Hello, your Royal Richness

Bella stands looking somewhat dumbfounded. Not that her look would be completely out of the blue, after all this time he decides to just pop up? The person that chose her sister and her sisters' lies, just waltzes right up and says, 'It's you!'

Maybe if he would've started off with, 'I know I've made a lot of mistakes.' Or 'Please forgive me for my misdeeds'-- then maybe she could've forgiven him, but with the way things are going now, there's not a chance in hell.

Still, she must admit, that deep down she admires his boldness, but that was one of the reasons she was attracted to him at the ball all those years ago. She tries to talk to him, but the minute she opens her mouth, her throat gets extremely dry. In a case like this, she doesn't know how to feel. Should she be mad that he took the wrong sister? Should she be happy he's finally found her? Or should she be angry that he let her sister get away with that glass slipper when he knew she wore Ruby and Safire?

'So many things I want to bring up! God, why is my life so confusing! And how the hell and I suppose to asks all these questions if I can't speak?' She thinks to herself while gnawing at her cheek.

She cautiously approaches him, until they are about an inch apart. She can feel his hot minty breath on her neck but is not the least bit intimidated. She has to look up because she's 5'3 to his 6'4. After pondering for a moment about whether she should do what she's thinking, she smiles and slaps the hell out of him. Not once, but twice.

He looks shocked, as he should because most people don't have the nerve to correct him when he's wrong, and nobody, not even his father ever had enough balls to hit him. His expression matches his shock.

His face clearly reads, 'Did a peasant who should worship the grounds I walk on because I make sure they have a decent life, even though they'll never match up to nobility slap me? She should be locked in the dungeon with no food.' He masks it quickly, but not quick enough because Bella sees it.

Suddenly the dryness leaves her throat, and the words come out easily. "Oh my, I'm sorry My Lord, a peasant like me should really learn my place. Please don't send me to the dungeon, I'll do anything to make it up." She doesn't bother to hide the sarcasm dripping from her voice.

"Th-that." He just stops speaking.

A wise man he is, to surrender when he knows he's lost. Maybe there's more to the King than meets the eye. After all, he did come out all this way to speak to Bella for whatever reason.

Bella chuckles, thinking to herself, 'And they call him Prince Charming.

"What does the cat got your tongue?" She smirks continuing her verbal assault. "I bet what you meant to say was that that's not what you were going to say, am I right?" She doesn't wait for his response.

"I know that, but your facial expression differs." He at least has enough remorse to look somewhat ashamed.

She lets out an ice-cold laugh. "You remind me of Ella. What? Didn't think I saw it? Well, I did Your Highness! I'm glad you chose her instead of me, you two really do make the perfect match."

At that moment she realized that she had disrespected both royals more than once and if he really wanted he could have her head.

Thinking about her step-mother who needs her, she says quickly, "Anyway sorry for slapping you, I must've mistaken you for someone else, and as for my smart comments, I was just enraged that you looked at me like I was a peasant, which in all fairness I am." She puts on a tight forced smile while lying through her teeth.

Even though she might not actually be royalty, she'll always be a Queen, and no one can tell her differently.

"That's not how I meant for my facial expression to come off as, I was just shocked." He tries defending himself.

In the politest tone Bella can muster, I say, "Your Highness, I completely understand what you meant." Her voice is laced with a double meaning, that she's absolutely certain he got.

"Isabelle, I'm sorry." This is her time to shine, playing dumb is something she had to master after her sister took a turn for the worst.

"Is this Isabelle your lover or something? Wait she couldn't be because you're married to my s-" She catches herself.

"You're married to my spectacular Queen Ella, so she must be your mistress." She tries to keep the disgust out of her voice as she compliments her sister.

"Isabelle, you're an adult for crying out loud, could we at least try to have a civil conversation?" He sighs frustratedly.

"I know no Isabelle, my name is Bella. Any other day I'd be thrilled to have a conversation with you, my Lord, but I must really get home to my stepmother." She lets out a breath she didn't realize she was holding in.

"So you're really going to act like we don't know each other? LIKE WE DIDN'T DANCE TOGETHER AT THE BALL!" Bella could tell he was furious and losing his patience, especially since he went from talking normally to yelling.

For the sake of moving on, and trying to live her best life without a constant reminder of the worse day of her life, she continued to play dumb.

"Sir...if you're not feeling quite right I could call a doctor. And to clear the record, I never went to the ball, simply because I didn't want to. You should probably get home to your pregnant wife." There it is, the real reason she won't talk to him. She'd finally given up after hearing straight from the horse's mouth--from Ella--she'd finally given up.

"Why would you not want to go to the ball? It was every girl's dream to-you know what forget it. Tell me why you called me Your Richness? Wait did you say, pregnant wife?" He demanded answers from her.

She lets him slide because he's royalty. "I have a friend, and at first you sounded a bit like him, and Your Richness is my nickname for him." This lie sounds too good to be true, but surprisingly, he believed it.

'Instead of calling him Your Richness, I should be calling him, Your Dumbness.' She can't help but chuckle at the childishness going on inside her head.

"May I ask what's funny, My Lady?" He looks curious as to why Bella just went from serious to giggles.

"No reason My Lord, I was just thinking of something funny." She thinks it might play with his feeling a little bit.

At least he's forgotten all about Ella being pregnant. Weird since she's going to announce it soon, you'd think her husband would already know.

"Do share." He looks amused, but he won't be for long.

"See my fiancé was making a joke and-," he cuts her off before she finishes her sentence.

"You have a boyfriend?" The amused look is now completely wiped off his face, and replaced with an angry one.

"Fiancé." She corrects him. "Should I continue my story?" She asks hoping he'll say no because she still hasn't had time to come up with a funny joke.

"No, no! Don't let silly ole me keep you waiting. I do believe you have a stepmother to tend to." She smirks, feeling herself.

Dare she believes that she's made the Prince Charming, dare to say jealous.

"Well King, I'll be on about my day. Thank you for gracing me with your presence, you've made today a day I'll never forget." I bowed, as he blushed, and just to pour salt on the wound, I said, "I'm very sorry I couldn't be the woman you were looking for, but I wish you the best of luck finding her." His facial expression changes to a look of pure sadness, and for a minute she almost just almost feels sorry for him.

'He left me. He left me and got Ella pregnant.' She chants the rest of the way home, so she doesn't around in a moment of weakness and hears him out.