Chapter 4: Rules of the Courts
"Oh, so what else do you guys want to know?"
"How old are your siblings?" Carlisle wondered.
"Alex is 700. Kyle is pretty young: he's only 550 years old. Sarah's practically a fledgling. She's only 400." They were gaping at us.
"If Sarah's a fledgling what am I?" Edward questioned.
"A hatchling: you get into trouble the same way they do. It's really cute." His siblings laughed at him. He grumbled about being treated like a child. "You are a child Edward."
"Then you're a sex offender." He shot back.
"I don't have a problem with that." I replied smirking. He held me tighter.
"Neither do I," He breathed onto my neck. I shivered happily.
"Bella," Alex growled.
"Shut up you cock blocking, pain in the-"
"Bella," Esme said.
"Sorry mom." I sighed. Jasper was laughing at me. "Stupid empath," I grumbled out. Alice started laughing.
"So did you guys have any other questions?"
"Yeah, why is everyone trying to kill you?" Emmett really was daft tonight.
"Because I'm next in line for the throne: Alex isn't ready, and now that I've found Edward I'm ready to take over if something were to happen to my dad. Ex- boyfriends of mine normally join the hate club. Some of them never loved me and just used me to get information on the council." Edward squeezed my shoulders. "It doesn't matter. No one has ever gotten close to killing me, but then again they never had leverage." I said eyeing Edward and the Cullens.
"We can take care of ourselves." My siblings and I burst out laughing.
"Yeah right," I forced out between laughs. "Maybe against a really young hatchling but if they're anywhere near even a fledgling's level of expertise there is no way you would be able to beat them. We're built to take down made vampires." Jasper was flustered. "I'm going to have to train you. If I have to constantly worry about you someone might slip through my defenses. I'll lose." Now I was really worried.
"What about the elements." I shook my head.
"Fire refuses to be present near wind, and earth refuses to be near fire. Water hates land and fire. So maybe Water and wind…" I trailed off contemplating it.
"Are you expecting a mass attack?" Carlisle was worried now.
"Possibly, they've sent up to 50 at once before. It's just that up until now they've never had the possibility of gaining enough collateral to make me hold back. If they had any of you I would be at their mercy."
"No!" Everyone yelled at me.
"If they get a hold of you I can't keep fighting. They'll kill you without a second thought. I refuse to loose you like that."
"Bella," I could hear the strain in Edward's voice.
"Edward, they wouldn't kill me. They would probably take me captive." Where they would rape and torture me. I mentally added. He didn't need to know that. It would only make him worry more.
"Bella, you can't let them do that." He pleaded.
"I can't lose you Edward. There will never be another you. A world in which you don't exist isn't one I can live in anymore." I whispered.
"Then teach us." Jasper said. I nodded.
"I will, but I don't think it will be enough. They're going to send more then they ever have before once Edward and I go public to my kind. I may need to call in a few favors." Carlisle nodded.
"When do you want to start? Do you need to sleep?"
"Not in this form. It's midnight. I'm at my strongest. Let's get outside." They all filed out after me. I carved away some of the earth to create a circle.
"Jasper, I want to fight you first."
"I'll try not to break anything." He muttered entering the circle. I rolled my eyes.
"Try to get me." He cocked his head to the side for a minute before running at me. I dodged to the side and threw him into a tree. He lunged again and I jumped over his back and got him in a head lock. I put an arm around his throat and held him still. "Dead," I sprang away from him laughing. He was shocked into silence.
"I've never lost before." I shook my head at him. I was the most experienced one here.
"Jasper you fight in the same general way as the rest of your kind. You lunge full force and expect to be hit by someone lunging back. Try to get a hit in and then pull back so you can see their style." He nodded.
"Rosalie and Emmet, you're next." Emmett was happier then a kid in a candy shop.
"Both of us at once," Rose questioned skeptical.
"Rose we both know you've thought about attacking me in the past. Now's your chance, and yes, both of you should attack at once." She smirked. Emmett ran at me first and Rose was quick to follow. I threw myself over their heads and landed where they had been standing moments before. They went to my sides and jumped as one. I dodged them both and they collided with each other. I laughed moving away. Rose hissed and lunged again. I lunged up to meet her. If she wanted to fight this way then we would. I had her pinned to the ground in no time at all. Emmett ran to defend his mate, so in less then a minute I had them both by the throat. I released them. Rose walked away from the circle growling.
"You both need to work on not being so obvious about your attacks. You need to really think before you move. Try grabbing someone when they dodge instead of expecting them to attack back every time." Emmett nodded in acceptance to my advice.
"Esme and Carlisle, it's your turn." This was going to be difficult. How was I supposed to look at Esme as a target? I shook the thought from my head. She couldn't be my mom now. She needed to be my target. They hung back for a minute and waited for my advance before attacking. They worked as a team in an attempt to bring me down, but I was better then them. The fight lasted a while before I managed to 'kill' them both.
