Chapter 11

Rosalie wore a gown of brilliant red; the color of blood exposed to oxygen. It had a sweetheart neckline with fallen sleeves, a curve-hugging ruched bodice and a skirt which was full on the floor with a small train complete with hand strap for dancing. What made the gown truly Rosalie was that it had a thigh-high slit up one side. Her hair was in a beautiful French twist with diamond studded combs holding it in place. She wore large diamond cluster earrings and a bracelet of rubies and diamonds to complete the look as well as red stiletto Leboutins.

Alice wore a gown of emerald green silk to play up the color of her hair. The gown was true ball gown style held out with 20 pettiskirts which Rose and I had helped her into. It was strapless with a corset style bodice studded with pearls, emeralds and diamonds. The skirt was tufted throughout with jeweled clusters of emeralds and diamonds with a single tear drop pearl hanging from each cluster. Her hair was in its usual pixie style but with pins studded with diamonds advantageously arranged. At her throat she wore a necklace of pear shaped emeralds with diamonds arranged to resemble leaves and babys breath.

Alice had blind-folded me into my gown while Rosalie had protested how utterly stupid she thought the idea was. She had dressed me in a gown of pale blue silk. It was the most breath-taking and elaborate gown I had ever seen much less had on. The corset style gown had dramatic white satin laces down the back to a drop waist which Alice had laced up so tight I was thankful that breathing was no longer absolutely necessary. On the front the bodice had two strips of the same blue silk which criss-crossed from the top corner of the bodice on each side to the natural waist at the side seams. Then the straps came back across the bodice at the natural waist to form what looked like a belt or sash as Alice had called it. There was a diamond encrusted buckle to the left of center on the sash. The blue silk skirt was very full and fell all the way to the floor on the back of the dress with a gradually ascending hemline around the sides of the dress to a hem which fell only halfway down in the front exposing layer upon layer of cream silk gathered into almost cloud-like billows. I felt like a princess straight out of a novel or movie set. As if that wasn't enough Alice and even Rosalie had agonized over my hair. They had curled it into several large ringlets; five of which they had pinned into a bun shape at the crown of my head with three more ringlets coming from the center of the pinned curls to dangle down my back pony-tail style. Rosalie had given me some cream satin opera-length gloves to put on and Alice had slipped blue pleated silk Leboutin heels on beneath all those layers of petticoats.

"Are you sure I'm not overdressed," I worried although admittedly I kind of liked the finished effect.

"Not for one of the Volturi's affairs," Rosalie replied once more admiring her own reflection in the mirror.

"Edward had this delivered for you earlier," Alice said as she giddily brought forth a cherry box with an ornate silver lock and key. I studied it a moment before turning the key and lifting the lid. The contents caused all of us to gasp. Nestled inside the box on a bed of black velvet was a floral themed tiara and chevron shaped necklace comprised of sterling silver and encrusted with what appeared to be hundreds of diamonds in various cuts and sizes to comprise the flower shapes.

"It's too much," I immediately exclaimed. If those were real how could I possibly take them out of the box? They were far too valuable.

"It's the Cullen diamonds," Alice spoke finally, "they've been passed down in Edward's family from generation to generation of and only given to their true love; the next Cullen bride."

"They're gorgeous," Rosalie exclaimed as she lifted the tiara and nestled it in front of the pinned curls atop my head. The effect was breath taking. Now I really felt like a princess. I resisted the urge to pinch myself.

Alice lifted out the necklace and fastened it about my neck and then I walked over to the full-length mirror to take in the entire finished effect.

"Now it's official you really are a Cullen," Alice said.

"We'd best be going," Rosalie said, "I'm sure everyone else is down there waiting by now."

The ballroom was like something out of a fairy tale. We entered through doors on the second floor and for a moment everything was blinding. The floors were travertine marble and the stair railings were mahogany inlaid with gold. The ceiling bore frescos that had probably been crafted by Michelangelo himself. The space was massive and the two story wall of glass windows on one side made it feel as though the heavens themselves were the location of the ball. The other three walls were covered in brocade silk of a soft cream and framed with ornately molded gold. At one end of the room was a full orchestra and the beautiful symphony music thrummed with anticipation. The ballroom below was already beginning to fill with guests.

Aro, Caius and Marcus, our hosts, were standing at the lower entrance to the ballroom in full 17th century attire as though that was the time we still inhabited as they welcomed their guests. They wore powdered wigs, navy velvet jackets, white silk shirts –complete with ascots- and short breeches with white silk stockings as had been the height of fashion at the time according to our school textbooks.

One deep breath told me that the room was filling with humans as well as vampires.

"Are you okay Bella?" Alice worried as she laid her hand atop mine.

"Just a little nervous," I confided, "I'm a terrible dancer."

"I doubt you are anymore," Alice replied confidently.

