Author's Note: Short chapter ahead! And the very last one! Enjoy the last installment of Gardenia!

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.

Chapter 40

Five Hundred Years Later

"Oh, isn't he so handsome?"

"He's so tall and handsome and dreamy...! Look at those green orbs!"

"His green eyes are shining so brightly! I'm going to faint!"

A tall, handsome young man walked briskly through the University of Gardenia. By the age of twenty, he was already an accomplished soldier, excellent in the martial arts. He twirled a sword as he continued a traditional sport of his country, and he excelled in shooting a gun as a hobby.

His elder sister did not understand why he chose to play with a sword when everyone used a gun nowadays. He would look at her and simply repeat his constant words, "The kingdom of Gardenia used a sword, and I will continue the tradition as our fathers before us did."

He turned a corner and bumped into a beautiful young woman with long, mahogany hair. He quickly murmured an apology, hoping she would not pounce on him with this excuse. To his bemusement, the young woman blushed a brilliant shade of red and clutched the books in her arms tightly.

"It's okay," she mumbled, not even looking up at him, embarrassed. She hurried away, stumbling over her own feet. The girl was naturally clumsy.

The young man stared after her curiously, taken aback. She was the first woman ever to act as though he was not the Crown Prince. Or had she even recognized him? She had not looked up to see his face, after all.

What an interesting woman. How had he never noticed such a beautiful girl during his past two years at this university?

"Your Highness!"

The young man resisted the urge to roll his eyes when his eunuch and bodyguards came running up to him. He turned away, disinterested. "What?"

The eunuch looked distraught. "My lord, please do not go anywhere without informing us with prior notice!"

The young prince shrugged. "I'm a college student. I have a schedule to follow, you know. If you want to know where I'm going each hour of the day, you can memorize my schedule."

He walked off briskly, his long legs whisking him off to the Palace, which was about a ten-minute walk from the university campus. He hummed lightly as he thought back to the girl. He found himself getting more and more curious as each second ticked by...

He bumped into her again. This time, it was in the library, in the classics aisle. She blushed profusely once more, intriguing him. Like before, she didn't seem to recognize him as she mumbled an apology and attempted to escape once more.

Without thinking, he grabbed her wrist and held her back. "Wait."

Surprised, the girl looked up, not thinking. Her eyes widened in horror as she finally recognized the young man for who he was. She immediately bowed, looking mortified. "Your Highness!"

"Shh," he cautioned. "I'm hiding from my bodyguards. I don't want them to find me."

The girl was surprised, but she didn't say anything more as she looked down blankly at her wrist, which he was still holding onto tightly. "Um..."

He noticed her discomfort, but did not let go immediately. "You didn't recognize me before, did you?"

She shook her head silently.

Amused, he said playfully, "You know what the price for bumping into the Crown Prince is?"

Appalled, she inhaled sharply. "There's a price?"

"Of course." He paused dramatically. "It's having lunch with him."

For a moment, she stood frozen, shocked. Then, she looked up to glare at him so ferociously that he had to grin. This girl had some backbone, despite being shy and blushing often. He liked that.

Irritated, she shook his hand off of her wrist. "I'm sorry, but I'm not interested in having lunch with a man I've just met. Even if he is the Crown Prince." She turned as if to stomp off.

But she was stopped again when he grabbed her arm this time. "Wait. The least you could do is give me your name." He smiled, trying to peer into her deep chocolate eyes while she tried to avoid him. "I'll tell you mine too."

She frowned. "I already know your name."

"No," he corrected. "You know me as the Crown Prince. But I'm just a young college student, trying to get the attention of a beautiful young woman I just bumped into."

She peeked up at him, surprised once more at his forward attempt. She'd always thought that the royal family would be snobby and rude, despite being excellent rulers. Had those merely been unfair prejudices?

He smiled and offered her his hand. "Hello, beautiful. My name is Edward Cullen the Tenth. And you are?"

She blinked up at him curiously. Tentatively, she took his hand, mumbling, "Isabella."

"Isabella?"

"No." She seemed to make a decision, then took a deep breath. She looked up at him earnestly. "Bella."

AN: So there you are! The prophecy continues, and Bella and Edward's bloodline is as strong as ever!

Thank you so much for all your support and love for this story. I could never have done it without you! And thanks so much for all the wonderful encouragement and compliments you gave me through your lovely reviews! It gave me the strength to go on! I love you all for sticking with me all the way. I truly hope you enjoyed this story while it lasted. Again, thank you!

Now...give me your best words, your best compliments! Review...for the last time!