You Make Me Retch
Chapter 14: Um...no.
By: Maggiles
Author's Note: Thank you for waiting! I know it must have killed you, so I really appreciate your kind encouragement. Let's just say that the next chapters are going to be new and fresh, and muuuuuuch longer. I want this story to end in about...twenty five chapters, so in order to do that, the chapters will be insanely long. Haha, but I don't think you guys will mind.
Edward
Now... I know what everybody must be thinking. Has he utterly lost his mind? Has he been in the sun too long?
Ha.
No my dear public...quite the opposite. But I do agree, I was insane. I mean...how else could I explain it?
The choice was involuntary. I didn't even want to do it. But it was as if something inside of me NEEDED to. As if this child was someone that was of the utmost importance-someone I couldn't see dead.
I must be a lunatic.
My hand was trembling slightly, the ring glinting in the candle light, my mind in a fog. There was a painful silence...as if the guests could not believe their ears and needed some time to register what I had just done. 'Not too long I assume...' I thought, my body still and stiff. And of course, I was right.
As if all at once, there was a huge wave of gasps and shrieks, total disbelief and rage. The women could not hide their shock.
"WHAT?!"
"HAS HE LOST HIS MIND?"
"She's a thief!"
"Scum of this nation!"
"Not to mention a dirty little SNAKE!"
"THIS MUST BE SOME MISTAKE!...SHE'S A PEASENT!"
Comment after awful comment flew back and forth as the maidens stirred with fury. Even the guards-once broken of their stupor-could not hold back the mob. The women were determined to cause trouble. I winced, the shrieks and screams of their thoughts piercing my mind, causing me immense pain. I had to shake it off, because what they thought was not of importance.
It was her answer.
I lifted my eyes, meeting her big brown ones immediately. They were wide, her mouth open in a complete circle, her body still as if made of cement. I had almost panicked, for it seemed as if her heart had stopped altogether. But really, it was just moving very slowly...usually the same outcome of a stroke. I tried to say something, but found it really difficult. This was not good.
I suppose there was much too much chaos in the room, because once I took a quick glance at my siblings, they were as stiff and rigid as a statue. It was clear to see they were NOT comfortable with the reaction of the guests, dreading the thought of them coming closer-maybe even TOUCHING them. They were not going to be happy with me once this hellish ordeal was over.
But it seemed that one person had already had enough of this madness.
Carlisle narrowed his eyes after giving me an acidic glare and bellowed, "ENOUGH OF THIS INSANITY! SILENCE!"
And just like that, the room was quiet. There was not a sound, everybody frozen in place, their eyes anxious.
"THERE WILL BE ORDER IN MY HOUSE, DO YOU ALL UNDERSTAND? MAIDENS-" He then pointed a threating finger at the women, who of which all slithered pitifully back in formation, "I am disgraced by your behavior. I believed you all to be women of high class, taught to suppress your emotions. But I see now that the lot of you are no better then a harlot."
Ouchhhh.
The women winced, no doubt embarrassed and offended at the term Carlisle had used. I was taken aback also: Carlisle was always the gentle compassionate one. It was very strange indeed.
He kept his eyes on them a little while longer, before turning to me, his expression not friendly at the least.
"What do you think you are doing?" he whispered, eyes on fire, "Do not make a fool of yourself Edward. Do not give the humans reason to riot."
"I assure you...I have no such intentions."
"You cannot marry that girl."
"Oh?" I challenged, eyebrows raising, "And why can't I? You said yourself I could have anyone I so chose. I choose her."
The fighting went back and forth, our voices raising every sentence. I knew the whole room could hear out conversation, but our stubbornness got the best of us. We had forgotten about our audience and continued. There was one factor we had not counted on.
Her fighting back.
Bella
"Will...will you marry me?"
I thought I had died and went to hell.
That is really the only way I can describe the sensation I felt throughout my body. Sickness, doom, fury.
What was he ON?
Was he joking?
What did he think I would say? YES?
Hahaha...no.
My mind could not register what he asked me, so I just stood as still as a statue, my eyes wide and glued to his face. I didn't know how to react at that moment, so my body froze. But it wasn't just me. In fact...the whole place seemed to have my same reaction.
Quietness...shock.
It was strange, like I was in some kind of alternate universe, in total reverse to what the day had held just earlier. I would have believed it too, all until the wave of realization went a flame.
