Chapter X
March 21st, 1512
"Concerning me?" said Edward, with a frown. "If it has anything to do with my marriage with Isabella, I don't want to hear about it!"
The messenger snorted.
"You have no choice," he said arrogantly. "My duty is to deliver messages, and I'll do that even if you refuse to listen. His Majesty had decided to arrange a marriage for you. He wants you Cullens, to be part of the royal family. He has arranged for you to marry Princess Chelsea of Volterra, another niece. What is your answer to that?"
"I'm already married," said Edward, his fingers curling into fists. "And I won't marry a Volterran Princess at the wish of a lecherous King. Don't look so surprised. Go ahead and tell him that! I'm not afraid! I'd rather be dead than married to his niece!"
Carlisle's face was strained.
Jasper remained calm.
How calm can Jasper be?!
I was tempted to run out, but I restrained myself.
"Very well," said the messenger with a smirk. "It'll be a pleasure to report back to the King. He also suggested a Lady from the House of Denali. I'm sure you know them quite well. My vice-messengers told me that a certain Lady Tanya is attractive and has the Denali looks. I'm sure you'll be an excellent suitor, and one quite needed. She's one of the only unmarried Denali ladies of her generation. Didn't you know that she's still unmarried? Oh, you haven't kept contact with her. How silly of me not to know! I heard rumours that she's still unmarried because she's been deflowered, and her bastard sold for two hundred pounds at a guess!'
Crunch!
The chair fell on the ground, with the messenger on top! The messenger's face was covered with blood, and bits of skin (or maybe bone?) fell on the ground. Edward's usual pale face is now red with anger, and his fists were covered in blood. The messenger coughed and tried to sit up, but Edward kicked him back down savagely.
The messenger's nose must've broke by now.
Jasper grabbed Edward and pinned him against the wall.
The messenger had the common sense to run out the door.
I stepped out from behind the curtains.
"Edward!" said Carlisle disapprovingly. "Look what you've done! Thanks to your rash actions, we'll all be waiting in line to be executed! If we're lucky, Rosalie might be able to save us from a traitor's sentence, but we'll all be in prison by tomorrow night! What has got into you?! You normally have more common sense than this! Now, I'll have to compose a letter of apology to the King. No matter how evil or unfair he is to you, he is still our sovereign lord, and he can destroy us!"
Edward grumbled to himself.
"Don't worry," I comforted him. "We'll have our wedding. People will soon accept us a legally wedded couple in no time at all. Even if you live in prison for the rest of your life, I'll marry you there, with the jailers as the witnesses."
Carlisle sighed and pulled out parchment and a quill.
Before he could write anything, a servant hurried in the great hall.
"What is it?" inquired Jasper.
"His Majesty, the King!" panted the servant. "He's outside! He demands to see you, My Lord! He wants to see all of you! Even the Lady Isabella! He said that a feast isn't necessary. He just wants to see you outside immediately!"
Carlisle's expression was a cross between fear and irritation. I had never seen Carlisle irritated at anyone before. This was a first.
We all went outside, butterflies in our stomachs.
"My Lord of Olympia," drawled Aro I, leaning against a statue. "Viscount Edward, Lord Jasper, Lady Isabella. Such a pleasure to see all of you at such short notice. I'm sure you aren't aware of my quick arrival here. That's unimportant. What brought me here, was that my messenger told me what you thought of me and my alliance plans, my dear Viscount."
"It was a mistake, Your Majesty," said Carlisle hastily.
"A mistake, My Lord of Olympia? Nothing is a mistake. Everything is done for a reason. I can easily arrest the lot of you on the grounds of treason, but I won't. I'm feeling particularly lenient and generous today, do any of you know why? No? I suppose not. Save it, Carlisle. Your son is a feisty one with a loose tongue. I like those type of men at Court. Always make conversations interesting. Carlisle, you're my Court physician, and I won't execute you."
"And my children?"
"That's a tricky one."
"Tricky, Your Majesty? In what way?"
