Full Summery: Twenty-two year old Princess Bella Swan thinks she knows what she wants out of life, a handsome prince to sweep her off her feet and rescue her from a life of service. When quiet, intuitive, pianist Edward Cullen is invited to Court though, Bella's world is a thrown a curve ball. Love may come easy, but life in Court, modern though it maybe, is never easy. Surrounded by scheming lords and power hungry men, Bella and Edward may be doomed to the same fate as every other star-crossed lover in history. As Bella learns more about herself she's pulled between choices far greater than simple lovers, because in her hands rests the fate of an entire kingdom.

Authors Note: Thank you for joining for this edition of Twilight gone AU. I promise there will be more to come. Huge thanks to my beta mlggater for making this readable. Have fun!

Prologue:

Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)

Another turning point, a fork stuck in the road,

Time grabs you by the wrist, directs you where to go,

So make the best of this test, and don't ask why,

It's not a question, but a lesson learned in time,

It's something unpredictable, but in the end it's right,

I hope you had the time of your life.

-Green Day

Every girl dreams about her wedding day; red roses, a white dress, her father walking her down the aisle, and most importantly the handsome prince waiting for her by the altar. I'm no different than any other girl. I spent my childhood playing dress up and planning my dream wedding. The difference is that I always knew I would have a prince, a real prince. I thought he would be tall, dark haired, and speak with a funny accent. We would be married in the Coronation Hall, Alice and Rosalie would be my bridesmaids, and my father would walk me down aisle looking completely uncomfortable with all the pomp and circumstance.

So, twenty-two years later and I seem to be getting everything I wanted; a gorgeous white dress and the Coronation Hall decked out in all its finery. My father died eight years ago, so he won't be here to walk me down the aisle. And the man isn't a prince, but he is a lord. Yes, he's tall and dark haired, and handsome enough. It would seem I am getting everything I wanted and eighteen months ago I would have been happy enough with it.

Everything changed though, because I learned what love really is. I learned that love does not come pre-packaged with a fairytale. It turns out everything I wanted isn't what I needed. I didn't need finery or fancy titles. I needed a pair of dazzling green eyes, an honest smile, and an understanding mind. It didn't matter that he didn't have an important family, that he looked like a super model, or that he could play the piano like a god. It mattered that he loved me and I loved him.

Yes, I know, this is the real world, not some fantasy tale. I understand that better than most people. But when I looked down at the emerald and diamond ring on my finger, I can't help but yearn for the fantasy. This ring is my only link to the life I had over the last year.

In my experience, you're only granted true happiness for a short period of time. I got a year of it, I should be happy. But love is a funny thing, it writes itself into your heart and it's almost impossible to erase. They say, "You can't control who you fall in love with", well, I'm living proof of that.