I was in my office thinking about what happened during the family meeting. I was planning to call Aro for more information but as it was a difficult call, I have to think about it. I need him to explain more but I did not want him to know too much from us. He is sneaky and clever, so he can find out if I do not speak carefully.
I heard a knock and Edward was asking my permission to enter. It has been a month after he came back, and I knew that he would need me eventually.
"Son, how can I help you?"
"Dad, I need to tell you something that happened in the last week. I'm very confused and I need your advice,"
"Please go on"
"After we arrived to Forks, and we went back to school, I started to feel Bella different. In the beginning I thought that she was still mad at me, but she told that she forgave me several times, so I believed it. However, she started to change. The first week, she was too tired to hang around and she started to be a little colder with me"
"Colder?"
"She didn't want to kiss me as usual and now, she doesn't want at all. She always has something to say about this, like she doesn't want to push me further or that is morning breath."
"Did you ask her why?"
"She doesn't know, that's what she told me. But this week something happened that made my heart broke and I don't know how to tell you
"Please Edward, tell me and I think you will feel better after."
"On Monday night I went to her house to see her sleep. I was worry about her nightmares and I wanted to be there to help her. She began to dream, and she started to talk as usual. She said something like: 'Marcus, please, can you read the poem again, I love to hear your voice, is like perfect music to me'. Remembering what you told us before, I let that pass because I didn't see anything wrong about this."
"Ok, go on, I feel that something more happened"
"On Wednesday, I went again to her house and this time, she was restless in her sleep, and she was saying: 'Caius! Can you just stop teasing me and just teach me how to handle this sword without cutting my fingers again and let me breath!'. I was in shock because I didn't understand why she would be yelling at him like this.
He stopped and looked at me ashamed.
"However, the worst came yesterday. I didn't know if I should come to her room or not, but I did it". He breathed a few times to find the courage and he looked appalled. "She was dreaming, and she looked so calm and relax in the beginning and then she started to moan, and she said: 'Can you just please stop playing around and make love to me again'. I was shocked, I could never picture her saying those words and after a minute, I heard the worst words that I could even hear: 'Aro, harder please, deeper, please, I can't get enough from you'.
I tried to find something to tell him, but I failed to do it. He was destroyed, and I could not help him.
"Did you talk to her yet?"
"No, I wanted to talk to you first, to see if you'd have an answer but I see that you are lost like me. Should I talk to her or not?"
"Yes Edward, even if this is going to be hard for both of you; you need to closure this in order to move on. However, let me ask you something. It's your pride or your heart the most wounded here?" I know I was hard on him, but I needed to know if I wanted to help him. Is easier to heal a wounded pride than a broken heart.
"If I'm honest, I think it's my pride, as my mate she shouldn't be able to think those things about them,"
"So, talk to her and be free of your pain. In addition, you will be able to free her of her shame".
He looked at me at left my office.
X
This week was one of the worst in my life; even worse than the time after Edward left me or when I had to travel to Volterra with Alice. My dreams were driving me crazy and I was hoping that Edward didn't come to see me sleep anymore. I was so ashamed that I could not look at his face anymore. In addition, sometimes I felt that he knew, because he was sad and sulking all the time around me.
My phone rang, and I saw that is Alice calling. I smiled, and I answered the call
"Hi pixie, do you need anything?"
"Bella, what did you do? How could you?"
"What are you talking about? Why are you angry at me?"
"Sorry Bella, I'm not angry at you. I'm mad because I didn't see this coming. Just promise me to be gentle with Edward and that you will talk with me to be before you decide anything, ok?"
"Alice, calm down; it will be ok. I don't know what you are talking about, but it will be ok. I will talk to you before I decide anything or at least before I do anything, ok?"
"Ok, just remember that you are my sister and I love you."
"Bye Alice".
"Bye Bells"
"So now, we can talk now" I jumped in my bed and I saw Edward, sitting in the rocking chair, looking at me, brooding as usual.
"You scared me, why didn't you tell me that you were there?"
"I thought I could listen to something interesting while you talked to her,"
"Ok, what do you want to talk about?"
"I would love to talk about dreams and what happened in Volterra while you were talking with those monsters that we call 'the kings'," he told me icily
"They are not monsters, Edward! They were only nice to me and they let us go if you remember," I shouted back angrily
"So now, you are defending them against your mate; funny thing, isn't it? Can you tell me why you are so cold with me and you don't want me to stay with you at night like before?
