-The Human Girl-

Chapter nine - a Cold meeting.

Isabella's PoV:
(Age fourteen)

My heart beat erratically against my chest as I followed Mary through the maze of halls. Although I'd leaned my way around the most essential parts of the castle, I had yet to explore the many different wings of vampire estate on the grounds. Mary seemed confident, however, with so many years of servitude meaning that she probably knew the castle better than the vampires living there.

"Here we are, m'lady," she gestured towards a door I remembered passing when I first came to the palace, the tapestry hung next to it filled with the bright colours of expensive gold thread. "Come in," a serene voice on the other side ordered, a vampire for sure, with his super-human hearing abilities. Mary pushed open the door and disappeared, obviously scared out of her wits — surely the prince couldn't be that bad?

Whatever the prince was like, I didn't have a choice about going in, so I stepped on through. The room itself was beautiful, hung with portraits and tapestries and kept warm by a gentle fire burning in the hearth — it seemed that the prince liked gold a lot, what with the fact that nearly everything in the room was in a regal light-gold. Of course, none of that compared to the god-like boy sitting at the desk, his own gold eyes sparkling in the fire light.

He stopped breathing as I entered the room; his bronze coloured hair flowing casually over porcelain-white skin, his sculptured face absolutely breathtaking compared to my own. "Y-your majesty," I stuttered for the first time in weeks, sweeping down into a low curtesy. As I bent my head in respect I noticed the furious look on his face, the trembling of his hands and the way he still wasn't breathing, as if to stop my scent.

I shuddered involuntarily, watching his honey-gold eyes switch to a startling coal-black. I shut the door and edged a little closer, knowing I was braking half the rules of etiquette at court, but not really caring — I just wanted to get away from the terrifying vampire as soon as possible. "Um, excuse me your majesty, I'm I-Isabella of forks, you asked to see me?..." he nodded, closing his eyes and covering his mouth with his hand.

"I'm afraid... I don't think it would be very wise for you to stay here, little lamb..." his voice was like satin; but troubled, angry and repressed — if satin could be any of those things. "I'm sorry but I don't quite follow you, your majesty," I muttered, trying to keep my own voice level despite the overwhelming urge to bolt. "Is there a problem?" I added, still trying to understand why the Prince seemed to hate me so much.

"Yes, there is, but I doubt it will be for much longer," his expression was pained, disappointed, as though he was about to witness something very inconvenient, but necessary. I took another step towards the door, what little instincts I had for self preservation finally kicking in as I figured out what had made him so mad. "I'm so sorry," I whispered, getting ready to run out the door. Although I'd thought him well fed at first, I knew with startling clarity that this boy in front me was going to kill me. He wouldn't like it, his father would be disappointed for sure, but that wouldn't stop him from ripping out my neck and ending my own short life.

Suddenly I wasn't scared of him anymore, death seemed inevitable and, truth be told, not that terrible. I knew it was coming, and that took all the fear out of it — I just hoped it wouldn't be too painful. "Please, your majesty, could you tell your sisters... tell them 'thank you', from me. I owe them that," I took pleasure in the fact that though my voice was small and feeble compared to the Prince's, it was still strong and un-stuttered — even in the face of death. I would be at peace with my ending.

"Wait, my sisters?" his face was incredulous, like he was piecing together part of a puzzle. "No, it can't be — it can't be her!" he muttered, stepping back and finally looking at me properly. I gulped, still tense, desperate to know what he was thinking — and whether it would save my skin. "Not her..." his voice was a faint whisper by my ear as he turned and ran out of the room, gone in the second it took for me to distract him.

I was till shaken up, but oddly pleased with myself. I'd stopped a vampire attack, for goodness sake! Sure, he was a 'vegetarian' vampire, and all he really needed was something to make him stop for long enough to regain control, but still — I was alive! I turned on my heel and flew out the room, eager to get away from anywhere near the Prince. I figured it was safe to go back to my chambers; so I followed a group of snobby vampires back to a familiar part of the palace (just outside of Alice's chambers, actually), and found my own way back to Angela and Jess by myself.

"Isabella? How did it go?" Jessica yammered from beside as soon as I stepped in through the door. "Not much really, Jess," I replied, deciding to keep my encounter to myself — after all, I would probably be punished quite severely, should I let slip about any of the Royal family's weakness. "They were to busy to see to me, I don't even know what they wanted!" I was mildly disturbed at how easy it had become for me to lie these days, usually I was terrible at it.

Now, if I could only stay out of the Prince's way, then things might actually get somewhat back to normal.