"You won't die, but your sons and daughter may have other ideas. Perhaps to depose me. Edward had already called me 'a lecherous King', if I'm not mistaken. If you want them to live, maybe we can come to some sort of agreement? Most of your children are unmarried. Your beautiful Rosalie is engaged to the Duke of Rochester. Pity. If she wasn't betrothed, I would've asked for her to marry one of my nephews. She would've been a Princess of Volterra. I want peace in my kingdom, and the only way I can achieve that, is through a stream of alliances. Edward, I can assure you that you might find it interesting. I'll acknowledge you and Lady Isabella as husband and wife, if Lord Jasper consents to marry Lady Tanya Denali, and Lord Emmett marries Princess Renata."
Edward and Jasper glanced at each other.
I frowned slightly. Aro I mentioned all of Carlisle's children, with the exception of Alice! Isn't he aware that she's Carlisle's daughter too? Could Alice possibly be a bastard? Carlisle doesn't seem the type to be unfaithful, but still…
It all depended on Jasper and Emmett.
Would they agree to marry their arranged brides for my happiness?
For Edward's happiness too?
Carlisle watched his sons, a crease appearing on his forehead.
"I'll wed Lady Tanya," said Jasper, expressionless. "With a couple of my own conditions. I'm a man that would do anything to achieve a decent level of peace. I want to be part of your Council, and I want you to listen and make things happen. I'm a person that wants Volterra to be one of the leading kingdoms in the entire world. A dowry won't be necessary."
"A dowry won't be necessary?" repeated Aro I. "My dear boy! What has got into your head?! Without a dowry, you'll be penniless at Court! Lady Tanya may not be the most attractive or youthful bride, but she has a rich father! He'll pay anything to rid himself of his aging daughter! Carlisle, put some sense in this son of yours! Every man knows that a dowry will boost up their financial status! Is your son planning something illegal or traitorous?"
"No!" said Carlisle indignantly.
Aro I raised his eyebrows.
"Let's say that my request is the dowry," Jasper said with a smile.
"I suppose that's adequate," Aro I agreed.
"What about Emmett?" Edward asked.
"We'll have to wait until he comes back," Aro I smirked. "Once Lord Emmett agrees to marry Princess Renata, your wedding will be held, and every Volterran noble would know that you and Isabella are husband and wife."
Edward stared at him, shocked.
I was taken back.
"Did you say, wedding?!" I couldn't help asking.
"Well, of course!" Aro I said, a glint in his eye. "A wedding is an event everyone looks forward to, when a happy couple decided that they can't live without each other. Edward, you don't want Isabella to be known as a bigamist, do you? It'll ruin your reputation! A dispensation won't be needed, if I declare your union legal and binding."
"Emmett and Rosalie will probably be back tomorrow or the next day," Carlisle said uncertainly. "Will
you stay here, or will you return? Esme will join us in a couple of minutes. She's attending the gardens at the back of the castle, and most likely didn't know you're here, Your Majesty. Would you like some tea, or ale? We never had royalty here in the castle before. Edward, why don't you and Isabella go and ask the cooks to prepare a feast?"
Aro I had a smug look on his face.
Edward and I nodded and left Jasper and Carlisle alone with him.
"I can't believe this," hissed Edward, as we descended down the stairs to the kitchens. "Aro I wants to stay at our castle for a couple of days! Carlisle's aware that Aro I's a lover of great pomp and feasts, and he still requests a feast!"
"Edward," I murmured. "You're scaring me. First, you beat up and threaten Jacob, and then you insult the messenger. Please stop it. I'm frightened. I don't want you in prison. If you anger Aro I, there's a good chance I'll never be able to see you again."
His Emerald eyes softened.
They were a hard, cruel shade of green before.
Now, his eyes were the sparkling shade of green I loved.
"I'm sorry," Edward said with a sigh. "It's been stressful the last few days. I had a bugging feeling that you were in trouble. My head was so sore! Alice was worried and wouldn't stop murmuring at night about how you will die if I don't rescue you. There were also a flurry of letters from Rosalie and Emmett. It was such a nightmare. When I saw what Jacob and William were doing to you, I just lost it. Even though I could be arrested for assault, I think they deserved it. I'll try not to frighten you. I'm sorry about earlier. I'll make it up to you after the wedding. Let's go and tell the cooks. After that, instead of going back to Carlisle, why don't we go to the market?"
"The market?" I said, surprised. "I'd never been to a market before! My mother always said that only peasants and servants go to markets, and it's an excellent place to catch diseases. Are you sure it's a safe place to go without dying?"
Edward laughed.
"Your mother lied," he chuckled.
It wasn't a surprising response.