Oh no.
I was still here.
"WHAT?!"
"HAS HE LOST HIS MIND?"
"She's a thief!"
"Scum of this nation!"
"Not to mention a dirty little SNAKE!"
"THIS MUST BE SOME MISTAKE!...SHE'S A PEASENT!"
The insults went on and on, and I felt my anger rising every second. And even though I hated to admit it, hidden beneath the anger was shame. Every second I stayed here I lost myself. I felt like I was worthless, like some type of fungus people were disgusted of.
And it was all HIS fault.
I bit my lip, feeling the pain but ignoring it, using it as a way to release my frustration. There was so much noise around, I felt a headache coming on. But it wasn't as bad as the demon named Edward in front of me. He looked like he was in serious agony, shutting his eyes to zone it out.
Hah! That moron. He deserved the pain.
Just as I thought I was about to crack, somebody beat me to it.
"THERE WILL BE ORDER IN MY HOUSE, DO YOU ALL UNDERSTAND?"
My head jerked to the direction of the voice, and almost squeaked when I saw it came from King Carlisle. It just didn't seem right.
MAIDENS-" I saw him point a threating finger at the women, who like the fakes they were, tried to be poised again, "I am disgraced by your behavior. I believed you all to be women of high class, taught to suppress your emotions. But I see now that the lot of you are no better then a harlot."
WHOAAAA.
Ouch.
Geez.
Hah.
That was harsh. All the women cringed, obviously offended at the word the King had used. I couldn't keep myself from smiling. It was great. Calling the richest, most connected people in the country common whores, well, that wasn't something you heard everyday.
Soon, the demon and the King exchanged some words. They were real quiet at first, but then, gradually, got louder and louder. Soon, the whole room could hear them, and everybody remained quiet.
"YOU CANNOT MARRY HER EDWARD. THAT IS MY FINAL WORD."
"Oh is it? Has that ever stopped me before?"
"I mean it Edward. Do not test me."
"Test you? I daresay you already failed."
"Edward."
"I WILL marry her. I choose her."
"A FEW MOMENTS AGO YOU DID NOT KNOW HER NAME!"
"ONCE WE ARE MARRIED, THERE WILL BE PLENTY OF TIME TO GET WELL AQAUINTED. I DARESAY WE WOULD HAVE FOREVER -DO YOU NOT AGREE?"
"You will NOT marry her."
"I WILL."
"NO."
"YES."
"N-"
"STOP IT!!"
The words seemed to echo throughout the ball room, bouncing back and forth and soon dying out into a small whisper. All heads turned to me, the King and the Demon, their eyes wide with surprise. I reached for my throat, wondering if that scream really came from my mouth. I gulped.
"You two stop fighting..." I mumbled, my voice hoarse. I tried to get up, but my legs felt like jelly. My knees were buckling, and I felt like throwing up. I hated intense stares. And I was getting about three thousand of them.
"Excuse me?" The courier-rising up from the shadows-said, his stern voice offended, "What?"
I took in a deep breath. "You heard me!" I yelled, my voice cracking, "STOP FIGHTING!"
There were gasps and whispers, but more then anything shocked stares. I know this was suicide, but considering the fact that I was as good as dead anyways, I thought 'Hey...what the hell?'
"I can speak for myself!" I shouted, looking at all the people, "I'm seventeen years old DAMMIT! I mean...ya...I'm old!"
Silence.
My eyes dilated, cold sweat forming. Oh god...this was not going as well as I had hoped.
"I mean...I'm a big girl, do you know that?" I pointed at random people- "Do you? Come on...I can...you know...I CAN MAKE BABIES AND STUFF, SO I THINK IF I'M CAPABLE OF GIVING LIFE, THEN I AM MORE THEN CAPABLE OF MAKING MY OWN DESICIONS!"
Again, utter silence.
A few grunted laughs and snickers arose, and I felt my blood drain. I cannot believe I just said that. How stupid did that sound? Oh god.
My eyes went to the demon, and my jaw dropped. He was...laughing.
Not out loud, of course. He had his face covered with his hand, his head turned away. He was trying to hide it. When he saw my eyes, he tried to frown right away. I growled.
Soon, I felt the blood rushing to my head, my sheer anger making me see red. I forgot all about everyone in the room, and just focused on the object of my hatred.
