Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer.

So yeah...hi. Its been, what, six or seven months? Hmmm, whats been happening? Breaking Dawn? Biggest disappointment of my life. Midnight Sun not coming out? I wanted to cry. Movie out in a few days? Better be really good. Robert Pattinson? H-O-T-T. His singing? So-so. Rest of the soundtrack for the movie? Awesome (Paramore's Decode is amazing. The music video, not so much). How much you all hate me? No words can describe it. Enjoy chapter 7!

I watched the sun rise that morning. It was an endeavor that I had not undertaken for many years, and now I wondered as to why. I enjoyed it very much, so it was not for lack of interest that I stood on the battlements and watched the sky change from the black and blue of night into the soft pinks and oranges of the morning. Perhaps it was time that held me back; my attention had always been focused on my duties. However, I knew that all of these excuses were in vain, for the real reason was still ingrained into my mind. Her face, her skin, even her scent, still lingering on my clothes, wouldn't let me think of anything else.

In truth, I had grown bored of the sunrise, its beauty was something that, seen many times, becomes nothing but a lovely painting ingrained in your mind. However, now, with something to compare, I watched it again in a new mindset. The pinks and reds reminded me of how her cheeks would blush at a flattering word. The blues that emerged in the morning light were her dress, her movements as she walked by my side. The returning warmth of the sun was her hand in mine, her arm that I held as I led her down the hall. Suddenly, the picture of the sunrise turned into a picture of her, my lovely Bella.

I was surprised I thought of her as mine. I had only known her a short time, not even a full day, but in the moments we spent together, I felt as if I had known her much longer. I had promised to be her heart's guardian, and it was a promise I would keep.

I turned to walk from the battlements when the sun had finally risen. I walked through the stone corridors on the familiar path to the Prince's room. The thought of him filled me with dread, as it usually did. When I, as a young boy, told my father that I wanted to be a member of the royal guard, his reaction of hesitation had been confusing. Why would he not want me to follow his footsteps in service to the royal family? Now I understood; my father had quickly learned their nature as a pompous, spoiled family, less interested in ruling the kingdom and more interested in the wealth it could give them. My father had only wished to protect me from the eventual disappointment of learning that those I wished to protect were imbeciles (though, knowing my father, he probably would not phrase it was such).

How quickly Bella had been able to see through the ruse Price Michael had put up! Her insight had astounded me. She so surprised me that I could not help but to tell her my own thoughts, those that I only shared with my closest confidants. As I walked into the Prince's room, the sudden remembrance of one of Bella's comments, how she would not dance with him in case he took fancy to her, came to mind. It had seemed like nothing at the time. However it now twisted into a burning rage inside of me. The thought of him with her, looking at her as they danced, holding onto her hand, poisoning her with his mindless talk, had me clutching on the handle of my sword. Had not another guard diverted my attention, I would have unsheathed my blade and cut down the Prince then and there.

"Edward, are alright? You seem angry." A gentle voice beside me spoke, and a hand was laid on my shoulder. I turned to find my friend and fellow guard starring at me curiously, and I detected worry in his eyes. My past thought of killing the Prince was, though not forgotten, dissipated for the moment.

"I am fine now, Jasper." I told him with a smile, and he nodded and smiled in return.

"But you were angry." He said, not letting me get away with holding secrets.

"Yes, I was." I replied. This was one thought he would not get to learn of now. I could tell him of Bella later, away from the Prince. To think that a moment ago I had thought of killing Michael, he who I was sworn to protect. I tried to calmly think of it. If he ever tried to take Bella from me, I would certainly fight back. Would I kill to keep her? My heart answered yes immediately.

Jasper had left me to my thoughts, and sat down in one of the cushioned chairs in the Prince's bedchamber. I could hear the sound of the Prince changing into his bed clothes in his dressing closet. I noticed the last of our crew missing.

"Jasper," I asked as I took a seat as well, "Where has Emmett gone off too?" Jasper shrugged in reply.

"Who knows? After the Prince's grand entrance, there were so many guards everywhere he gave Emmett and I permission to enjoy the ball. To me, that meant that I could leave. So I went to the kitchen and talked with Alice."

Ahhh, Alice. Jasper's sudden romance with the cook's helper had surprised us all. He was so quiet and reserved, and she so outgoing. But they got along splendidly, and we were all waiting for the eventual proposal to come.

"It was odd. She wasn't there when I arrived. But after looking ten minutes for her, she suddenly appeared claiming she was there the whole time. So strange..." He said, with a far off look, like he was talking to himself now, instead of me.

"And Emmett?"

