Disclaimer: Not mine.

Chapter 3

Aro looked most pleased with my reaction – he was smiling at me indulgently, still smug and superior – and patted my head one final time before he whispered, "Felix?"

I wondered if Aro treated the others like that when Felix entered and bowed. "Master."

The guard had been obviously close and must have heard every word of my conversation with Aro which was making me uneasy. His face was carefully blank when he glanced at me and then his eyes settled on the floor as he awaited his Master's instructions. I should get used to it – anything resembling privacy was out of the question in a castle full of vampires.

"Would you be a dear and escort Isabella to our guest quarters? And please, put her in the Garden Room," he told him and then focused back on me. "It will suit you the best."

"Of course, Master." Felix bowed again and looked at me.

I struggled to stand, longing for the chance to finally relax after the events of the last two days. Aro tsked and pulled me up. "You are tired, forgive me. I forget how fragile humans are, and you even appear to be hungry and sleep deprived. That will simply not do. Once you are settled and rested, I will come and discuss our arrangement in more detail."

"Thank you, Aro." I nodded while Felix moved to me with his normal – inhuman – speed. I gasped and jumped back when he did so but the vampire shrugged at me as if saying 'Are you not used to it?' I wasn't. Edward and his family tried to move at human speed all the time when I was around… Well, had been around. Then Felix took me by the elbow and guided me towards the door, his jaw set and his eyes looking straight ahead.

"Felix." Aro's words stopped us in tracks momentarily and I tried to turn to Aro, but Felix blocked my view with his broad shoulders. "Make sure she is comfortable, please, and do not forget – I trust you with the human's safety. I would be most displeased should something happen to our newest coven member, am I clear?"

Aro's voice was so soft and non-threatening but I wasn't fooled and neither was Felix. There was a flicker of fear in his eyes before he composed himself and replied, "Of course, Master. Isabella is perfectly safe with me."

"Good, good. Now hurry up, children, the daylight is fading and our human needs her rest and nourishment."

The way he was saying 'human' sounded almost fondly and I could detect a slight smile in his voice. We walked out of what I suspected was Aro's study. After a minute of silent shuffling down the corridor, Felix turned to me with a stony expression and indicated to my torso.

"Listen, you are tired and I get that, but I don't have the whole night. I'll carry you, what do you say?"

"Um, ok?"

I was not ok with that, not at all, but for some reason, Felix was pissed off and Aro's warning probably hadn't helped matters either. I just couldn't understand what I had done to this vampire to make him so angry. He had seemed a little bit amused when he had seen me first – but now? I was sure he wanted to rip my head off.

Before I even finished speaking, Felix grabbed me, roughly, and we were flying through the castle. A second or two later, he deposited me in front of a heavy wooden door and opened it for me.

I took a step inside and gasped. The large room was bright and warm and comfortable. The carpet had a light brown color while the walls were painted in cheerful beige. On one side of the room, there was a large bed, a writing desk, a wardrobe and several bookshelves with all my favorite classics. A tiny kitchenette was on the other side together with a door leading to the bathroom. I took a step inside and I felt a rush of air indicating that Felix was gone.

I ignored that; my attention was completely devoted to the French door and the garden behind it. It was only a small patch of green squeezed between the outer wall of the castle and my room. I opened the door and stepped outside, marveling at the colors the setting sun provided. The grass looked soft and there were potted palms in the corners of the garden. I loved it.

"I brought fresh food and got you some clothes." Felix's voice startled me and I spun around to face him. He was looking irritated and had his arms crossed over his chest. "If that's all…?"

"Ah, yes, thank you very much…" I stuttered and then blinked; Felix was gone again. To the empty garden, I finished sarcastically, "You are too kind, really."

What had I done to him to deserve such a treatment? Would the rest of the guard react in the same way? I remembered the hate in Jane's angelic face and I shuddered. Would I be an outsider for those hundred years in Volterra? I didn't have any answers and in that moment, I didn't care. Aro would not allow anyone to hurt us and I could deal with their disdain. I was used to being the odd one, the loner, and I wasn't in the castle to make friends anyway.

I walked back inside and took a shower. The idea of eating turned my stomach so I climbed in the bed without dinner and fell asleep almost immediately.

-.-.-

That night, I dreamt of eyes as red as blood and whispers in the dark.

