Folktale

1839

Fork's Marketplace

It was the very last day of the summer and the sun shined its rays over the small town of Forks for the last time before Autumn began. The townspeople gathered around the marketplace, enjoying the fresh air and nice weather, the food and the music in the final celebration of the summer.

Among those people walked Edward Masen and his close cousin James. They were well known throughout town, more for Edward's outgoing, flirty nature. He was a charmer. A man any girl would kill to marry. It was quite unfortunate that he had been promised since birth to Tanya Denali. The pair talked amongst each other, pointing out certain things about the marketplace that could help improve it. Their parents were part of the founding families in Washington, Forks, constantly looking for ways to improve their economy and way of life.

"Not to scare you away, cousin, but I spot a certain blonde beauty looking at you." James said to his cousin in a playful matter and nodded his head in direction to Tanya Denali.

Edward looked in direction he was pointed at and forced a smile. Yes, Tanya Denali was indeed a blonde beauty. She had inherited her mother's looks, with her long golden locks, fair skin and deep blue eyes. There was no man in Forks who didn't fancy her, no man that was not disappointed by her family's arrangement with The Masen's son. He was attracted to her, there was no doubt in his mind that Tanya was a extremely gorgeous woman, but did he wish to wed her some day soon? No, he didn't. Which is why even under the pressure of his own family, Edward had not made the offer to the Denalis. 

Edward nods in her direction when their eyes meet and pretends to be distracted by something else.

"What has you waiting so long?" James asked his cousin as they walked the opposite way from Tanya Denali.

"Is not a matter of what, more than who," Edward replied, looking down at the objects Mrs. Bennett had for sale. "When you're family is constantly on your back another marriage, it makes you want to hold back a little longer for the element of surprise."

"You shouldn't wait so long, my dear cousin," James advised. "Women don't like waiting for too long."

Edward laughed to himself as they continued walking. "What is going to happen?" He asked. "She'll run off with someone else? Please. I know she and her mother are desperate to have her marry me, but I highly doubt they'll take anyone who isn't a Masen."

James chuckles. "You're far too confident."

His comment makes Edward roll his eyes, but the moment he looks up, his eyes caught the sight of her. He stopped cold on his feet, eyes glued to the beautiful woman looking down at the bed of roses in amazement. Her brown locks rained down over her shoulders, around her beautiful heart shaped face. Her skin was fair, not too pale, but with a hint of rose in her cheeks. Lips full and pink, and when she looked up, the eyes shined on those beautiful brown pools.

James continued talking, but Edward was no longer listening. In fact, he was no longer standing beside his cousin by the time James turned back to him. He saw him walking toward the beautiful girl, who was far too distracted by the roses to acknowledge the man approaching her.

"Beautiful," he said. His smooth, velvet voice caught her attention. And when she finally looked up, she was shocked to see the handsome man standing beside her. A man with eyes so green, they were almost transparent. The same eyes that looked at her as if she was the only woman in the world, the way many would kill to be looked at. Her cheeks turn to a deeper shade of red, showing her obvious embarrassment. "They're beautiful, aren't they?" Edward pointed to the roses.