"Oh, right. I'm not sure. He disappeared into the crowd right before I left. Perhaps he found himself a girl and is off romancing her as we speak." He added with a chuckle. I felt myself smile, but it vanished as the Prince came into the room. He yawned and shooed away the servants who had dressed him.

"How did you enjoy the ball?" he asked us as he walked to his bed. "I'm sure that you, Edward, found nothing exciting. Your expression is much too cold for any girl to approach you. How about you Jasper?"

"Very pleasant, your Highness." He responded. Many would think twice before openly criticizing the men protecting them, but none close to the Prince have ever accused him of actually thinking. The Prince had some how decided that a constant competition was occurring between him and myself. I was never informed of the challenge, so I did not mention it, nor fight back. He however, took every chance he had to pronounce some curt comment he had more than likely prepared in advance. I ignored them, as was my job, but I knew he was waiting for the day that I snapped and responded so he could humiliate me. I knew that not responding was more irritating to him, so I stayed silent.

"The constant dancing of the night has tired me; I am going to sleep through the morning. Wake me at lunch. Only one of you needs stay." He ordered. Then he got into bed and blew out the candle nearest him. Usually at least one of us stayed with him while he slept, but he found it necessary to order us whenever he could. I turned to Jasper.

"Who will start the guard?" I asked. He was our official captain, however, since it was usually just the three of us on constant guard of the Prince, we decided things through vote most of the time.

"Well, I'm not. I'm going to go sleep." He said getting up.

"I don't think I will either." I said, and he smiled at me. Emmett chose thins moment to come through the door.

"What's going on, guys?" he asked, a little too boisterously, and shut the door behind him, loudly. I punched him in the arm and shushed him, and Jasper just stood there shaking his head.

"Captain Jasper?! What was that?!" the Prince yelled from the other room.

"Nothing, your Highness. Emmett has simply arrived." He said.

"Make sure he is punished for his tardiness, as well as for waking me!" He yelled.

"Of course, your Majesty." Jasper replied, but rolled his eyes and muttered something under his breath. Emmett chuckled quietly, but stopped when we both glared at him.

"By the way, you're first guard. I'll consider that your punishment." Japser said as he walked out.

"When was that decided?!" Emmett questioned, a look of shock and despair on his face.

"When you decided to not show up during the vote." I told him, and followed Jasper into the hall. I could hear Emmett quiet curses in the room behind me.

I walked with Jasper to the guard's quarters of the palace. We only glanced at each other with a smile as we took separate paths to our rooms; we had known each other so long that parting words weren't necessary. Jasper, Emmett and I had grown up together in the palace. My father, Carlisle, was the royal physician, and my mother, Esme, was the Queen's aid. She had helped to put together the entire ball.

Jasper and Emmett both came from families of rank, though neither lived near the palace. When they had come here at a young age to train to become guards we had instantly bonded, and my mother's maternal instincts kicked in. She raised them as her own sons, and my father gave them the same knowledge and morals he gave me. I considered them my brothers, if not by our own blood, by the sweat and tears we had all shed over the years together.

When I reached my room I slowly unlocked the door and slipped inside. The walls were bare and the accommodations slim. The only furniture in the room was my bed, a desk and chair, and a large armoire. There was a rack on the wall where I now hung my sword. I stripped off my formal guard's uniform and placed it on the chair; I would need to get it washed, for I only had two. I put on a simpler uniform and slipped into bed to get a bit of sleep before Emmett or Jasper came to wake me.

As I felt myself slip into the warm darkness of slumber, I thought of Bella again. When I had first seen her in the ballroom, I had thought her the same as the other girls there: a brainless, spoiled child hoping to grab the Prince's heart. But something in her eye had forced me to follow her into those hallways. I wondered where she was headed as she wandered, and I wondered why I was compelled to follow her. Was it her beauty, or perhaps the look of dread I had seen in her eye as she escaped the hands of so many men. Her cry of desperation in the hall answered my question; she had been lost. I was in no way attempting to run literally run into her, though.

Though, I now thanked God that I had. She was nothing like any of the other girls who I had met. She was witty, quick thinking, opinionated, intelligent, not to mention lovely. I'm not sure when my thoughts deviated from her that night, for I dreamt of her as well. A servant woke me to inform me that Emmett sent him to say that I had the second guard duty, and I quickly grabbed my sword and went to the Prince's room. The night passed in relative silence, I could see the lights of the servants pass through other windows and under the door. By now the preparations for the next night of the ball were underway.