"It'll be fun," Edward promised me. "It's a different type of market. It's one where merchants sell their goods to rich nobles and royals. There'll be plenty of beautiful and shiny jewellery and accessories. There's also fabrics that are made of silk or cashmere. Don't worry about the money. I'll pay for everything. I haven't been particularly polite to you, and you are my wife. Even if you think the item's useless, I'll still buy it for you, Bells!"
The market was cleaner and a much friendlier environment than I had thought it would be. There were no beggars or peasants around.
There were food, materials, jewellery, everything!
The sight of the beautiful illuminated manuscripts in neatly cut books at a stall captured my attention at once. I had read many books in my childhood (for educational purposes of course), but parchment corners were torn, the letters were fading, and it was second-handed. Jacob's library were full of books, but I was forbidden to read any. I was only allowed to look at them in their glass cases and mahogany shelves. All of his books had a coat of dust on them.
"You like books?" said Edward, pulling me to that stall.
"I only read religious and educational books," I said, blushing furiously.
"Nothing to be ashamed of."
"I never saw a new book, so freshly made before!"
"Go and have a look. Take one and have a flip through it. If there's a book that you find interesting, let me know, and I'll purchase it for you. Don't be so shy, Bells! It won't hurt to touch one! Here, take a look at this book and tell me what you think of it."
He placed a book into my hands.
Like a young girl who had been given a jewelled bracelet for the first time, I stared at the book in my
hands in wonder. The cover was made of the smoothest wood I had ever seen, and on top of it was the finest leather with a strap. I opened it, and the parchment was cut evenly and the ink on it was still quite dark, not the faded letters I had always seen.
There were elegant and well-drawn illustrations next to the text.
It had obviously been drawn with care and patience.
"You like the book, young Mistress?" asked the book seller. "It's a romance one. The story is about a beautiful Princess who had been shut up in a tower for most of her childhood and girlhood. Her father was a greedy King who only cared about money."
"What happened?" I said, interested.
"Well, she was captured by a dragon and the King announced that the man who could rescue her, would become King after his death, and will have the hand of his daughter in marriage. The son of a poor woodcutter decided to earn his family a couple of coins, left his dilapidated home with an axe, and went to rescue the Princess. He decapitated the dragon, and returned the Princess to the King. The Princess and the woodcutter's son soon married and lived happily ever after. The story is obviously in more detail than what I just told you. There are fine pictures to help you understand the story. The scribes and monks who wrote this story are quite brilliant story tellers."
"It sounds like a wonderful tale."
"It is, Mistress! It is!"
"How many copies of it do you have?"
"Two, I believe."
"It must be very costly then."
"Nay, Mistress! Only three pounds! Many noble ladies like yourself, had expressed interest in buying and reading this very book. Unfortunately, they never purchased it, on the grounds of frivolity. Even if I was willing to sell it to them for a single pound! Nobles have no sense of imagination these days! Always the serious books get sold out quickly!"
"I'll purchase it," said Edward, before I could say another word. "While we're on the topic of good books, what other interesting, imaginative books are there that you would recommend this lady? Any book that don't have facts in it?"
The book seller rummaged around and handed me another book.
It was just as finely made as the other one.
"What's it about?" I inquired.
The book seller smiled mysteriously.
"Read it and find out," he said to me. "You won't regret it. Sir, it's three pounds. Do you want this book too, fair Mistress? If this doesn't interest you, you can always find me here every day. If you want your money back, I'll give it to you back if the book doesn't fit your tastes. I trust you won't ruin it, but please keep the books safe from harm. It takes months to make a single copy, and a lot of effort and hard work gets put into it."
"I understand," I said, hugging the books closer to me.
Edward held out a basket (he had bought it from a nearby stall earlier on) and I placed the books carefully in, making sure no dirt is near the books.
"I'll carry it," Edward offered.
Having a feeling I would drop it or trip, I handed him the basket.
"Where do you want to go next?" he asked.
"I don't know," I admitted. "There's so much to see!"
Edward laughed and led me to a jewellery stall. I didn't really care about jewellery, but something about those bracelets, necklaces, rings and brooches dazzled me. The jeweller glanced at me and Edward, and went back to creating a sparkling necklace fit for a Queen. He seemed less friendly and talkative than the book seller who sold us my treasured books.
