Chapter 2
I need Salvation
Edward's POV
I was staring at the wall in my room, quite a normal activity ever since I had left Bella, 200 years ago. My family had moved a number of times, but we had always been drawn back to Forks by some unknown force, I knew that Bella, my one and only love, had disappeared shortly after I had gone. We didn't know any exact details, but I knew who had taken her. Victoria. We were sure that the vile vampire had drained my sweetheart. Every day became a living nightmare, everyone had been sad, except Rosalie. She had even said that our lives would be better without Bella, for that, everyone had hated her, even Emmett, and eventually she had decided to go to Russia, Alice was the only one who knew why.
I had turned a blind eye to everything, but now something great and full of happiness- to the rest of the vampire world at least- had happened. The Volturi had been overthrown, to be replaced by a great Queen and her family, which had been rather small to begin with but the Queen had terrified the vampiric world with her gift, which everyone just said was the most powerful vampire gift the world had ever seen, plus she'd killed the major members of the old vampire family single handedly, which was terrifying for everyone. Best of all, she was said to have established a law in our world, saying we had to drink animal blood, that we weren't allowed to hunt humans, she had also made a new act which had made it okay for us to interact with humans properly as long as we kept to certain rules. Oh, she was also trying to establish a treaty with werewolves, and, as horrible beasts as they are, peace throughout the world between our two races would be a very pleasant thing.
The Queen was said to be the most wonderful creature on God's Earth, said to be kinder and gentler that the mother deer, and to be as beautiful as the sun. Her mercy was felt throughout the vampire world, she was supposed to be the greatest vampire to ever have lived. The funny thing was, she never showed her face to the vampire public. We could pass her in the street and we wouldn't know it. Her brother, Daniel, had said it was because she wished us to judge her by her actions and what we could see, not by what she looked like. One of her sisters, Eleanor, had use reverse psychology, asking., rhetorically, if we really needed to see her face to appreciate her and accept her as our Queen. The answer was no, she was the greatest monarch we have ever had, and she's only been on the throne for a year!
I heard Alice's thoughts talk about a party, ugh, the coronation party. I knew it was purely Alicia's, the last of the new monarchy, idea, and that she had had to do a lot of things for the great Queen to approve of such a "needless and immature" event. Her Majesty thought the time would be better spent helping others and fixing the werewolf treaty. She was a very wise Queen, I knew she would succeed.
"Edward!"Alice sang, dancing into the room. I just gave her a look, she wanted me to get ready for going to the party, and I wasn't going. If she thought I was going to a party in my mourning state she was wrong.
Oh, c'mon Edward, plllllleeeeeaaaasssseee.
I turned to face the window again, maybe I should meet this Queen, she could help me, maybe she knew where Bella's grave was, she was, after all, she was the most powerful vampire in the world. She could find her.
I turned to Alice again, who was standing there with the mos hopeful smile ever on her face,
"Fine, but I'm only going to meet the Queen," Alice was ecstatic, and in less than half an hour I was in my car, thinking about Bella. I would find her grave, and then I would ask this Queen to kill me, it was time I joined my beautiful Bella.
Eleanor's POV
I watched as countless vampires swept into our Castle. I was pleased with Bella, my Queen. She had made the right choices for everything, even the party would show the others that she was capable of fun, something loved by all everywhere in this age. Bella would look after this world, protect it from the horror of over-confident, life-draining vampires like the Volturi had been. And Aro...never again would he poison the earth, never again would there be a war in between us with such great victims that the eternal balance created by me and my Ancient Vampiric brethren was ripped apart.
