
Official Description: Bella relies on pen and paper to inspire her in a monotonous world, but the written word is nothing without the right melody. She finds that melody in a man who breathes life into an endless sea of grey. He’s everything-everything she can’t have. CxB AH
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Since I got Kassiah’s email asking me to review this story, I’ve sat here, smiling and frowning by turns. I’m good with words. I write. It’s what I do. But… There Once was a King… when I think about it, there aren’t many words. There are smiles, and happy head tilts, and sighs. Because this is one of those perfect stories, where all you want to do is keep it to yourself and squirrel away chapters and occasionally creep on the author on twitter. You don’t want to sit there and analyze the characters and wonder what’s next because you don’t want to spoil it by glancing away from the words.
Brits does something rare with her Bella and Carlisle pairings. She makes me not want to throw my computer. You non-canon shippers know what I’m talking about. When not everyone is writing it, and you are, you feel almost possessive of the pairing. You want to go around telling people not to fuck it up. You read stories that you normally wouldn’t touch because they’re your pairing. And half way through, you’re eye rolling and cranky and leaving unkind reviews because UCH CARLISLE WOULD NEVER SAY THAT WHAT THE FUCK.
Don’t even look at me like you haven’t done that.
But I’ve read everything Brits has written, and it’s all pretty much fucking golden. But There Once was a King is perfect. It’s got the good stuff: Style. Plot. And the UST. Holy goodness gracious you guys.
Style: The way this story is written… it flows, it’s smooth. There’s no unnecessary big words, but she doesn’t cut you off. There’s a calmness to her writing. It’s lyrical without being overdone, smart without being pretentious. It’s gracious. There’s no hurry to get to the next paragraph, the next page, the next chapter. Sit awhile, let her words work.
Bella is a song writer. She’s not a poet, or an author. She’s a dreamer, and her skin is ink stained with lyrics and pretty words and she uses them in everything. She is her words. Usually I would never go for a teenage Bella talking like that… or anyone talking like that. But for this, it works. Because she plays with words all day, changing, manipulating them, making them work until they’re set to music.
Sometimes I think I could sing this entire story.
There’s quiet confessions and whispers and you find yourself saying the words out loud. There’s no one line that sticks out because they’re all beautiful. There’s no killer ending line or beautiful love confession or touching moment that will make you pretend you have allergies because you refuse to cry over a story.
It’s all like that. It’s all heady and sultry and a little salty. It’s lovely, the way her characters talk to you.
“He smiled warmly, pink tongue darting out to wet his unevenly curved bottom lip. “You must be Bella.”
“You must be salvation.” I smiled widely, not having an ounce of control over the words that escaped me, and not caring one bit.”
Plot: Bella follows her parents back to Forks for the immanent death of her grandmother. While she’s waiting outside of the hospital room, her father’s best friend, Dr. Carlisle Cullen appears. Instant connection. It’s not just attraction, it’s as if they’ve been waiting for each other.
Smooth sailing right?
He’s married with two young daughters, Alice and Rosalie.
She’s in high school.
He’s her father’s best friend.
She’s his children’s babysitter.
But none of it is contrived, there’s no unneeded drama, or misunderstanding angst. They know, right away, that they need to be together.
They just have to find a way.
I’d touch him. My eyes would feast upon him. And I didn’t care if it was forbidden.
“Don’t let me go,” I begged him.
We stood in silence as long as time would allow us the shield of innocence, tangled around each other like lovers do.
“Soon,” he vowed once more.
Their words to each other, teasing and sexy and for each other only are beautiful. He’s not a DILF, there’s no lemons and smut. She’s not playing doctor. But you can feel them. His reverence for her. Her desire for him.
You want to read this story on Sunday morning, when the kids are out and the house is clean and there’s nothing left to do but breathe it in.
I know, I know: Kass, reading a Carlislella fic? *gasp* It’s true. Not only is it CarlislexBella, but it’s a forbidden romance fic. What do I have to say for myself?
brits23 is an amazing writer. I haven’t read anything of hers that didn’t completely blow me away, and There Once was a King is no exception. Right from the very beginning, we’re swept up:
“I can’t do this anymore, Bella.”
“Can’t do what?” My voice was nothing more than frost along the grass as I fixed my eyes into his crystal blue.
His thumb slid over my lip once more, moving it forward and dipping in to feel the wetness of my mouth. His eyelids began to sag as he ran his finger back and forth along the wet skin behind my lip. “Be without you. It’s done…tonight. I’m telling her tonight.”
I swallowed thickly, knowing that my heart’s desire was moments from leaving his lips. Did I deserve what I yearned for so desperately? Or would I torture us…torture us to the point of miserable dispositions and empty, meaningless lives?
What would I choose?
He watched me so closely, absorbed every flutter of my breath and swirl of emotion in my eyes. He was looking for the answers, and all I’d ever wanted to do was give them to him. His fingers ghosted along my cheek, stroked across my eyelids, my forehead, my hair. He was memorizing me like he’d never have another chance. Another soft moan. Another parting of lips.
Go ahead, destroy me.
“Bella, it’s not wrong. It’s fucking fate.”
My eyes widened as the curse fell from his lips. He so rarely used vulgar language. His voice wavered in intensity, eyes narrowed in the hope that I’d believe these words he spoke. And I did. I believed them with all that I had inside of me. His lips fell open. He’d speak again. “Face this with me…together. Be mine, Bella. I no longer care who knows it.”
And there it was.
Everything I’d ever wanted and knew I could never have. What would I say now? How would I live in the aftermath of what I’ve destroyed?
GiveUsaKiss413 did this story more justice than I ever could. I just want to say if you are looking for a story that’s amazing and maybe a little out of the norm for what you normally read, this is the fic for you. The writing is superb and the story is more than compelling. And Carlisle might just be growing on me.

























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