I was so ashamed, and I did not know what to say. I was having these craziest dreams about the brothers and I didn't know what's this could mean. The only thing I could tell is that I was no longer in love with him, but how could I tell him this without hurting him more than I already did.
"Please Bella, talk to me. I feel that I lost you and that you are hiding from me. I'm afraid that you are scared to tell me what going on and this is killing me"
"Edward, please don't cry! I love you, you are my best friend and I didn't want you to hurt like this. Is all my fault again!" I told him, hugging him and rocking him to calm him down.
"Is just that I need to know Bella, it will be hard to listen, but I will heal. It will be worst if I'm in the dark longer."
"Edward, I'm not sure about anything but I think that I need time to think and to realize what I want. I always let you take all the important decisions in my life and now I feel that I have to take control and grow up."
He looked at me and told me to take all the time that I need, that he will be waiting for me to answer all the questions when I will be ready to do it and he left the room. I saw him leaving and I was so tired that I felt sleep two minutes after that.
November
The last months were slow and not really full of events. I finished school and I decided to take a year's vacation before going to college. My parents were rather mad at me, but finally they understood that after a difficult year, I needed time to think about my life. Alice and Edward also took their year and told everybody that they didn't want to choose either and that a holiday would be nice.
They were supposed to move soon anyway, so why not have some fun before. We had longs meetings at the house to talk about me leaving with them or not.
I was surprised at the beginning, because I thought that they will not talk to me after I break with Edward, even if it was only to think about us deeper. They told me that I was family to them now or as Rosalie told me on day shocking us: 'Bella, you are my sister, I love you and I respect you more than you could imagine. I will not lose you because you are no longer his bride'. Therefore, they explained all to me and they are giving me some time to decide.
This morning, when the mail came, I had this letter from Italy and I took several minutes to stare at it. Before I could open it, my telephone rang.
"Bella, I need you to come home and talk to Carlisle before you open the letter. I cannot see what is inside but as you already know, Carlisle can help you better than me." Alice told without letting me even say hello
"Ok, I'll be there in half an hour, see you"
I finished my breakfast and I ran to my truck. Something had to been bothering her too much to ask to come in such a hurry. When I arrived at the Cullen house, it was empty, so I called Carlisle and he told me to come to his office.
"Hey, where is everybody? I asked him.
"Hello dear, come. Alice was so upset because she did not see this coming and not be able to see more, that the other volunteer to go shopping with her. I cannot tell you or describe their faces when she started to bounce in joy and talk about all the stores that she wanted to check. They should be here tomorrow night, I think," He told laughing and I joined him.
"I will never offer myself for that, they are lucky that it will be only one day, do you remember last time she took us for a holiday? We were one week around the malls until she was happy enough to let us rest". I said shivering at the souvenir.
"Bella, can we open the letter please?" He asked me" I'm a little nervous about this, I know my old friend and he can be sneaky sometimes when he wants something."
I looked at the letter again. It was a large envelope, golden, a color I saw before but I didn't remember where. The ink was black, and Carlisle told me that it was Aro handwriting on it. A very high privilege, he told me because Aro never writes his letters. Ok, now I was scared, what could he want from me. I opened the letter and I begin to read aloud.
Dear Isabella,
I hope that this letter finds you in good health and happiness.
Eight months just went without news from you and I was getting concerned about how you were doing in your life.
Our life did not have many changes, we continue to rule, and we are a little restless sometimes. Marcus is searching some poems to send you, and Caius is sulking about not been able to teach how to defend yourself as you are a danger magnet.
So, after some time, I came to this idea that can help us a little.
Would you like to come to Paris with us? I have planned this as a holiday and show you some interesting things that you can see in this wonderful city and tell you its history. We have many funny things to tell you about as we saw how this really happened.
Please, dear Isabella, can you consider coming with us? I will love to show you our house in Paris; I think you will love it.
When you'd have your answer, please call my personal number that Carlisle could give you.
In addition, I wanted to tell you that I am giving you another year to been turn. In this way, you can sort your affairs before leaving your biological family and enter our world.
Hoping to hear from you soon,
Yours sincerely
Aro Volturi.
I finished the letter and we stood several minutes without talking to each other.
"Can you please talk, Bella?", Carlisle told me gently
"I'm just in shock, I don't know what to do and I need to think properly about this…"
My phone rang, and I knew who was calling.