"Let me put this simply" I barked, hands balling into fists, "...I REFUSE TO MARRY YOU, DEMON PRINCE!"
All the snickers and laughter died, and thick silence once again filled the room. Prince Edward's smirk turned into a frown, his face looking slightly aggravated. He opened his mouth to say something, but was cut off.
The doors burst open, and in came Charlie with a bunch of men.
Edward
"Let me put this simply...I REFUSE TO MARRY YOU, DEMON PRINCE!"
Wow.
Those words had silenced me, along with the rest of the guests. As much as I should have been furious with her disrespect, she had had the whole room quietly dying with laughter but a few moments ago. She had screamed about her body's ability to reproduce, using that as leverage to clarify her decision making abilities.
This girl was COMPLETLEY hopeless.
Other people would probably have sympathized with her fragile mind, but not I. At the moment, I was not in a blissful mood being called a demon prince.
Demons were an entirely different species.
But just as I was about to speak, the doors yet again burst open, and in came...who else? The human's father, Chief Charlie Swan.
Interesting...
"BELLA!" Charlie yelled, his eyes finally fixed on his daughter, "BELLA! Oh Kiddo, I was worried sick."
He ran to the center of the floor, but then stopped cold. He looked around, saw the thousands of people in the room and became frozen.
"Oh no." he whispered, small beads of sweat forming on his forehead. I watched as he took notice of Carlisle and I, following behind us to the rest of my family. His eyes widened, as he yelped an- 'OH!' and fell to the floor, bowing.
"Your...your majesties...I-I..." he fumbled with his words, not knowing quite how to explain himself.
It was almost comical. Now I knew where the human girl got it from.
"Stand Swan." Carlisle said, his voice gentle, "You are excused. It seems that this affair was not as private as I had wished it to be."
He gave a side long glance at the girl. I tensed.
"Chief Carlisle..."
"YES...Yes your Majesty?"
I clenched my jaw as Carlisle walked around, heading towards the girl. My instincts were to follow, so I did. Watching him, observing any changes in his face.
"Chief Swan...is this child your daughter?"
He pointed at Isabella, her eyes hard. Chief Swan gulped, his heart beating ridiculously fast. "Yes...yes sir. She is my only child."
Carlisle's eyes narrowed. "Is she?"
"..Y-yes your majesty. My pride and joy."
This seemed to get Carlisle's attention. The whole room was silent as they watched the scene in front of them. Tanya did not look very happy. She eyed the girl ominously, and one look into her mind got me apprehensive. She, apparently, did not see the need for the girl to live.
"Really?" Carlisle mused, enjoying himself, " Did you know that your daughter-your pride and joy- is up for death?"
The girl had sucked in a breath, her expression queasy. I glared at Carlisle. What was he doing?
Chief Swan was no doubt sweating through his clothes. His body trembled ever so slightly. "Yes your Grace." he mumbled, " I am aware."
Carlisle didn't take his eyes off of the girl, his expression unreadable. I couldn't tell what he was thinking, but got a feeling I would soon find out.
I watched as he walked around the girl, seeming to observe her matter. From the corner of my eye I could see Esme looking taut, debating whether or not to stay where she was or follow Carisle. My siblings were all taut as well, as Alice quietly screamed, "Edward...I understand now. THAT is the human you were talking about earlier-in your room, isn't it? WHAT ARE YOU TWO DOING? What an exciting story these humans will have to tell back home!"
I winced, hating to know that her words were true. Her eyes were burning with accusation, but had a little bit of something else in them also. Curiosity? Well, that wasn't much of surprise coming from Alice, who, to be truthful, found curiosity in nearly everything. But I thought back to her reasoning. What would the mortals think of all this? Quite the royal scandal, I would say. Our privacy would not be as easy to keep from now on.
"I have an offer, Chief Swan." Carlisle abruptly said, his voice seemingly louder in the quiet room, "I'm sure you will not object to it."
My eyes narrowed. It seemed like that last part was directed at me.
"Yes your Majesty?" he answered, heart pounding.
"I will spare your daughter's life. She will be excused from death-BUT only on one condition."