"Just stay here for a minute," Edward told me. "If you want something, keep it mind until I return. I won't be long. Don't try to wander far."
He left and I looked at the assortment of rings and bracelets.
"Looking for something, my dear?" said the old jeweller, pushing his glasses back onto his nose. "A
present for a friend? A bracelet for yourself? Maybe a necklace?"
"Maybe," I muttered.
"You have pretty brown eyes. Not many ladies have brown eyes these days. Many tend to have blue or green. Brown eyed ladies think it's bad luck to have that eye colour. I think it's beautiful. Will you wait here for a minute, young one?"
"Very well?"
"I won't be long."
The jeweller rummaged through a bunch of bracelets.
After a couple of seconds, he slipped my wrist into a well-wrought bracelet made from silver, and decorated with jewels of a stunning shade of brown. I had never liked brown much, but this brown jewel on the bracelet was hypnotisingly pretty. I moved my wrist around, to catch the shine of the jewels in the sunlight. The bracelet I received from the Blacks at Christmas, was quite nice, but it didn't seem to attract me to it as much as this one. It felt like the bracelet chose me to be its owner over all the other far more beautiful noble ladies who came here.
"It suits you," said the jeweller, watching me. "I did the right thing to wait all those years to find the perfect owner for that lovely bracelet. Many women wanted it as an heirloom, but I refused them all. Even if they offered quite a lot of money for it. I just knew the right girl would come along for it! What do you think of it, young lady?"
"It matches me so well," I said, admiring the bracelet.
The jeweller cracked a smile.
His ancient face had scars all over it.
Something tells me that he hadn't smiled in quite a while.
"Keep it," the jeweller said, picking up the necklace he's working on. "If it matches you well, then take it for yourself. Don't pay for it. You don't pay for the colour of your eyes, or the colour of your hair. The bracelet will become a part of you eventually. If it breaks or a jewel falls out, let me know and I'll fix it for you. Free of charge. Don't argue about it. Even if you were a peasant or an impoverished noblewoman, I would still have given this to you. If you are willing to do me a favour, it would be ideal not to tell anyone else what I just told you."
"I won't tell anyone," I vowed.
The jeweller nodded.
"Bells," said Edward, walking up to me, with a bright smile on his face. "Nothing shiny or pretty caught your attention? Don't worry, there are other jewellery stalls you can look through. Why don't we go and have a look at the food?"
As we leisurely walked towards a food stall, Edward spun me around. When I dizzily faced him again, he held out a flower.
I blinked and looked closer.
It was no ordinary flower.
Oh God! It must've costed Edward a fortune!
The flower (a rose) was completely made from jewels. The stem and leaves were made of large and small Emeralds, and the rose petals were different types of Rubies, that somehow matched each other. It was just for decorative purposes, but to me, it meant much more than an ornament. It was the symbol of Edward's eternal love for me. The jewels would always be glittering like the stars in the sky, and Edward's love for me would never fade.
"It must've been so expensive," I said, tears glistening in my eyes.
"Nothing is expensive for me," said Edward gently. "When it comes to showering you with tokens and gifts of my love to you. I bought this gift from a woman who claims to have magical powers. She said that if the jewels dull, my love for you will diminish."
I sniffled and wiped away my tears at the corner of my sleeve.
Edward handed me a silk handkerchief.
"No need for tears," said Edward softly. "Do you want to keep looking or do you want to go home? We can get some more books if you'd like. The basket's still quite empty. Do you want to go and buy some wooden or glass figurines? What is it, Bells? Is there something about this jewelled rose that upsets you or traumatises you? Tell me, Bells. Are you upset that I spent too much money on you? I can always return this if it upsets you so much."
"It's so sweet," I wept. "No one had ever done this to me before."
Edward embraced me lovingly.
"I love you," he murmured into my ear. "I'll die for you. There's nothing I won't do for you. If you want me to stab Jacob in his spine, and disembowel him, I'll do it. If you want our wedding to be the most splendid fete that ever happened, I'll do everything to make it true. If you want me to get a star for you, I'll do everything in my power to succeed."
We both held the jewelled rose.
Our love will last forever; nothing will break us apart.
Please review or let me know whether you like it or not! If no one responds, there's always the doubtful feeling that no one likes it... :( Oh, and wedding bells are ringing for the next chapter! :)