A/N: Thank you for the reviews. Here's the next chapter. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight. All belongs to S.M. that is pertaining to it. And anything else you may read that belongs as someone else's idea.

Troubled Love

Chapter 7

EPOV

"Hello, Edward. We've been expecting you." A voice that sent shivers down my spine said. Across the room was two men with blond and dark colored hair and varying shades of grey eyes; the coldest I have ever seen. They were holding a cage with Seth in it. Seth hated being caged up, he liked being out in the open, free. Seth was banging against the cage door, making relentless moves to get out of the thing he hated most.

The man with blond colored hair said, "My name is Caius. My brothers' name is Marcus. We're here to make a deal with you, on the exchange of this little monkey here."

I was so angry I let the anger consume me. "Let Seth go. Now."

"Oh, but that would be too easy wouldn't it," Marcus spoke for the first time. I think he had an even more bone chilling voice than his apparent brother, Caius.

I looked back and forth between the two invaders. They wanted me to do something in exchange for Seth. But... Why me? Why take my monkey and torture it in something as cruel as a cage? What for? What was the purpose? Couldn't these men go to someone else? Take something dear to that person and make them do the deed? What was the deed? Better yet, why couldn't they do it themselves? Why make innocent people do their bidding? As innocent as I can be being me.

And yet, I had no answers to these questions I seek to be answered. The only way was through these men...

"What do you want?" I spoke with a deadly low voice. Seth had calmed down a bit since I first spotted him, knowing I was near and going to help him; only a minimal banging now. Seth really did not like cages at all. It made him feel trapped, like he was a prisoner. Nobody deserves to be treated like a prisoner; even an animal. It reminded him of his previous life. But I can't get into that now.

"We came to see if you'll help us with a little problem of ours," Caius spoke. It looked like he was going to be the main one speaking; the Marcus guy seemed more guarded than his brother.

"No." I answered even though I knew what he was going to say next.

"You see, Edward, that's not your decision to make. Let's just say I might want to keep your little friend here if you don't. And you should know, I'm not the best pet owner." He was leaning back waving his hand around; acting as he was commenting on something as mundane like the weather. But I heard his underlying meaning.

"Why do I have to help you with your problem? It's of no concern to me." This guy was starting to piss me off. First, coming in here thinking he can boss me around like some little kid. Second: taking Seth. Third, threatening me into doing his bidding with Seth. Then, threatening to kill Seth if I don't obey him.

"Must you always threaten people, brother?" Marcus moved his hand to cover a yawn. He looked bored like he's done something like this before and it actually bored him!

"Yes. Otherwise, people won't take me serious. Now will you please start taking this seriously, Marcus?" Caius seemed annoyed by his brothers' lack of enthusiasm. "Now, Edward. Where were we?"

"You were about to give me Seth back."

Caius chuckled a little, while Marcus rolled his eyes; both at my feeble attempt.

'Hey. It was worth a try.'

"No. You were going to help us with something, I believe," Caius mused. "Oh. Yes. You were going to help us. Now, why don't you explain the next part, Marcus?"

Marcus sighed, looking up at the ceiling, "Do I have too?"

"Yes."

"Okay then." Marcus looked up at me. "We want you to sneak into the palace a-"

I snorted. "Even I'm not that good -or crazy enough- to even attempt that."

"You didn't let me finish, Edward." Marcus regarded me coldly," We have everything already arranged. All you have to do is show up and do what we tell you to do."

"Why are you picking me to do this? Why not your lovely selves?"

"Because we have this other brother-"

"I wouldn't have guessed," I muttered under my breath.

"-that," Marcus glared at me. "He's going against what we have planned."

"And what do you have planned, exactly, that you can't do yourselves?" I asked in an offhand tone, but real curiosity burning underneath it.

"We want to take over Aswan."

My eyes widened at the realization of exactly how crazy these men actually were. "Why?" I couldn't hide the curiosity this time.

"Because," Caius said with loathing in his tone, "Charlie Swan's father."

"What about him?" All I heard about him was when Uncle Anthony talked about him; all I remember was only good.