I sent for Jasper when his turn came, and I returned to my room to sleep, and again dream of Bella. I can't remember the whole dream, as dreams are usually like that, but I remember us dancing. There was no one else in the room, but soft music was coming from somewhere close by, and we were dancing slowly, and I was content to just be close to her. Suddenly, the large clock in the ballroom of my reverie tolled, but I couldn't see the time, and with a smile Bella disappeared from my arms. The bell tolled again and I abruptly woke, realizing that it was the palace bell reporting the sunrise.

I groggily got out of bed and walked over to the desk. A bowl filled with water waited for me there, and I splashed the cold liquid on my face. I waited for the chill to wake me up, then got dressed and headed out to the training grounds. A few of the newer recruits were scattered around, practicing their acquired skills. I skimmed the crowd for Emmett, easily finding his tall form amongst the soldiers. He noticed me quickly and came to my side, and together we traveled to the Princes quarters. Jasper was waiting by the door when we arrived.

"He's still asleep." Jasper informed us, with a nod toward the Prince's bed. "The castle guard has taken over watch of the royal family. There's too much movement around the castle with all the preparations for them to effectively perform their rounds, so their just sticking close to the royals instead."

"So, what you basically just said is that we get the next few hours off?" Emmett asked, and Jasper nodded. "Well then, I've got some business to attend to." He pronounced, and quickly walked off. Jasper looked at me quizzically, but all I could do was shrug. He laughed.

"So Edward, what did you do doing the ball last night? I know you were supposed to be patrolling the crowds, but you surely must have let yourself have some sort of fun." He asked as we began to walk in no particular direction.

"I…met some one." I told him, deciding that if I was going to confide in anyone, Jasper was the best choice. He would not spread rumors like Alice, and would not laugh like Emmett. Jasper would listen and advise me, and I valued his guidance. "Her name is Bella." I told him.

"Bella…I haven't heard the name before. Who is her family?" he asked.

"I honestly don't know. She mentioned them being very protective, but never told me who they were."

"Protective how?"

"She has a curfew, and they wouldn't allow her to come to the second ball tonight."

"So you now you will never see her again?"

"No, she's sneaking out."

"What!?"

"It's not like I told her she had to! I wasn't even going to ask her, but when I barely even mentioned the idea she jumped at it!"

"If her parents find out, what exactly are you planning to tell them?"

"That it's entirely my fault. I will not let Bella take the blame."

"Always chivalrous, aren't you Edward?" He sighed and shook his head. "Is she worth it?" He asked.

"Entirely." I answered, slightly annoyed. How could he even consider that Bella would not be worth the risk? I would gladly lay down my job, life, even my soul for her. She would always be worth it. However, he had never met her, I remembered, he wouldn't understand. Perhaps he did understand, though. Did he feel this way about Alice?

"Well, what is she like?" he asked, changing the subject after noticing my slightly upset behavior.

"She's…perfect." I said, surprised that this was the first word to come to mind. Jasper chuckled.

"Could you elaborate please?"

"Well, she's beautiful. Long, dark hair, warm hazel eyes, delicate skin. She's smart too, she saw right through the Prince. And she's quick thinking, brave, independent, lovel-"

"You only met her last night! How can you know all this?"

"I just know, I suppose." I shrugged, and a knowing smile spread across his face.

"You remind me of myself when I first met Alice. Bella seems to be the embodiment of angel, doesn't she?" I nodded. "That's the only way I could think of Alice when I first met her. The only advice I can give you now is to never let her go." He told me with a smile. We then parted ways, and I headed towards the stables.

When I arrived I headed towards the tack room to find the stable master. I knocked on the door twice but no answers came from within. I knocked again, and a stable boy saw me and hurried over.

"Sir Knight, if you're looking for the stable master, you've just missed her. She headed out not ten minutes past." He informed me.

"Do you know when she'll be back?" I asked him.

"No, but you may know better then I, Sir. She was on the arm of one of the Royal Knights." I thanked the boy and he scurried off. Could it be Emmett that was now with the stable master? I wondered what he could be doing with her; the stable master was notoriously mean. I thought no more of it and found the stable hand in charge of dispatching the carriages for the ball. Luckily, they had extra carriages incase another was broken, and I arranged for one to be sent to the town to pick Bella up that night.

I left the barn and sought out my father. He knew just about every noble family in the kingdom, having been called on for births or to cure an ailment. If anyone knew something about Bella it may be him. I found him in his study, a small room in the library the King had allowed him to use for his medical books. He smiled at me as I walked in, and waved his hand at a large, comfortable chair in the corner.

"Please, sit down Edward, I'm almost done with this."