"Bella, it will be ok, just remember that I love you and Carlisle will help you to find what to tell your parents about this. Do not overthink this, just follow your heart for once,"
I turned to Carlisle and asked him to tell me his thoughts about the letter.
"Isabella, you are in the difficult position because nobody tells no to Aro. I just want to remark some points that could make you feel better. As I told you before, he never writes his letters, he asks Gianna to do it and he will put his signature in the end. He took his time to write to you and I am sure that he posted it himself because he did not want anybody to know that he wrote to you. Moreover, the most important thing, he never asks, he orders, he will say to me jump and I will ask how high he wants me to jump. He never takes a not for an answer. Bella, he is begging you to come; he is giving you another year to turn, so you will feel better about coming with them.
"When I was talking with them, I said that I wanted to visit the Louvre one day. How can he remember that? I'm only a human, a simple snack for him. In addition, what am I going to tell my parents? Ok, Dad, mom, when I went to Italy, I happened to meet these three vampires Kings who were really nice to me. Now, they want to spend some holidays with me in France. Will be ok with you if I leave next Monday? Carlisle help me please."
I was shaking, and I didn't know what to do.
"Bella, calm down. I do not think they saw you like food, if I know them well, I think that liked your company and they truly want to see you again. For Charlie and Renee, if you'd want I can tell them, that you got a scholarship travel that will last at least two weeks, and this will help you decided what to do about college. They will be proud of you and I can help you fake all the documents. If need it, I think, Aro could help also with that. So, you have to decide, and take all the time to think about.
I told him that I need to think about and that I would take a coffee. Five seconds later he came back with a hot mug and told me to use his office. He was going to meet with his family to prevent Alice and Edward to come home. He left, and I sat in his desk.
I was so confused. I was scared because I did not speak French and afraid of getting lost in Paris. I was scared about what everybody would say about this. Also, I was worry about what Edward would say. I know that we were taking a break, but I knew that he loved me, so he would panic over this. What would I tell Jake? He would know, and he would be worrying all the time.
However, on the other side, I was so happy. I was going to see them again and to see their eyes, to been able to see myself in those beautiful eyes as I did its last March. I was missing them, Marcus's voice was so calming, Caius's fire was nice to be around and Aro's jokes were so funny that made my day.
So, yes, I would be going to Paris!
My telephone rang again. "Bella, prepare yourself; we couldn't stop Edward and he is coming to talk with you. Sorry, just be gentle and is going to be ok. We love you," Alice told me. I finished my coffee and I went to the kitchen to clean my mug. When I was finishing, Edward came in.
"Please, Bella. Tell me that Alice lied, and you are not going to Paris" He told me
"Edward, you are my friend and I love you. I need to do this, I need to see them in order to move on and be able to think about what I want in my life. Help me, please, to make Jake understand that this is the better option for all of us."
He hugged me, and we cried together because we knew that this would change everything, and we didn't know how it will be after that.
X
Life was not fair, is just unnerving me more than usual. Marcus was sobbing like a child in his room and it was the fifth time that he would not come to the throne room for a trial. This made everything more difficult because usually he would mediate between Caius and me. So, now I have to deal with my younger brother who is driving me crazy.
Caius was sulking more than usual, and his mood was so bad that I can swear that Jane is scared of him and all the guards ran from him when they see him coming around. That was not exactly helping with his mood either.
I feel so lost, as something is missing in my life and I couldn't pick up what it was. In addition, to make things more difficult, Suplicia just found her true mate in a rogue vampire who came to visit us and begged me to divorce her. I granted that wish, but that left me alone in misery. Caius also divorce but in a more complicated way when he found Athenodora fucking a lower guard in the tower. Not need to say his temper did not help and now they are only ashes.
I have one dark secret that only Demetri knows about. I have cameras hidden in the throne room. Sometimes I will go to my office and I like to see the trials to try to discover things that I could not see in those moments. That is how I knew that Jane was in love with Felix, she could not help to look at him all the time. So, I told him and now they are a happy couple. In the last eight months, I came to my office to replay the same tape, to see her face, her reactions and to see her leave our home. I cannot take any more. I have to see her, and I have to block the seer to see this coming. I would send her an invitation to expend some days with us in Paris. As I remember, she wanted to visit the Louvre and I have my connections that will help me to give her a private visit. I needed to think about this and I would not tell my brothers, this was going to be a surprise for them.
Therefore, I took a paper and I started to write.