A gasp reached my ears, and my head trailed it to the girl. This Isabella. Her eyes were wide as she stared at Carisle, probably wondering if she heard right. I couldn't lie. I was JUST as surprised as she seemed to be. Something was going on, and it probably would not be in my favor. Chief Swan seemed shocked, and the only thing on his mind was confusion...and a tiny bit of joy as well. He got up, waiting to hear more.
"Yes your Grace...I'm listening."
Carisle smiled. "Chief Swan...your daughter, Isabella, will be free to live but-"
In that one second, everybody's ear seemed to perk upright, heart pounding for his unfinished answer.
"...only in banishment."
Bella
Banishment?
My head seemed to swirl around in a hurricane inside my body, and then I started to feel extremely sick. Banishment was worse then death. I would be all by myself, in some stranger country, speaking some stranger language. My heart broke.
What about Renee? My MOM? What would she do? She needed me to do chores, to get money, to keep her company. I could not leave her alone.
And then there was something seemingly worse.
What about JACOB?
I could not imagine living without him
Who would make me laugh?
Who would I compete with in everything, and win?
Who could make my heart flutter and stomach drop just by a flash of a smile? How could I do it? Oh, that was easy.
I couldn't.
Edward
Banishment?
Had he utterly lost his mind? For this human, banishment WAS death! There was no way she could survive in a different environment, having been raised here all her life! It was disguised suicide, and I knew he knew it as well.
"Well, Chief Swan?" Carisle asked gently, "Your answer?"
Everyone in the room was still, heart's pounding in anticipation. The girl looked distressed, eyes on her father, scared silly.
In a feeble attempt, I tried once again to search her mind.
Dammit...nothing.
All eyes were on her father, but there was no need. It was obvious what his answer would be. How was he expected to turn down this offer? The word banishment WAS a bit more appealing then death.
Of course you could let your silly little imagination run wild, picture her somehow surviving and living a good life. But that was not reality.
"Well, Swan? What do you say?"
Chief Swan blinked, his once hopeful smile gone instantly. He locked eyes with his daughter, his face in pain. After a few seconds, he looked away to the floor, and nodded. "I...I-I accept your offer, Your Grace." -He gave a bow- "Thank you for your mercy."
The room blew up in whispers and gossip as Carisle snapped his fingers as a sign to ship her far away. I became anxious, watching as the guards pulled her up, dragging her towards the door. Charlie ran to her, trying to get in some last words.
But she would not have it.
She had kicked and screamed, and right when she was about to yell out, someone beat her to it.
It was me.
Bella
"I...I-I accept your offer, Your Grace...Thank you for your mercy."
Charlie didn't look at me once he finished his so called thanks. In fact, he turned away from me, probably ashamed and mournful at himself-at me. That was a slap to the face. I had thought and hoped with all my heart that Charlie had come to his senses. That he had come to save me, to fight with the king, to bargain for my life. I thought he would protect me, be the father I always dreamed of. But I guess I was wrong.
Don't misunderstand-...It didn't surprise me. I was always wrong about a lot of things. But just this once, this one time...
I wish I could've been right.
My own father signed my death papers.
But just as it was all agreed to, the moron guards behind me grabbed my shoulders once again, trying to pull- drag- me out of the room. I saw Charlie get all purple faced as he ran over to me, trying to apologize. He was even crying...sort of.
Convincing...but it wasn't selling.
"Oh Bella..." he croaked, eyes glassy, "Oh kiddo, I'm so sorry about everything, I-"
He kept going on and on, but I just wasn't getting any of it. All I thought about was my life, and how I was not about to lose everything I've lived for now. If there was nothing else I could do, I could still resort to my former self.
Thief rule 101: Never give up without a fight.
I started to kick my legs and arms violently, trying as hard as I could to wiggle out of their grasp. When I could clearly see there was no possible chance of getting away physically, I resorted to smack talk. A thousand unpleasant words in my head were burning to get out, and just as I was about to open my mouth to let them pour, somebody beat me to it.
Big surprise here.
It was him.
Edward
"RELEASE HER THIS INSTANT!"
My palms were getting colder then usual, my anger unleashed as I saw the brutality of the men before me. But I must admit that for a split second, I was astonished that I had raised my voice so savagely. I took it as a sign that this ordeal would have to end.
Soon.
My eyes roamed over to Carlisle, who surprisingly, did not interfere with my sudden outburst. Instead, his eyes looked curious, as if he was waiting to see something. I inhaled and brought my attention back at the guards.