-.-.-

Upon waking, I felt a cold presence near me; hovering just a breath away from my skin. In the blissful moment between dreams and consciousness, I felt happy and my disturbing nightmares faded away. Edward was watching over me and I was content and protected – but then I remembered that it couldn't possibly be Edward. I was far, far from my husband and it hurt. Some other vampire was watching me, some other vampire was close enough to touch me, and my heart picked up speed. In that moment, I heard Aro's familiar chuckle and felt a shift in the air which prompted me to open my eyes.

Any remaining thoughts I had about Edward vanished. There he was, sitting in the chair next to the writing desk with his legs elegantly crossed while streams of sunlight were caressing his face. Aro wore a dark green velvet vest under his suit today but my gaze was caught by his golden pendant for a second. Then I ogled the strong column of his neck for an unforeseeable amount of time; he was without a tie and I wondered how he would look with the first few buttons of his shirt undone. Damn perfect vampires with their perfect looks in their perfect clothes.

Dazzling bastards.

"Good afternoon, my dear. You slept soundly, I presume?" He was watching me, his eyes brighter than I had ever seen them – he must have fed recently – and I realized that red eyes were my reality from now on.

"Hi." I blinked at him slowly. Was it afternoon already? I had been really tired and still felt strangely weak. My mind started to work sluggishly and the situation hit me full force. Aro was in my bedroom, watching me sleep. I blushed and tried to scramble out of the bed.

"Hahaha, oh, my dearest child, you do not have to be embarrassed! Stay in bed, stay comfortable!" He waved his hands at me and quickly moved his chair closer to my bed, reclining in it. "I must say I like this… casual setting more. All the stiffness of the throne room, my brothers and their attitudes, all the protocol…"

I managed to smile at him, pulling the covers closer to my neck. I couldn't remember what I had put on the previous night – and I sure as hell didn't want him to find out. The clothes Felix had provided were my size but not my style – more like Alice's or Rosalie's.

Aro leaned towards me and stage whispered, "I hate that. They make me behave."

Someone was in a good mood. His voice held a bit of childish glee today and his gaze was sparkling with mirth. Of course, he was lying – I doubted that Aro could be forced to do anything he didn't wish to do and I had seen how he acted in his role as a ruler of the vampire world. He loved how he could flaunt his power around and how he could annoy his brothers by completely disregarding the protocol. It even made me giggle a little and Aro's responding smile was conspiratorial.

Then I understood – Aro was trying to make me more comfortable. My shyness and dislike for formal settings were usually pretty obvious and he wanted to keep me sheltered as much as possible. Good, I wasn't keen on meeting more of the Guard – or Caius.

"That's really terrible. How can you stand that, Aro?" I felt brave and encouraged by his behavior – and strangely touched. Aro Volturi was making an effort to make me less frightened of him. What would come next?

"I simply have to suffer through it." He nodded gravely. "But enough of that! How are you feeling, my darling? And how is our little miracle today?"

My little monster decided that that was the ideal time to kick. I could swear that my child was responding him – and not only to the sound of his voice, which was quite frankly melodic and soothing beyond belief. My baby knew when Aro addressed us and knew that we were safe only thanks to him.

"We are fine, just a little tired." I couldn't help myself – I beamed at him. Aro was slightly taken aback by the expression on my face and then he smiled at me, humming something under his breath. For a moment, he looked even slightly embarrassed and shifted his position on the chair, leaning back from me.

"I am glad to hear that." Aro's hands were now pressed together and lightly touching his chin. "There are several issues I need to discuss with you, dearest. Would you like to hear them now, or do you wish to eat first?"

When he mentioned food, I quickly shook my head. The idea of eating was making me sick – again.

"No, no food, thank you. I would just throw it up."

He observed me for a moment before he asked, "Have you eaten anything since you've discovered your pregnancy?"

"I can't keep anything down."

"Yes, I thought as much." Aro drew closer and reached for me. Automatically, I put my hand in his and watched, quite mesmerized, as different emotions played across his handsome face; anticipation, disappointment, frustration and finally – fascination. He was so close to me that I could feel his scent – he smelled like a heady wine, spices and a hot summer day. I could feel my cheeks redden at my next thought: Aro was a terribly attractive vampire. His features held nothing of the classical beauty Carlisle or Edward had but every contour of Aro's face was striking, patiently sculptured to perfection.