"He took something from our father. It's an heirloom of sorts; a necklace. He was going to give this necklace to our mother, but that wretched crook took it from him. We were only babies when this happened, but we still remember how it broke our father and mother's heart to have it taken. And now, we want it back."

"What are you going to do when you get it back?" It seemed like a stupid thing to do. I mean, did they have a lady to give it to or something? Would they wear it themselves? It just seemed pointless.

They looked at each other with a thoughtful expression and turned back to me. Caius shrugged, answering, "Wait to give it to that someone special. We hadn't really thought about that part yet. But, when we do get it- and we will- it will show, that if people take something of ours, we'll come back ten times worse." He had a smug expression on his face now. It really didn't look all that good.

"Okay." These men were definite psychos; they needed help. "Next question: Who's your brother and what has he done?"

"Aro," Marcus mused of his own free will. He had to speak quite loudly though; over Seth's harassment to the cage still going on. "You see, we had this plan of going in and taking it over from the inside. The princess is choosing the next king and her husband, and we were going to use that as our entry. But, Aro has been off his rocker lately." I snorted. It seems like they've all been off their rocker lately; not just this Aro person. "Anyways," Marcus continued. "He went ahead and tried to tell us that he went to do some research, and found out that originally it was our father that took it from Henry Swan, Charlie Swan's father, and that we shouldn't continue with our plan of revenge. That it would only end in disaster. He said if we didn't he would stop us himself."

Well I guess I'm wrong. Not all of them are off their rocker. This Aro character person seems to have a little sense in him left.

"So," Caius left off where his brother ended. "We need you to go in and do this for us."

"I still don't get the 'why' part of it?" I asked. "And what exactly is Aro doing to foil it?"

"He's going to first try to win the princesses affection. And if that doesn't work, he's going to eliminate us himself. First: by exposing us for what we are trying to do. And if even that doesn't work, second, by killing us."

"As if he could kill us," Marcus muttered with a snort. "We taught him all he knows." He rolled his eyes.

"Too true, Marcus. Too true..." Caius agreed wistfully.

I had a feeling they were both lying about that part. And another one that this Aro guy wasn't half-bad. He was trying to stop something that could be deadly for many people.

"What about the 'why' part? Haven't answered that yet."

"We were getting to that part," Caius said annoyed.

"Well?" I looked at them expectantly.

Caius glared at me, about to retort. "Right," Marcus said trying to defuse the situation; although I didn't see the point. Caius and I were going at each others' necks here. It was only a matter of time before it starts getting physical, not just verbal. "We're doing this because we want to show people that we are not pushovers."

"And now the how?" I asked. "How are you going to use me in this ridiculous plan of yours?"

"It's not ridiculous!" Caius shouted at me.

"Shut up! Both of you!" Marcus said. "The only way we're going to get through this succeeding is if we all work together." He was wiggling his finger at us like we were little children. And I guess from his perspective we were acting like it.

"I don't even want to do this!" I was flabbergasted! Why are they pulling me into something I very clearly think is stupid and not want to do?! I just don't get it! I mean I could ruin their chance at succeeding! Couldn't they see this? "Ugh!" Oops. I didn't mean to say that out load. I just can't control my mouth when I'm angry, I guess.

"Hey!"Marcus yelled. "You better start being nicer to us. Or do you want your monkey to take a trip to visit monkey heaven?"

Monkey heaven?

Okay, I knew this was a serious situation; but seriously? Monkey heaven? I'm not a little two-year-old here.

While laughing internally, I said, "No, I don't." Adding in a serious look on my face, as not to give away what was going on in my head at that moment.

"Then you're going to do as we instruct you to," Marcus said in a flustered tone, I guess from all the tension in the room at the moment.

He huffed out a breath, while an exuberant Caius continued on for him, "Now the exciting part of the night!"

*~~~...~~~*

They went on to tell me what I had to do, how I had to do it, and who to steer clear of while in not to bring attention to myself and the plan that I was to execute.

After they had control and were happy with my work, I could have Seth back. And they so-called promised me not to hurt Seth.

