1
JACOB"S WEDDING AND VOLTERRA
Time seemed to fly with school and planning Jacob's wedding, I of course was not allowed to go to school but I spent many hours doing home study with Edward's help and I was finally allowed to participate with the study group. I saw Jenny almost every day when I was in bed resting or sometimes sitting on the patio; I still continued to be weak and Alice and Rosalie would take me often to find a deer. I continued to learn the piano and to dance but I had to promise to rest in order to do those things, sometimes Edward, Alice or Rosalie would take me over to Carlisle's house for a change and sometimes we would go for a drive with someone other than me driving. Emmett and Jasper would come over sometimes and they would take Edward hunting, I always missed him and I wondered how we would survive the month or more of separation; we made love often and I loved him more and more, I tried not to think about Volterra but it hung over me even as the happy time of Jacob's wedding drew close. I had helped Alice and Rosalie as much as they would allow, but that was very little, Michelle, in speaking to Edward was thrilled to have someone plan her wedding, my dress fit her perfectly and Alice's bridesmaids dress was to be worn by one of her friends.
The day arrived and Edward and I went to the wedding which was up on the mountain, amazingly it was a beautiful day even though October drew to a close and Michelle looked beautiful; Jacob was handsome in his tux even though nervous. Alice and Rosalie elected not to attend the wedding but opened the Cullen house for the reception; Jacob's friends and family brought refreshments and of course the cake, I saw Charlie briefly but he had been nervous about the wedding and had a certain amount of libation; he didn't notice any change in me but was happy to see me nevertheless, Billy and Jacob had made sure he had enough to drink to make him less observant of me. Edward, Alice and I had to leave immediately following the wedding so after congratulating the bride and groom and a quick goodbye to Charlie and Billy, we left Emmett, Rosalie and Jasper to clean up the house after the reception and we were soon on a plane heading to Volterra with my bags were packed for at least a month.
Edward let me hold him during the trip and assured me they would stay for a day or two before leaving me there, my legs were shaking so bad when we disembarked and I could barely walk to the waiting car. When we arrived at the castle, I couldn't get out of the car and Edward carried me to the room where we were to meet Aro, this was a large office with a desk and chairs, Edward placed me on one while he and Alice sat on two others. They could see I was extremely panicked and told me to calm down. Edward was just about to reassure me for the hundredth time when Aro walked into the room.
"Why Edward, Alice and Bella, how nice of you to come so promptly, Bella how beautiful you have become and you still smell so delicious; I'm looking forward to spending a great deal of time with you my dear; I promise to keep you away from our refreshment, Carlisle was so insistent on that because apparently human blood makes you quite ill and you are still recovering from the trauma which recently occurred to you. We will of course allow you to continue your studies and I have numerous things which you need to be taught, I'm sure it will be hard for you to be separated from Edward but you will agree at some point as to the necessity. I will have my assistant show you to your room so you can arrange your things to your liking, I need to speak to Edward and Alice but they will join you shortly, I assure you; I will speak to you at length later."
He rang the bell on his desk and immediately his assistant came into the room, I had been clutching Edward's hand tightly, but now he stood with me and pushed me towards the door, letting go of my hand.
"Go Bella, I promise you'll be safe, we'll come soon." he kissed me and the assistant took me away.
The assistant walked through a maze of corridors but I remained on the same floor, therefore no elevators or stairs. He eventually showed me into a room with a bed, the same room I saw in my vision. The room was spacious and beside the bed was a large desk, chairs and a sofa. There were books in a huge bookcase, a computer on the desk, soft lighting and a huge French window which opened up onto a walkway stretching for miles it seemed around the castle; there was a wall with battlements running along the side of the walkway but it was possible to look over in between the battlements and see the countryside stretching for miles around and I couldn't help but gasp at the beauty in front of me.
There was another door in the room which opened up into a large closet, empty at present, with another door through the closet where there was a huge bathroom with a tub, shower and with towels galore. Another door led into the bathroom from different direction but when I tried the door it was locked. As I looked around someone came in to my room, it was a human maid and she proceeded to undo my suitcases which had previously been delivered to the room.
She addressed me.
"Mrs. Cullen, do you have any preference as to how your clothes should be arranged?"
No, not really," I answered, trying to stop my voice from shaking, "I'm used to having others arrange my wardrobe and I'm not even aware of what I've brought."
"I'll arrange everything as I think best then, Aro will expect you to wear certain clothes and…," she started to pull out my clothes and look at them, "it looks like you're well prepared." She said smiling.