In reaction to my quickened heartbeat, Aro breathed in deeply and then his eyes snapped to mine. Looking into their depths, I thought that he was going to bite me. He suddenly looked hungry.

"A pity, really," he sighed regretfully and retracted. I fell back and buried myself more securely under the covers as I watched him compose himself. He swallowed and crossed his legs uncomfortably, giving me a wry humorless smile. His eyes were much, much darker now. "I must confess, my dear, that being in your proximity has the most unwelcome effect on me. Your husband deserves much more credit for his restraint than he gets. It truly is remarkable."

The mention of Edward was like a slap in my face or bucket of cold water, and I snapped out of my trance. Aro's presence was so distracting and he dazzled me like no other vampire ever had but I doubted he had started to do it on purpose. The first I had seen him, I had been just too terrified to notice his supernatural charm.

"Could we… not… talk about my husband?" I asked him quietly because it just hurt to even think about Edward's betrayal. The most ironic thing about it was the he was certainly thinking that it had been me who had betrayed our love. His broken gaze at the airport had said as much.

"Yes, yes, it is a sore topic, I understand…"

Aro fell silent unexpectedly and tilted his head towards the door. I bit my lip when I watched his face turn from sympathy to displeasure and then settle on fury. He was listening to something or someone and it was bad.

"Aro?" I held my breath and waited for him to focus back on me, which he did a minute later. He blinked, schooled his features into neutrality and looked at me.

"Yes? Oh, I am afraid that it will not be possible," Aro hummed and smoothed the lapels of his jacket nonchalantly. However, he was watching me out of the corner of his eye, observing my reactions very carefully. "You see, Isabella, dear Alice has just called to warn us. She and young Edward are currently on their way here."

"They're what?" I got out of bed so fast that I lost my balance and nearly fell. Aro caught me, of course. "How is it possible?"

"Perhaps you should ask your little psychic friend, Isabella."

Oh God, I squeezed his hands tighter. The tone of his voice was pleasant enough, though I could hear a slight edge in it. Aro was not happy with Alice at the moment and he was definitely not happy with Edward coming here. Well, that made two of us. Hadn't Alice promised not to watch Aro's decisions? There was no other way how could Edward know for sure where I was.

"What will you do to them?"

"Why, I shall welcome them both as warmly as they deserve." His jaw was set and the smile which graced his lips was menacing. Then he noticed my terrified expression and frowned down at me. "Or do you have any other suggestion?"

"Alice tried to help me…" I had troubles thinking clearly with Aro's scent enveloping me, so I very carefully stepped away from him. His frown deepened when his eyes glanced down at our joined hands; he abruptly let go of mine as if burnt and moved to the other end of my room before I could blink.

"If it is so, Alice will not be harmed, then."

His back was to me when I whispered, "I don't want to see him hurt either."

"I was not planning on killing him, my dear." Aro opened the fridge and pulled out… a bag of blood? "However, a little reminder to the younger generation is in order from time to time. Edward is a very young vampire and his manners are … lacking. He thinks we are cruel, twisted monsters – but he has not seen even the slightest glimpse of what we are truly capable of. For that mercy alone, he should show more respect."

I watched him as he carefully opened the bag and poured the dark red liquid into a glass from my cupboard. He took a sip, nodded to himself and turned back to me. His eyes cleared slightly and he smiled, approaching me.

"It is still fresh, my dearest."

I took the glass disbelievingly. "You want me to drink it?"

"Of course, I am not thirsty and I prefer my food to be a bit… livelier. Hahaha!" He grinned, his perfect teeth shining.

For the longest moment, I was just looking at him. He stood there like a motionless statue and returned my gaze with a small smile playing across his lips – the epitome of patience. God, he was serious, he really expected me to drink it. I very slowly brought the glass to my lips and sniffed it. "It smells… fine."

"Hahaha!" He laughed delightfully and clapped his hands in triumph. "I hoped it would. Go on, drink it! Cheers!"

I did as he said before I could think twice about it. The glass was empty in a matter of seconds and when I finished, I licked my lips. The taste was… good. My face was certainly showing my surprise because Aro laughed again and took the glass from me.

"Now, do you feel better, my dear?"

"Much, much better!"

Aro floated closer to me, we were almost touching, and he lifted his free hand to my face. I felt his cold thumb caress the right corner of my mouth and then watched, completely captivated, as he brought it to his own and licked off the speck of blood which he had captured from my lips.