"Release her!" I shouted once again, walking assertively to their spot, "Unhand her and do not let me tell you this again."
At once their hands escaped from her body, backing up to give us some space. No doubt they were getting a little sick of this 'Get her', 'Let her go' business. But that wasn't any concern of mine. Her eyes were burning into me, her anger very well present. In fact, it was suffocating. I was about to speak until I remembered her father. I turned to him.
"Chief Swan...-"
"Ye-yes...G'day your Majesty."
I inhaled. This was going to be tough. "Chief Swan...I'm afraid my father had forgotten to tell you a very important detail."
I had hoped for some sort of stunned reaction, and I smiled when I saw his eyes perk. "Your Majesty?" he whispered, wanting to hear more.
I looked him in the eyes. "A few moments earlier, I had..."-I gave a quick glance at the girl, who's eyes were piercing daggers- "I had found my bride."
The Chief looked a little stricken, probably worried he would get some sort of punishment for ruining what was surely was the pinnacle of history. I gave him a tried smile to assure him there was no harm.
"Con...congratulations your Highness!" he stuttered, giving a little bow, " I wish-WE wish you nothing but happiness."
Here we go. The hard part.
"Thank you..." I gave a quick look at Carlisle, who's eyes were still waiting for what I did not know. Everyone in the room was silent, watching. Tanya's teeth were starting to show. No doubt she was ready to rip something apart. I had torn at her patience the entire evening.
Eventually, my eyes came back to Swan.
"I am over joyed that you wish us happiness. For, to tell you the truth..." -I closed my eyes- "I have chosen your daughter, Isabella Swan, to be with me for eternity. So I ask you, Chief Swan...may I have her hand?"
What a sweet moment it could have been. A moment of shock and admiration. A moment of nobility and fairy tales. It should have been a solemn moment.
All until the girl opened her mouth.
"HAVE YOU BEEN DROPPED ON YOUR HEAD? I'D RATHER GET BURIED ALIVE THEN BE MARRIED TO A SHOVENISTIC, CRUEL, DEMON POSSESED PIG LIKE YOU!"
Bella
I swore he was crazy.
How dare he try and play games with me?! It was like he was mocking me... asking for my hand in marriage, and then seeking my father's approval?
HAH!
I was no fool. And there was absolutely no way I would EVER agree to this. I'd rather be banished forever. Rather die in the middle of an alien country then wake up to the morning next to that thing. He was not getting the best of me.
Not anymore.
Edward
Her words seemed to echo through the hall. Audible gasps popped up from the crowd, as all heads turned to her. If I had a vein, it would have been pumping right now.
My eyes narrowed as they turned to her.
"What?" I asked, very miffed, "What did you say?"
Her nostrils flared. "YOU HEARD ME!" she yelled, "I WILL NOT MARRY YOU! I REFUSE!"
"Bells!" Swan gasped, horrified.
Even though the room remained physically quiet, what happened in my head was a completely different story. Thousands of thoughts, shrieks, accusations, and whines flew through my head, causing me to wince in pain. I looked around, longing to shout at them to be silent, but would have been deemed crazy. I looked at Carisle, who was smiling ear to ear.
"Well, Edward," he said, his voice even and calm, "It looks like your bride does not harbor the same feelings you have for her. She has rejected you...something that I'm sure the whole nation has heard."
I exhaled, eying Carisle with as much control as I could. He was trying to turn this around. I would not let him.
"Give me a moment to speak to the girl." I muttered, not taking my eyes off of her, "Just a few minutes."
Without waiting for a reply, I grabbed her arm with as much force needed to over power her. I exhaled, making sure my breath was held. There was no room for slip ups here. "Hey! Let me go!" she yelled, struggling to push me away. I held on tighter.
"LOOK." I hissed, turning her around to face me when we had finally gotten to a private area, " Before you go on a rampage with your frivolous vocabulary, why don't you think this through?"
I watched as her face twisted in anger, her brown eyes filled with choler. "Think WHAT through?" she spat back, trying to pull away, "Did you not try to kill me a few moments earlier?!"
At once I covered her mouth, head turning slightly to the side. Oh no. There was no doubt in my mind that others had heard her statement. Not the humans of course. But the rest of us. I would have to make her quiet.