I watched her and saw that all were long dresses of different design, some were full and some close fitting, none covered my shoulders, and I also noticed something strange because there was no underwear or nightgowns, had they forgotten? I wouldn't have cared if Edward was staying but he was leaving, I would have to remember to ask when they returned.
The maid pulled water for me to take a bath and insisted on it, and then she turned down the bed and told me she had been instructed to have me rest, she helped me bathe in bubbly water which smelled like lavender and then to dry off with a huge fluffy towel, she bade me lay on the bed and proceeded to massage me all over and put lavender scented lotion on my skin; she turned on the soft lighting, cleaned up the bathroom and left after she had observed me slip between the sheets.
I was deathly afraid of this bed and I was afraid of who was going to come through the door; it was Alice, Edward and Aro who walked in and seeing Aro didn't calm my nerves, I wanted to jump up and run to Edward but being without clothes in Aro's presence didn't induce me to do so; I continued to tremble in the bed.
Aro spoke, "I see the maid has taken good care of you according to my bidding," he picked up my arm and brought it to his nose as he bent over me, "Ecstasy!" he exclaimed, "You smell divine, Bella, I will love having you near me and I'm sure you will be pleasantly surprised how happy you will be with me."
I looked at Edward and Alice and they didn't look in the least uneasy, Alice looked around the room.
"This is a beautiful room, Bella; I know you'll be happy here."
Aro said, "I will leave you to rest for the night and then in the morning we'll introduce you to everyone and tell you why you are here primarily; later in the day you will bid farewell to your escorts and then you will be mine, Edward will of course stay with you tonight and I will show Alice to her room now."
He and Alice left and Edward came over to me and held me.
"I thought we would have two or three days together before you left," I said miserably.
"I know you are unhappy now but when I see you again, you will be so happy you won't want to leave." he smiled.
'Never!' I exclaimed, "Please Edward at least make love to me."
"I will but help me shower first and I need to hang up my clothes for tomorrow," he said.
"I'll hang up your clothes while you shower and then I'll help you dry off," I replied and quickly pulled his clothes out and hung them up before running to him in the bathroom.
He was soon out of the shower and I helped rub the towel on his skin but he picked me up and carried me to the bed, soon we were making love and I was feeling more like myself; I was relieved that Aro had been pleasant and even though this bed filled me with dread, I was happy so long as Edward was lying beside me. I tried not to think what the morning would bring and allowed Edward to make me feel very good throughout the night.
At one point after making love, Edward spoke to me.
"I need to explain something to you, but you mustn't panic," he began, "Aro loves you."
I couldn't breathe, "H…how do you know that, did he tell you?" I started to panic but Edward held me tight.
"Calm down, Bella, he insisted and then he continued, "I read his thoughts and I know he had some affection for you when he first saw you as a human but now after seeing you again as a vampire, his feelings for you have escalated," he concluded.
"Then I can't stay, Edward, I won't sleep with him or be his plaything, he's old and I definitely don't have any feelings for him," I spoke pleadingly.
"He thinks you'll learn to love him but he doesn't intend to force you or hurt you in any way, you can be well assured he will leave you alone and let you go before he will force himself on you," Edward spoke calmly.
"What about you, Edward, would you want to share me with someone else?" I asked.
"If it was what you wanted, I would do anything to make you happy, even share you," he smiled at me and kissed me gently.
"I can't believe we're having this conversation, Edward, you are too unselfish, and you would give me away to make me happy?"
"I didn't say give you away, I said share you and not just with any one, it would have to be someone who loved you as much as I love you and you would have to love them." he was serious.
"No way are we continuing this conversation, I love you and only you and I won't give my permission for any one else to make love to me," I was adamant.
He laughed, "We'll see what happens then."
"It almost seems like you want me to fall in love with someone else," I said questioningly.
"If you did it wouldn't bother me so long as you still want me and we can have each other, I can live without you for a short time but not for long, I promise you, and after all you are my wife," he laughed again, "Obviously you don't have any idea what effect you have on others, particularly men, vampires or human, it isn't just your appearance; it's your scent, your smile, your appealing look, your sweetness and honesty. It's a package all rolled into one special girl. Not only that but you are sexually alluring, more so now you are not human. Aro is old but he is still a man and you have affected him like any other man."
"What does Alice know?" I asked.
"What she knows depends on you and how you proceed, so we'll see. You visualized this bed with someone other than me beside you, I guess we'll see if your vision is exact or not."
He still spoke calmly to me and I truly believed he wouldn't mind under the conditions he laid out, this caused me to love him more.
"Edward, no matter what happens, I will always love you and want you more than any other, please believe that," I said and then we made love with great fervor throughout the night and in the morning I felt much calmer and ready to face whatever came.