Falling for Royalty

Chapter 2

Bella

After taking a nice long shower, I got dressed in a black cotton tank top with a pair of skinny jeans and thin-strapped sandals. My hair was in its usual form: gently flowing down in dark brown waves, while my makeup consisted of some black eyeliner and lipgloss. It was liberating to finally be able to wear something other than my school uniform.

Although it did save me some time in the morning, I missed being able to express myself through fashion.

Thankfully, I had the rest of the summer ahead of me to do just that.

Originally, Jace and I were both home-schooled due to my dad's over-protectiveness. But around the time we turned 10, Jace put his foot down (and I supported) demanding that we be put in a school with kids our age. We hadn't really been provided with the opportunity to socialize with people under the age of 100, and it was important for us to have a proper childhood regardless of the fact that we were abnormally mature for our age.

I actually enjoyed my time at school, mostly because it wasn't as stressful as everyone had described it to be. I guess it's the vampiric gene in us that allows my brother and I to have higher retention skills than the average student – as well as being surrounding by vampires hundreds of years older than us, who have taught us quite a lot over time. In addition to academics, we were both well-versed in how to fight, and precisely wield our powers.

Jace and I were both born with extraordinary gifts, mirroring one another. It was a twin thing, I supposed. While I was a mental shield, Jace was a physical shield. Together we also had control over the elements – I controlled the wind and the earth, while Jace controlled fire and water.

The finest assassins in the Volturi feared my brother and myself; not only because of our lineage, but because our powers could be lethal - though, I tended to avoid using my powers to kill.

After a while of simply relaxing on my bed, hands resting peacefully at my sides, my thoughts raced back to the present, and I cringed at the blush that crept onto my neck and cheeks.

I was thinking about him again. Him, the guy who had just arrived with his family, invited to stay at the Volturi for the next few days. I shut my eyes, clarifying the image and feeling just as speechless as I had when I'd initially laid my eyes on him. He looked to be crafted by the God of beauty himself.

His eyes were the same color as the rest of his family: a deep topaz, but so much more than that with all of the emotions swirling within them. He had a perfectly angular nose, and a well-defined jawline that any male model would kill for. His lips, when they had pulled up into a gorgeous crooked smile, I'd had to prevent my heartbeat from racing. Arguably one of his best features was his messy bronze hair, looking oh so soft, and begging for me to pass my fingers through it.

Thinking about it now, I had no idea how I'd managed to respond to his questions without stuttering or staring at him for an inappropriate amount of time. But I thanked that Heavens that I had yet to do something overly embarrassing around him. At that same time, I knew it wouldn't be long before I did.

I didn't know what it was about him: his looks, or his velvety smooth voice, or maybe a combination of both that made my face turn red. I sighed, covering my face with my hands. I could not be thinking this way about Edward Cullen. Despite the fact that he hadn't arrived with anyone, it was clear that with looks and charms like that, there was no way he would be leaving the ball empty-handed. And there was a negative ninety percent chance that the person attached to him would be me.