I knew they were lying when they said that so I concocted a plan to get him back.

"I actually think I'll need help when I'm in there. And Seth's tiny frame and quick, but sure movements will be perfect for it." Step one in my plan to get him back: Plant the suggestion -and maybe doubt- in their heads.

"And what would that be for?" Marcus seemed to calm down some and went back to his quiet, guarded state of looking bored with everything happening around him.

"Well, you said that you already had an inside person- working in the kitchens, I think? And he was supposed to help me? There might be a problem with this plan." I folded my hands and looked at the two of them questionably.

"Yes..." They were becoming hesitant, but their curiosity fueled them to keep talking.

"Well..." Pause. Escalating the need to know where I was taking this. "I was just thinking..." Another pause. They started leaning forward, intrigued to what I had to say.

"Just spit it out already!" Caius yelled, annoyed at my pauses.

"Okay. Okay." This was getting funny. Although I probably shouldn't be trying their patients at this point; they were the ones in control. Step two: convince them of the suggestion-or doubt- they might be having. "How would he recognize me? I mean there are going to be other contestants there... How will he know which one you guys sent in? Seth will help him to distinguish who is who. It might jeopardize the plan if he starts talking to the wrong guy about the plan. He might get fired, that way he couldn't get the information to me, because the person he talked to thinks that he went crazy and decided to report it. Or they decide to investigate it further and find that your behind it..." I trailed off, letting them think over what I just said. As an afterthought I added, "And Seth is pretty cute. I could probably win her over with it." I grinned at a distressed, caged Seth. He seemed to become wary of me when I did that. Probably thinking I've gone insane. He slowed his banging on the cage some, down. But he immediately started up again when the grin slowly dissipated. Maybe he was right; I probably was going insane.

Caius looked uneasily over at Marcus, both thinking over my words; Trying to think if I was serious or if it was all a bluff.

The truth was, I honestly was picking at sticks here, trying to convince them to give me back Seth. Good thing I was good at lying, because they would have caught me on my bluff.

A minute after thinking it over, Caius said, "Well... I guess you do have a point... So I guess you can have Seth back..." I never said he had to willingly give over Seth. By the tone of voice he was using, and the pauses, he really didn't want to give me back him. "But just know," he threatened. "That if you screw up the plan, that the monkey and you will pay the consequences." And there's the threat. I guess it was suspected.

By giving me back Seth, which means that I can pretty much blow off the plan and do what I want. Ultimately ruining their plan.

"Just know, that if you do disobey us," Caius seemed to be saying. I was too happy that I was getting Seth back to listen, although I didn't show it on the outside. "We will find out. And if we do, then neither of you may have a happy ending."

I guess he liked to be the one to threaten people. To be the intimidating one that's always in charge.

Marcus could have his moments, but nothing really excited him much. He had a short temper, which I learned quickly.

When I got Seth back, and they had their stuff in hand, already given my disguise and such, they took their leave.

Before stepping out of the room, Marcus turned around and said, "He will be here soon. I would get some sleep if I were you. And remember... you don't want to cross us." With that said, he turned around and left out the door, with a sweep of his cloak. I guess Marcus could make threats too... when he wasn't bored out of his mind to do so.

He was obviously talking about the person who was going to take me to the palace. After he got me ready and suitable, that is.

I went over and let Seth out of the cage, dodging him when he jumped out.

Like I said.

He really hated cages.

After Seth was settled and happy to be out, and I didn't have to worry about him, I dropped into bed.

I had a feeling tomorrow was going to be a day filled with a lot of questions. Whether I was the one asking them or getting asked them, I wasn't so sure.

A/N: I hope you enjoyed the chapter. I was really excited about writing this one. It's the turning point in the story that shapes most of it.

I have a question. Would you guys like me to put flashbacks in the future chapters about what went on with what the three talked about, make it a whole chapter instead of breaking it up, or not including it at all?

Review what you would like me to do.

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:)

O.o

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:D

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Sorry about the creativeness of the faces. I'm not that good at it.

~Cynthia~