I sat down and inhaled the scent of the small room. The lingering smell of dusty old manuscripts and worn book covers soothed my excited mood. Every minute that passed was a minute closer to seeing Bella again. I felt like I was going to burst. I looked over when my father closed the book he was looking at.

"So, did you enjoy the ball last night?" He asked. I nodded and he laughed.

"It's been a double edged sword for me. I had a wonderful time with your mother, however, just about everyone in the castle has been to me this morning looking to get the blisters on their feet bandaged. It seems like the dancing at this ball was more dangerous than a battlefield." We laughed quietly together, and then he continued, "So what have you come to talk to me about?"

"Well, it's about the ball. I met some one last night and thought-"

It was at this inopportune moment that Emmett knocked on the door and came in, not waiting for permission to enter. He grabbed my arm and began to drag me towards the door.

"Sorry for barging in, but the Prince wants Edward, Jasper and I in his quarters right now." He told my father, and then pulled me into the hall. I could hear Carlisle laughing as we left, and I knew he took no offence to Emmett's behavior. After the long years of watching him grow up, we were all used to his playful nature.

"So Emmett, where were you just now? One of the stable boys told me that the stable master was off with a Royal Knight. Would you know anything about that?" I asked him.

"I know that it's none of your business, so butt out." He replied curtly, and I knew to drop the subject. Emmett was serious about very few things, and when he meant a remark, he meant it.

We arrived at the Prince's quarters, with Jasper there waiting for us. We walked in together to find the Prince being fitted for his outfit that evening. He proceeded to inform us of our duties for the night, droning on about all the fact we already knew. We had been briefed on this a hundred times by our superiors weeks before the ball preparations had even begun. We knew where to stand, whom to watch, where the other guards would be, hallways to patrol at regular intervals. However, the Prince never missed a chance to order us around, and so we stood quietly, ignoring him, as he continued to speak. By the time he had finished the castle's clock had tolled 8'oclock.

When the Prince dismissed us we all hurried back to our rooms to dress for the ball. Donning my formal knight's attire, my thoughts once again strayed to Bella. What would she wear tonight? The blue she had worn the previous night had been lovely against her skin, but what she wore mattered little to me. She could come to the ball dressed in rags and I would not care in the slightest, as long as she was here I would be happy.

It was unfortunate that I would have to once again stay near the Prince during the formalities of his grand entrance. All the guards were lining up in proper order when I arrived at the stage with Emmett. We took our places near the Prince's throne and waited. The waiting was the worst part. We stood there for over an hour as early guests began to dribble into the ball room. Jasper was escorting the Prince from his private quarters to the ballroom, along with fifteen other palace guards, so our only job until the majority of the guests arrived was to stand still and present an air of order and protection. Unfortunately, standing still for so long is extremely boring, so to fill my time I allowed myself to think of Bella.

What would I say to her tonight, what would we speak of? Her family perhaps; but they were a stressful subject to her it seemed, so I would not bring them up. If I was lucky I may be able to convince her to dance with me. My reveries were interrupted when the Prince finally made his grand entrance, to the awe and amazement of the crowd. The eyes of the girls in the crowd disturbed me; some were filled with love, others with greed and envy. The Prince once again dismissed us to do as we pleased during the ball; the crowed floor made it hard for us to stay close enough to protect him, and enough guards were scattered about that he was always in sight. I hurried to the main entrance of the castle where a few late carriages were just arriving. Bella should have been appearing soon, it was a half hour past eleven. I passed Jasper on the way, who winked at me then began to move towards the kitchen, and Alice I assumed.

When I reached the entrance I could not find the carriage had sent to pick up Bella. Perhaps she was just late, and they had been delayed for some reason. What if her parents had found her, and stopped her from coming? She had been so sure that she would be able to sneak out, I didn't think it was a possibility. She's just late getting ready, I assured myself.

I stood by the door for an hour, waiting.

Then another hour passed.

And another.

Finally, the carriage arrived as the first guests started leaving. I raced towards it, hopeful of the sight of Bella's face, if even for a moment. The driver came down from his seat and walked over to me. His face was dark and saddened.

"I waited for as long as I could, in the same spot you told me, sir. The lady you spoke of never came." He told me. His phrase began to run through my mind in an endless loop as I began to understand what he was telling me.

She never came.

She never came.

She never came back for me.

Please review, but please understand that I already know that you hate me for not putting this out sooner, you don't need to tell me. Just tell me if you think it was worth the wait (which it probably wasn't). Reviews are for critique, not flames!

Well, glad that it finally got out. Big pressure off my chest. Now for the chapter 8........