "It won't work."

"But it has worked!" Aro exclaimed. "You've given everything away! I know where the poison is."

"Then make your choice," I said, despising his lies.

"I will, and I choose…" He gasped and pointed. "What in the world can that be?"

I knew it was just a distraction, but I played along, turning away from him. "What? Where? I don't see anything."

What an idiot. "I could have sworn I saw something. No matter." He shook his hand at me and smiled.

"What's so funny?" I asked.

"I'll tell you in a minute. First, let's drink. Me from my glass and you from yours."

We both drank. I repressed the shudder that threatened to run through my body as the wine sloshed down my throat.

"You guessed wrong," I said.

"You only think I guessed wrong!" Aro laughed. I could hear his heart slowing already as the poison worked its way through his system. "That's what's so funny! I switched glasses when your back was turned!" He laughed as his heart stopped beating.

I stood quickly and began to untie Isabella, being careful not to touch her skin.

"Who are you?" she asked. Her eyes met mine with no trace of recognition. Even at our close range, she did not recognise me. I knew in that instant how little I had ever meant to her.

"I'm no one to be trifled with," I snapped. "That is all you ever need know."

I owed it to her, to our past, to see her safely back to her new love. I pushed her to her feet and sent her toward the route back to the ship.

"To think," she mused as we walked. "All that time it was your cup that was poisoned."

"They were both poisoned," I told her, my natural draw to her overriding my irritation for the moment. "I spent the last few years building up an immunity to Iocane powder." I didn't clarify that I was now immune to all human poisons.

I realised we had been walking for at least an hour, and she hadn't complained once. I stopped and turned to her. "Catch your breath," I said.

"If you'll release me," she negotiated. "Whatever you ask for ransom, you'll get it, I promise you."

Her statement brought back my irritation, and was a sharp reminder of what I thought we'd had-what I'd lost. "And what is that worth?" I snapped. "The promise of a woman? You're very funny, Highness."

"I was giving you a chance," she said petulantly. "It does not matter where you take me. There is no greater hunter than Prince Jacob. He can track a falcon on a cloudy day. He can find you."

"You think your dearest love will save you?" I scoffed.

"I never said he was my dearest love," she said with pain in her voice.

I wished that I knew what she was thinking.

"But yes, he will save me."

"You admit to me that you do not love your fiancé?" I asked.

"He knows I do not love him." She said it so plainly, so coldly, that I knew I had been wrong about her when I'd thought her kind and caring.

"Are not capable of love you mean."

"I have loved more deeply than a killer like you could ever dream," she snarled.

I growled at her and she fell to the ground. "That was a warning, Highness. Where I come from, there are penalties when a woman lies."

I pulled her back to her feet, and shoved her forward. I hated being so close to her. Her smell was driving me to distraction. Her words killed any hope I had that anything remained of the Isabella I had loved so deeply.

We circled around the hilltops to find the safest passage back to my ship. I noticed Isabella's breathing had become laboured and her heart sped. I had been driven so mad by my proximity to her that I had completely forgotten about her human frailty. I stopped again. "Rest, Highness," I said harshly.

"I know who you are," Isabella said, her voice filled with contempt. "Your cruelty reveals everything. You're the Dread Pirate Cullen. Admit it!"

I bowed. "With pride. What can I do for you?"

"You can die slowly, cut into a thousand pieces."

I paused at the hatred in her voice. She held so much hatred for the Dread Pirate Cullen, but I couldn't understand what it meant.

"Tsk-tsk-tsk. Hardly complimentary, your Highness. Why release your venom on me?"

"You killed my love."

I stifled the gasp that threatened to escape. I decided to play it cool-after all, she could have just realised who I was and wanted to pretend to be remorseful. "It's possible," I said. "I kill a lot of people. Who was this love of yours? Another prince-ugly, rich, and scabby?"

"No. A farm boy. Poor. Poor and perfect. With eyes the colour of the grass in the meadow we shared. On the high seas, your ship attacked and the Dread Pirate Cullen never takes prisoners."

"I can't afford to make exceptions," I said coolly though my mind was running wild. "Once word leaks out that a pirate has gone soft, people begin to disobey you, and it's nothing but work, work, work all the time."

"You mock my pain!" she snapped.

"Life is pain, Highness," I said. I knew it better than anyone else could. Even now, after discovering that my love hadn't forgotten me, I was in agony from the very blood in her veins. "Anyone who says differently is selling something."

I sat in silence, as I listened to her breathing and steady heartbeat.

"I remember this farm boy of yours, I think," I said. I wasn't lying, I remembered him as someone else-I was no longer him and hadn't been since I woke to this new life. "This would be what, five years ago?" I looked down at her; she didn't flinch at my words. I began to think my initial assessment was correct; perhaps she was heartless after all. "Does it bother you to hear?"

"Nothing you can say will upset me."

"He died well. That should please you. No bribe attempts or blubbering. He simply said, 'Please... please, I need to live.' It was the 'please' that caught my memory. I asked him what was so important for him here. 'True Love', he replied. And then he spoke of a girl of surpassing beauty and faithfulness. I can only assume he meant you. You should bless me for destroying him before he found out what you really are."

"And what am I?" she asked, defiantly.

"Faithfulness he talked of. Your enduring faithfulness. Now tell me truly-when you found out he was gone, did you get engaged to your prince that same hour, or did you wait a whole week out of respect for the dead?"

"You mocked me once," she said, standing to stare at me. "Never do it again! I died that day!"

I turned away from her. I needed to take stock of what she was saying. I had no idea what the truth was without being able to listen to her mind. I had relied on my extra sense my entire second life, and it was disconcerting not to have it when I needed it the most.

"And you can die too for all I care!" Isabella snapped behind me.

I felt her hands on my back and realised this was the perfect test. I allowed her to push me from the hilltop. "As...you...wish!" I called out, as I rolled down the hill.

Her melodic voice came flowing down the hill and surrounded me. "Oh my sweet Edward, what have I done?"

I heard her body tumbling behind me. I had never meant for her to put herself in any harm to prove how she felt. As I rolled again and again, my mask came loose and eventually fell off. I landed with a final bang, and heard her land a short distance away. I raced to her, wrapping her tenderly in my arms.

"Can you move at all?" I asked

"Move? You're alive! If you want...I can fly."

I turned my eyes away from her, to avoid the questions about my new eye colour. I wanted to put off that conversation for a while longer. "I told you I would always come for you. Why didn't you wait for me?"

"Well..." she said, thoughtfully, "you were dead."

"Death cannot stop True Love," I whispered. "All it can do is delay it for a while."

"I will never doubt again," Isabella murmured.

I put aside all fear of where we could go from here. I ignored the pressing issue of the call of her blood and disregarded the fact that I would never be human again. She was all I could think of, so I pressed my lips softly to hers and made a promise I knew I would never be able to keep. "There will never be a need."