"Alice and Edward, you're up." This was by far the most difficult. How the fuck do you look at your mate like an enemy. That was probably part of how they managed to pin me briefly before I threw them off. I 'killed' Alice and now it was just Edward and I. Edward started to copy my movements to a T until I flipped over his head to land behind him. He turned to look just as I was creeping up behind him. He lunged at me, and I was forced to dodge. I jumped up again to see him smirking on the other side of the ring. I used my superior speed to confuse him before going in for the 'kill'.
"You two did a great job. All of this will be easier for you if you don't brag about your skills when I bring you to meet everyone. They need to think you can't defend yourselves at all." I informed them. They nodded.
"They learn quickly. They may be able to hold their own." Sarah said half- heartedly. I shrugged. You never know. "When do you plan to bring them to meet the council?" Sarah questioned.
"In a month's time: I still need to teach them the ways of the court." She nodded in understanding.
"The ways of the court," Edward inquired.
"Yes, there are rules that must be upheld. It will be difficult because of well… what you are, no offense. Made vampires are hardly ever allowed into the courts at all."
"Why?" Rosalie questioned.
"Because of the very reaction you had when I told you and because of the misconception you don't think for yourselves very well." I shrugged. She rolled her eyes, but otherwise ignored the statement.
"What do we need to learn?" Edward inquired.
"You need to learn how to greet those with higher and lower standing. As
my mate and his family you all have higher standing then everyone except my father and my mother. Everyone else must do as you say. If they don't they probably don't understand the rules themselves and are very young." They nodded as they took in the information.
"Our society has been slow to modernize and normally males are looked at as threats and their mates are over looked. Thank god for that. It gives you the advantage. The old fashioned ones won't even acknowledge most women. You have to make them notice you or you won't get any respect. They're learning that isn't smart, because the last time they called me an insignificant hatchling I threw an elder through a window." Rosalie gave me a high five. Maybe I could win her over yet.
"What else do we need to know?" Jasper queried.
"Watch the way they carry themselves. If they keep their heads high, but they bear the mark of the moon on their wrist they are cocky and arrogant. Hatchlings are easy enough to see. They look young. They're loud and disrespect most authority. Fledglings are the ones that bear the mark of the moon. The older they are the prouder they are. There are many who are older then you. The one thing you can't do is let them walk all over you because of your age. They have no right to even criticize any of you, but don't rip their heads off either when you meet them. You need to make a good impression. I'll make sure anyone that is stupid enough to mess with any of you gets what they deserve. That means you can't attack someone that says something to Rose. Or vise-versa Emmett: same goes for you and Jasper." Alice nodded. My phone started ringing before I could continue. I checked the caller ID. It was a council man.
"What is it this time?" I inquired irritated.
"Hello Isabella. How are you?"
"Cut the pleasantries. What do you want?" I growled into the phone.
"You are supposed to respect the council men." He scolded.
"I always thought you were smart enough not to tell me what to do. So what do you want? I'm busy."
"I wanted to make sure you were safe. Made vampires are dangerous."
"You know very well I can handle myself. My siblings are here as well. Besides they're family. Was there anything else?"
"You never know what could happen."
"You're right. Did you know Eric was coming to kill me?" I had to know.
"No, I had no idea. The council has learned not to send people after you."
"Good." He knew better then to lie to me after last time.
"Your father wants to meet them."
"I'll be back in a month."
"You have a week he says, at most." I growled again. "Don't shoot the messenger." He muttered.
"I know the news isn't your fault this time. You did well. I'll return by the end of the week. Goodbye."
"Goodbye Isabella." I snapped the phone shut and shoved it away. That sucked. How was I supposed to get them ready in week? I looked up to see the Cullens all gaping at me.
"Ummm, what was that all about?" Emmett questioned.
"The council isn't on my good side right now, and I'm not about to let them forget it."
"I didn't know you had it in you." Jasper stated shocked.
"You also thought I was human." I shrugged. "I don't act like that when I'm away from the council, but when they're around I have to make sure they understand they can't walk all over me." I shrugged.
The sun started to rise. "Did you know it was going to be sunny today?" I questioned Alice. She nodded. My siblings flinched away from the sun's light. I couldn't say I liked it either, but I had built up immunity to it.
"Are you okay?" Esme asked us worriedly.
"We're fine. The sun saps some strength and stings a bit. We'll be fine."
"Are you sure? We can wait until night to continue this." Carlisle offered.
"We're going to have to. I have to complete a slaying."
"Who?"
"Some vampires named Charlotte and something with a P. They killed a council man or something. I don't keep track anymore." I shrugged.
"Peter and Charlotte," he stated, scared.
"Yes, oh shit: Don't tell me you know them." He nodded.
"Great, just great: That's just what the council's going to want to hear. Damn!"
"Language Bella!"
"Sorry Mom."