Forget
"I will get you back, Bella," Papa whispered, choking back his sobs. He held me tight, squeezing the air from my lungs in sorrow. "I am so sorry, princess."
Tears stung my eyes, and I didn't try to hold them back. If Papa was crying, so could I. I hugged him with equal force, clinging to the only person I had left in this world.
Mama passed away three winters back, and our lives imploded. My mother was the force of the family, and she did whatever it took to keep our family alive and well when Papa's hardwork fell short of meeting expenses. More than that, my mother loved us without bounds. In my eyes, there was no love comparable to that of her love for Papa, except for me. I was her heart, but he was her soul.
Losing her was devastating for me, but it nearly destroyed Papa. I'm split in half now, Bella. If I wasn't a factor in the equation, it surely would have. And when the storm passed, and Papa finally pulled himself away from his work to check on my wellbeing, we sobbed in eachothers arms until the sun went down.
Last summer, Papa grew ill and was forced to bed during the planting season. I spent hours, sunrise to sundown, planting. Papa's health drew me away often, and my attention was split. When the crops sprouted in the fall, I felt like a failure. They were meager and sparse, and not nearly enough to upkeep the farm.
The only blessing that came from the fall was Papa's recovery. His string of fevers ceased, and he finally felt well enough to leave the confines of the house. By then, the crops were a lost cause. Papa sought out answers in the city and came back with the only option; we had to borrow funds from the a group known as the Volturi. Papa told me that the men were trustworthy and would only come calling if their money wasn't returned on time; no interest, just repayment. The faith my father had in the farm and these men gave me hope for our future.
When the crop season ended, the Volturi came calling for their money. The men they sent smelled sugary sweet, but they loomed over us in darkness. They arrived in cloaks in the dead of night, demanding compensation. When we explained our lack of funds, they offered to take my service in exchange for the debt, and I accepted even though Papa argued against it adamantly. But I would do anything for my father. The men gave us a few days with each other before sending guards to collect me. And now, after hours of tears and time together, it was time to leave.
"I love you, Papa," I whimpered, pushing my face into his chest. We remained in each other's embrace for a few minutes before the clearing of a throat interrupted us.
"It is time to go," the taller man spoke up. He introduced himself as Demetri a few nights before.
I nodded into Papa's chest, squeezed him once more, and forced a smile onto my face. His face did not reflect my own; he looked devastated. I would see him again, though. I would do everything in my power to see him. So I told him just that.
"I'll see you soon, Papa."
With that, I boarded the carriage and waved to him from the window until he was just a speck in the distance. And then I cried.
The ride was long and jarring, and I spent most of it staring out the window, watching the darkness pass us by. Papa and I lived just outside of Volterra, so it did not take us long to reach the center of the city. Each tree we passed counted as a fallen tear, and I wrapped my arms around my middle in an attempt to hold back my sobs. Halfway there, my tears stopped, and a cloak of numbness settled on my shoulders. I welcomed the oblivion, and wished for sleep to take me. Unfortunately, it never came.
I refused to speak with the man sharing the carriage with me. Felix grinned at me from his corner of the carriage, cheekily, and his gaze did not leave for the entirety of the ride. I kept my eyes diverted, instinctively wary of his presence. Once the carriage halted, I was forced to give him my attention, but Felix only winked and exited silently. For a moment, I remained in my seat, confused at the level of impropriety. But then again, I was a servant now. My life was forfeit and worthless; there was no need to impress the little slave with manners.
A hand peeped through the door, and I blushed in my idiocy. My embarrassment pushed me on, and I shot up from my seat quickly, surrendering my hand into the welcoming one. It wasn't Felix who helped me from the carriage, but a smaller, younger man instead. The man, or should I say boy, looked to be no older than 14, but still had the same maturity and grace as his compatriots. It was odd.
Once I exited the carriage without incident, I smiled at the boy, and extended my gratitude.
"You are welcome, miss," he started, flashing me a glowing white smile. "I would like to introduce myself. I am Alec, a guard here in the Volterra castle. If you need anything, please, do not be afraid to ask me."
I blushed at his kindness. One of my biggest worries was how I would be treated at the palace; so far, however, my worries were disproving themselves. Alec's friendly welcome filled me with a newfound confidence and I could feel my energy returning in strides.
"Thank you, Alec. I am Isabella, but you may call me Bella, if you wish."
"It's a pleasure to meet your acquaintance, Bella. I hope to see you more after tonight."
The first night passed with no interruptions. Once the two men, Alec and Felix, led me into the castle, I was quickly routed to my future quarters and I gracelessly plopped myself onto the cot in the corner and fell asleep.
I was surprised by the sight of my room when I woke up. I was not in my bed or in my father's home any longer. When I finally adjusted to the current situation, I realized I was in a barn. The rafters were old and wooden, and looked almost unstable in their age. Cobwebs strung across them, but their residents were far from home. The ground wasn't wood or stone but straw, and the only furniture in the room other than my meesley cot was a sad, slightly petrified, wooden chest to store my goods. The size of the bedroom was uncomfortable, but for Papa's sake I would survive. There was no other way.
Seconds after I managed to pull myself up from the rickety old cot, my door was swung open and an angel walked into my hole. Her hair was blonde and wavy like my mothers, but she was undeniably younger. The porcelain appearance of her skin was breathtaking and reminded me of buttercream. The woman held herself with poise, and frowned upon me in disgrace, her symmetrical features both stern and sultry. She was beauty - the belle of the ball.
"Isabella, I presume?" She raised an eyebrow in question, and tucked a piece of parchment from her hand into the pit of her arm. I watched her delicate fingers move, stunned by the grace of such a small limb. It was inhuman. My eyes danced back up to hers, and a lump formed in my throat as I caught her gaze. Red eyes peered back at me, firey and unforgiving. Red eyes were far too unnatural. They were a bad omen, and with the evidence of my fate staring me head on I began to quiver.
Beauty like hers always comes with a terrible price.
"Yes. Isabella Swan, Madame," I whispered, forcing myself to keep my gaze on her.
The woman gestured for me to follow her and turned on her heel, sauntering off. I was left staring after her for a few seconds before I caught myself and forced my feet forward.
"I am Heidi," she started, not offering me another glance. "I will be your supervisor while you are in the service of the Volturi. Today, I will run you through your duties as a ward of the kings."
The Kings? I did not know of any Kings in Volterra. So I came to the only conclusion left. These kings she spoke of must be the Volturi brothers.
Father entered into a loan agreement with these creatures. There was little to no humanity about them beyond their featured appearance. But even their looks were ethereal; like I somehow was transported into the kingdom of Olympus itself and the Gods decided I was worthy of their presence. Except that wasn't the case. This castle oozed death and danger, and I knew that there was a low chance I would leave this place with my life intact.