"Try and control your voice," I whispered, eyes glaring, "Others might hear."
"No one can hear us. Now let me GO!"
"Even the walls have ears." I warned while pulling her closer. "Now, if you have ANY shred of intelligence in your body, you will accept my proposal."
"NO WAY IN-"
"THINK about your options very carefully, girl."
"What are you talking about, boy?"
I sighed, my eyes weary. This was not going to be easy. I pulled her closer. "Do you think I want to be married to a little convict like you?" I hissed, trying to get my point across, "Please, do not flatter yourself. You are nothing to me."
My plan seemed to work. She started blushing, embarrassed at my blunt remark. "If I mean nothing," she growled, "Then why would you want to marry me?"
"Because I feel like keeping you alive."
She looked dumbfounded by my answer. She frowned. "Is that so? Well, I don't feel like talking to you any longer. I'm miserable, embarrassed, ashamed, tired...and it's all YOUR fault. I hate you more then anything in the world at the moment. Now let me g-"
"LISTEN TO ME."
At once she became quiet, surprised at the venom in my voice. I had to hurry. There were too many people who had heard already.
I looked at her. "I am not saying that I have clean intentions. You are not honey to the bee for me either, but the fact of the matter is, we can both benefit from this."
Her eyes narrowed. "Keep talking." she mumbled.
"Now, for you, you will be able to live." I paused to give the word more meaning. "And I know that you have some family outside of this palace. You can stay and live the life of a queen. You will never have to steal again. You can see your father...get better acquainted..."- I trailed, wanting to see her reaction. Her face had softened, and I knew that I was winning her over. I continued, trying to speed this up. "And it will not last forever. You just need to stay for three months. That is all. Then you can get a royal appeal and be gone from me forever. That's all you need to do. Accept the ring and give up three months from your home."
Her arm became lifeless, her eyes clouded with thought. "Three months..." she whispered, more to herself then anything.
"Yes." I whispered, filled with eagerness, "Three months...and then you will be free to leave."
She was silent for a few moments, and I knew the thousands of pairs of eyes that were on us, watching. I tried not to let it bother me. I was practically jumping for joy all until her sharp eyes latched on to mine once again. "Why are you doing this?" she asked, her voice incredulous, "Tell me...what's in it for you? What can you gain from me?"
I could tell she was trying to figure me out, to come up with some kind of answer on her own. I smiled, knowing all too well that her question would have soon risen anyhow. It was inevitable.
"That, my dear, cannot be answered right away."
Her eyebrow rosed. "What do you mean?"
"What I mean," I said, eyes burning into hers, "Is that your benefit will soon come to show. What you will gain for me, my dear, is knowledge."
Bella
"What I mean is that your benefit will soon come to show. What you will gain for me, my dear, is knowledge."
My eyebrows rose in question when he gave me his answer. What was he talking about? Knowledge? What could he possibly need to know? And how could I be of assistance in gaining that? I would have loved to think about it more, to really try and dig deep into his reply. I tried looking in his eyes.
Bad choice. They took my heart away. His eyes were full of sincerity, lacking in any deceptiveness. Or maybe it was just his extreme good looks messing with my mind.
"You will have to be quick about your decision." he said in my ear, waking me up from fantasy land, "In case you have forgotten, we have quite the impatient audience."
I gulped, my eyes widening as I stuck my neck out to the side, taking in the thousands of staring eyes. Oh god, I was getting dizzy.
"Right..." I mumbled, trying to focus.
"Your answer?" he asked, yearning.
I swallowed, taking five seconds to think.
I hated this guy. He ruined my life in one day. He took away everything from me. In fact, if it wasn't for him, I wouldn't even need to be making this decision right now. I would've been home. With my mother. With Jacob.
But on the other hand...this could be the opportunity of a lifetime. The life of a queen for God sakes! He was right: I would never have to steal again. My mind thought back to the jewel encrusted gate I had come across before. Just ONE gem would be early retirement for my mother and I.
Just one.
I could erase the records of my past...of Jacob's past...heck, the whole GANGS past. All I needed to do was survive here for three months. Just three months for an eternity of happiness.
Taking in a deep breath, I nodded.
"I accept."
And I know it sounded crazy...but right before I replied, I felt a tremendous wave of comfort. As if all my stress was wiped away, gone for eternity.
Crazy...right?