"You are carrying a half-vampire child," he spoke, answering my unasked question. "Seeing your malnourished state – you are unaware of it but you lost some weight even during the night – I guessed that the child could crave… a different diet."

"Your guess was right. I feel stronger."

"Oh, I never tire of being right!" He beamed widely and then he was sitting back on the chair. "But we must focus on the less pleasant business now, Isabella. I thought carefully about your situation and I decided that you are to be monitored by a qualified medical expert. He will check on you at least once a day."

I made my way back to the bed and sat down slowly.

"Is it a good idea? I mean, what about the…?"

"The terrible damning secret? You will be in capable hands – mine to be precise. I am well versed in many, many fields, my dear, so you have nothing to worry about. For now, the plan is simple – the baby wants blood, so blood he or she will get – and you in the meantime will try to eat your human food. If it doesn't work, we will switch to intravenous nutrition. If that does not work, I will think of something else." He was all smiles and confidence and I remembered his gift – together with his perfect vampire memory, he was much more than just well versed in medicine. However, his voice became deadly serious and had a steely undertone when he continued, "And, let us be honest, Isabella, I do not trust anyone else to have your best interests in mind."

I gulped when I met his eyes. "I… noticed that… I don't have many fans in here."

"Ah, yes." Aro clicked his tongue and a feral, not entirely sane smile appeared on his face. "Unfortunately, my younger friends rarely appreciate a true wonder when they see it. It comes with age and experience, I'm afraid. Do not fear, though! You and your child are under my personal protection and no one will dare to touch you."

I blushed when he called me a wonder and Aro smiled benevolently, leaning towards me and patting my knee. "I do not like to restrict you but until your transformation, I must ask you to stay in your room – accidents do happen after all. Would that be amenable?"

"Of course." I had to wonder what happened to Felix and then I realized that I didn't want to find out. Aro was nice to me because he wanted to for his own reasons. To others, he didn't need to be nice. They were his subordinates, his inferiors – and I would be soon one of them. My human status and the uniqueness of my situation granted me Aro's favor for now. I wasn't naïve to think it would last forever.

"Excellent!" He reclined back and kept his eyes on me while I observed him warily in turn. Aro's mood shifted again and he looked pleased so I dared to question him a little more. The matter of my nutrition was taken care of which left us with the matter of my husband's visit.

"When will Edward get here?"

"Why do you ask?" Aro's face clouded and he sat upright.

Fidgeting under his hard gaze, I swallowed and tried to meet his eyes bravely. They darkened again by some kind of emotion. It was not hunger; it was something else which I couldn't name but it terrified me and I selfishly hoped it wasn't directed at me.

"I… I'd like to talk to him."

"Hm-hmmm." He brought his hands to his lips. "What could you possibly want to discuss with him?"

Thin ice! I didn't have to see his stony expression to understand that; his voice and tone portrayed his emotions perfectly. Aro didn't agree with my idea, not at all. I was his prized possession and he intended to keep me locked away from any other vampire – and especially from my husband who might want to take me away. These glimpses of darkness in Aro were chilling. Underneath his cheerful smiles and polite exterior, there was something chaotic, vicious and not entirely sane. It was good for me to remember that.

"He is my husband and as such, he will want me to come back to the States with him," I started carefully. "I need to explain to him why I won't do that."

Aro's jaw tightened and his gaze pinned me in place, searching my eyes and my face. I willed my heart to stop beating so madly but I was truly afraid of what he would find in my expression. The deal had been struck and I owed him one hundred years in his guard; Aro wouldn't let me go and I needed to make him see that I planned to honor my word – so he wouldn't do something drastic to keep me in Volterra.

Then he hummed and stood up, leaning over me.

"As you wish, my dearest. However, in that case, you should dress into something more… appropriate. Your friends will be here in 15 minutes." With those words, he pressed a soft kiss on my forehead and glided to the door. "Not that I do not appreciate the nightgown's material, Isabella – quite the opposite, quite the opposite. Haha!"

I was mortified when I looked, really looked, down at myself. Oh God, the nightgown was almost see-through! With a shuddering breath, I collapsed back on my bed and closed my eyes. Damn all these vampires!

Next: Edward in Volterra, oh my. I woder who chose Bella's wardrobe... Aro approves!