Rosalie began to descend the stairs then and Alice and I spotted Emmet looking stunning in a tux at the bottom of the stairs. Rosalie descended gracefully and dozens of heads turned to watch her make her entrance, those same eyes suddenly seemed to glance up the stairs and focus on Alice and I. I was so thankful that Jasper and Edward appeared at Emmet's side a moment later and we moved down the stairs to greet them. Jasper had on military formal dress and Edward had on a tuxedo. The sight of him took my breath away even though I no longer needed it.

"You look amazing," Edward said as I hurried the last couple of steps to his side.

"Yes she does," Alice agreed with a smile. I fingered the necklace again; worried that it cost a fortune and I would lose it.

"They go with the ring," Edward smiled, "They've been passed down over two centuries from one Cullen bride to the next. He leaned in and kissed against my neck and his smell was intoxicating. Then he whispered in my ear, "Mrs. Cullen"

I had never felt more like I belonged somewhere than I did amongst the Cullens, my new family. I think even Rosalie and I are coming to an understanding.

"And here is the night's guests of honor," Aro said as he Caius and Marcus approached as well as Jane on the arm of a very good looking human. Even Jane looked alive and resplendent in a silk gown of purest white. The skirt was layer upon layer of the most delicate chiffon and shimmered in the light like starlight. Her bodice was also corset style with laces in the back and she seemed to wear it effortlessly; no doubt she had done this many times before. Her hair was in its usual bun but was studded with diamond pins and the whole appearance was brought together by the startlingly blue eyes that were alternately staring adoringly up at her partner for the evening and glaring at us. In fact I noticed all of the Volturi had hidden their violently red eyes this evening with the use of contacts presumably. Mine were of course brown thanks to the contacts Jasper kept steadily ordered but my eyes were finally almost brown themselves again.

"Your home is extraordinary," I remarked when I finally found my voice.

"Thank you," Marcus replied; oozing hospitality and gentility, "and you must think of it as your home while you are here. Anything that you would like is at your disposal."

I felt Edward's grip around my waist tighten as his gaze snapped to meet Jane's and I imagined that her thoughts had not been pleasant.

Just as I felt that the tension could not get any greater Carlisle and Esme appeared. Carlisle, instead of wearing the tuxedo in modern fashion, which he kept on hand for hospital fundraisers he was obliged to attend, was similarly decked out in jacket, waist coat and cravat of early 18th century fashion. Esme had on a gown of lavender satin with delicate cream lace trim. She wore opera-length gloves in matching lavender with a string of pearls running up each one. She had three strands of pearls about her neck and her hair was fastened back in an elegant French roll and studded with fresh lavender sprigs.

"Shall we dance?" Jane's partner offered as the orchestra began a new piece. She smiled at him admiringly and let him lead her away.

"Jane does love her seductions," Aro mentioned. They were distracted a moment later by the entrance of someone else to whom they wished to speak and the three brothers finally left us. I let out a breath I didn't know I had been holding.

"Can't we just get out of here," Jasper whispered though half of everyone in the room had excellent hearing.

"Of course not it is a party in honor of Edward and Bella and we will enjoy it until it finishes at midnight," Carlisle said though the sentence seemed to be laced with meaning for Alice and Edward who nodded briefly.

"What happens at midnight," I whispered into Edward's ear as softly as I could manage.

"The ball ends and the buffet begins," he said off-handedly as he led me to the center of the room and before I realized it he had led us out amongst the couples dancing.

"You know I can't dance," I worried.

"Trust me," Edward smiled. Halfway into the piece not only did I realize that I was dancing, but that I was dancing well. The music worked wonders it seemed almost to put you in a trance. The whole room was full of couples who danced elegantly to song after song, rarely stopping to chat all evening. I loved the feel of being in Edward's arms as he twirled me about. As we continued to dance the scent that Carlisle had described as a 'draw' just continued to grow more and more intoxicating from Edward; soon I was scarcely aware of the beautiful music that was being played at all. Instead I was completely drawn in by Edward. Our gazes were locked together and the rest of the ballroom seemed to cease to exist. The strangest urge began to come over me and it continued to build until I felt that I might cease to exist if I did not fulfill my desire. Deep in the background I heard the clock begin to toll midnight.

"Do it Bella," Edward whispered then in a husky voice, "let yourself do it." How did he know? I couldn't even get my brain to reason that out. Instead I did what my brain seemed to feel was the natural course of action and leaning into Edward's neck I bit him. I heard him utter a brief growl of satisfaction before he bit my neck as well and then my world suddenly felt like it was spiraling out of control. Edward swept me up into his arms then and I briefly noted that Jasper and Emmet had done the same and the Cullens ascended the stairs and slipped out the double doors as below the ballroom was a throng of murderous screams mixed in with the current orchestral piece.