I smiled absently, watching the young vampires with their excitement of the party. I knew Bella did not want to be unmasked, she feared those who had known her in life would treat her as a low being in her vampiric state. I knew it was not so. And I agreed with Alicia, I rarely did but on this occasion her reason was impossible to ignore. She had to make herself known, if she didn't then the great members of our family, like the dukes and duchesses and lords and ladies, great members but still vampires who don't know who our leader is, would rebel, then they would be wiped out by Bella's power. It hadn't taken me long to figure out what it was when I met her. That's how I knew she was meant to establish a peaceful, quiet, civilized vampire nation. Bella was exactly what the unruly of my kind needed. Had she been anything less than completely superior to normal vampires, including myself, I would have taken the throne myself, grudgingly, of course. There was nothing I would hate more than ruling these creatures, monsters that we have become. But Bella loved these creatures like a mother. She had grown to feel passionately for every vampire she had met, yearned to teach them right from wrong and sin from miracle. She had been perfect, an angel to lead us forward. And because of that, I smiled wider, our Queen, Her Royal Majesty Isabella I was ready to rule, and though her past would come back to haunt her tonight, she would face them, and she would...I frowned, I didn't know that. Another thing that had made me take on Bella, teach her the ways of vampiric politics, put her on the throne and support her, was that my powers, nor any other powers concerning the mind, could affect her. She was free to choose her own path, and as long as she was certain it was right, I would not stand in her way. I would love her like my daughter, like my student, forever. I would protect her, stand in front of a million newborns just so I could know that she was still leading my brethren, vampires. That an angel had come to teach us to be human again, to give us a life we had never known could exist for us. I would stand by her star forever, she was my Queen, even I would obey her every order. After all, she was superior to me, something which I had thought would be impossible once my Ancient brethren had died. She was a goddess in her right. Completely perfect.
Islia's POV
I giggled as Daniel's lips pressed kisses into every inch of my neck. Even though I knew his passion was really for Bella, I couldn't help but love him, even if I humiliated myself for this pleasure. I knew Bella hadn't been sure of Daniel when she first met him, apparently she had known a girl quite like him when she had been living and had despised the girl for she was an arrogant soul. My Daniel is ever so slightly arrogant, yes, but I guess in the eyes of the opposite sex you don't really mind when they look like Daniel. His lips had found the top of my petticoat. In these few wonderful circumstances I was allowed to wear clothes from my time, to mix with company while bearing a crest of my era. I groaned softly, I hated to finish this now, but we could always escape from the party early later and spend all night in bed, so, with that comforting thought, I gently pushed him away, at first those gorgeous eyes of his looked hurt, then Sister Alicia's voice rang throughout the house like a melodious fog-horn.
"The first guests are arriving in two minutes, get your big butts down here, NOW!" I sighed, then stood up on my tip-toes to reach his ear with my own lips.
"Later," I whispered.
"Later, then," he agreed, then helped me with my dress. If it were up to Alicia I would be wearing the most wench-worthy gown of the lot, but it wasn't up to her. It was up to our Queen, and thankfully the queen wasn't in the slightest interested about such a thing, in fact she hated fashion with her very gut! Always wearing old jeans and t-shirts around the house. I knew she didn't want to have to go up there and tell everyone who she was, the great Queen, she didn't want to unmask herself. But I would stand by her. I had grown to love her, even if I did feel jealousy towards her wonderment. She was too beautiful, too wise and clever and expressive and creative for her own good. She was absolutely perfect, no wonder I felt jealous, no wonder Aro, the former King, had loved her, no wonder she was the Queen and not Eleanor. Eleanor was different from other vampires, I knew that much, but she did scare me most of the time, her loyalty to Bella was unwavering though, so I trusted her. It was our job to look after The Queen, Her Majesty.
Daniel's POV
I walked down the halls to Islia's room. The attempt was half-heartedly, I knew we wouldn't have time to do anything before the party, but one could hope. Well, my real hope was that Bella would finally show me of her jealousy. I knew it hate her up, jealousy, I just didn't know who that jealousy was of, or why she felt it. I was sure it was not because of Islia and myself, she could have shown me her affections long ago, besides, she knew I would drop fair Islia off in an instant if Bella showed anything apart from sisterly love towards me. I knew she was conscious of our age difference. I mean, we had been turned 5 years apart and one looked like a child and the other a beautiful swan, just broken out of its duckling stage. I knew I was more attractive than other vampires. I didn't want to be, what use was being impossibly good-looking when the one person you want doesn't care?! Why couldn't I have a useful power like being a tracker, or having telepathy or even being a psychic? Heck, I would even take Islia's plant-growing abilities if it meant Bella could learn to care for me as I do for her. Alas, I know she yearns for someone else. I know not who it is, but when I found out their identity I know I will assess them in every way, I would try to figure out why she loved them and maybe adept so she would love me too.
With a sigh I turned into Islia's dressing room, giving a false smile to her, then I kisses her pale neck, she was beautiful, indeed, but she wasn't Bella, and I wouldn't rest until Bella took Islia's place in my arms.