A/N: last time I checked, all things Twilight belonged to Stephenie Meyer. Anyway, unlike Miss Icy who'd be super rich by now (well, maybe she is) if she received money for every reviews she gets, I'd still be poor because I don't get a lot of reviews myself, no matter the stuff I write. But at least I do enjoy writing, so it's an end in itself ;-). And for those of you who are kind enough to leave me a comment, I am very thankful and I'll add you to my list of things to be grateful for on Thanksgiving day. Good reading.

Chapter 21

A slave trainer's obligations

EPOV

After I left Kate and Jessica with the Volturi brothers, I could have simply returned to my quarters and gone to sleep. After all, it had been a long day and I was exhausted.

The quarrel I had with my brother in the morning left a bitter taste in my mouth and anger boiled in my veins for the entire day. I'd been about to offer Emmett help in the fields because the three idiots Jasper hired seemed utterly incompetent. However, after his disrespectful comment about Isabella Swan, I almost assaulted him; I wanted him to take back all the rude things he'd said. When he didn't, I decided to let him and his three dunces deal with the fifty male slaves all by themselves. I was so furious, I rejoiced in the fact that the duchesse d'Essanges was able to overpower him with her dominatrix nature.

After our encounter, I went to the palace's gardens to clear my mind. It was still early and I took advantage of the surrounding silence to reflect on the most recent events. Carlisle was correct; the new prisoners had been here for only two days and suddenly everything started to go wrong. Well, from my perspective anyway. Even my emotions were all messed up, for fuck's sake!

Up until now, I'd never burdened myself with soft feelings towards the women I had to train. Imagine the situation: having to show a girl how to give a hand or blow job, and then send her to three ruthless masters who would order her around thanklessly and who, in addition, would insult and brutalize her because it enhanced their pleasure. Fuck. If I hadn't been somewhat immune to the slaves' charms, I would have been jealous as hell that someone else possessed them and crazy with rage just knowing they were perpetually mistreated.

Don't get me wrong. I did pity the sex slaves for all that Aro and his brothers inflicted on them, but only to a certain extent, because I knew that Carlisle was quite kind in his care of them. As a result, I didn't lose any sleep over their mistreatment. Nonetheless, not having deep feelings for the captives didn't prevent me from having some favorites. Tanya was at the top of my list, of course; she was truly skilled with her mouth and I particularly enjoyed when she performed fellatio on me, not to mention the mind-blowing orgasm I'd had when I'd taken her in the ass the last time we were together. But still, all those girls were mere sex toys with whom I would play as a means to relax.

However, all this had changed since the arrival of Isabella Marie Swan, marquise de Courville. There was something special about this young noble girl. A mysterious energy attracted me to her, made me see her in a different way than the other slaves, and I couldn't figure out why. Why had it been so difficult for me to administer the ten mandatory blows with the riding crop? Why was I filled with concern at the thought of what her masters would do to her? Moreover, how was I going to be able to train her if I was already having a hard time keeping my mask of indifference when she was naked in front of me? This young goddess was a volcano of sensuousness but she wasn't aware of it. In her presence, all I wanted to do was try to make her erupt in all possible and imaginable ways.

Last night I almost lost it at the sight of her soaked pussy due to my caresses. But Isabella appeared to be clueless, completely unconscious of the effect of her perfect feminine attributes on a man. It was obvious her parents had kept her in the dark about all matters of sexuality, unlike her friend the duchesse. How, under those circumstances, could I deliver her to Aro's will with a clear conscience? Unfortunately, time wasn't on my side.

I indeed crashed into my bed as soon as I entered my apartment after that long day of introspection, but try as I might, I wasn't able to fall asleep. In all likelihood, I was too stressed out despite my exhaustion. I thought about the talk I just had with Aro after I left Kate and Jessica in the chamber of debauchery.

≈O≈

"Well, Edward, I thought I would at last meet those new girls tonight," Aro commented when he noticed I'd brought the usual captives.

"Patience, Aro, I've barely had time to check their condition," I replied, trying to stay calm even though my employer was side-tracking me in a dreadful way with his allusion.

"It's been too long since I last had new slaves at my disposal, Edward! I don't give a damn about those prisoners' condition, whether they are used or unspoiled! I want them as soon as possible, do you understand me?" the older of the Volturi brothers snapped.

I tried to argue. "You won't be better off if those new recruits are lacking the necessary training to undergo your assaults and the three of them end up in the infirmary after their first night in this room-"

"I'll give you one more day, but that's all. I want to have these new girls ready for me no later than tomorrow night. Is that clear enough for you, or will I have to deprive you from some of your privileges?" Aro cut me off.

I didn't respond. The blackmail he was using on me was ridiculous. Did he really believe I was so addicted to sex that threatening to remove it from my life was going to persuade me? Sometimes Aro seemed to forget where I came from; my ancestor Gauthier Masen de Montauban had done the Crusades with Saint-Louis and could have been canonized himself for being such a paragon of virtue.

≈O≈

After I spent an hour in my bed looking for a way to delay the introduction of the new slaves to their masters, I realized it was worthless to stay under the quilt if I wasn't going to sleep. I decided to make good use of my time and select among the library's collection of scientific books to try to better myself.

My brother Emmett liked to forget his problems with one or two bottles of wine at the end of the day. I preferred to abstain from drinking alcohol as much as possible to keep a clear mind at all times, and books were my own means of escaping reality. I suspected that Emmett had been easy prey for Rosalie Hale precisely because he had one too many drinks when he had asked for her.

The huge library was located on the third floor, in a secluded area that few people frequented. On occasion, I could spend several hours there without encountering anyone. Having the opportunity to access it at any time I wanted, day or night, was part of the privileges Aro mentioned. It was around midnight when I entered the place and soon I settled in a comfortable sofa and absorbed myself in the reading of an astronomical treatise written by the German Johannes Kepler at the beginning of the current century. Eventually, I started to feel drowsy. I glanced at the clock and realized it was almost three in the morning! Fucking shit, no wonder why I felt this way. I could only hope I wouldn't have to wake up at dawn once again…

I put the book back and left the gigantic room. I was so exhausted, I had the impression I was in a trance. The dim lighting of the corridors and stairways I took to return to my quarters didn't help to keep me lucid. I had to step down quite slowly and hold the wrought iron banister so as to not lose my footing on the barely visible and slippery stairs. I was convinced that sooner or later there'd be an accident in those fucking uneven staircases.

I was almost at the floor where the seraglio was located when I heard noises in the stairwell, like muffled steps quickly coming my way. Soon I heard a female voice very close to where I stood at the bottom of the stairs. "We're almost there, hold on Alice!"

I stayed still, both curious and slightly confused. The voice that had spoken those encouraging words belonged to the marquise de Courville. I could recognize it among a thousand others even though I'd only had a few occasions to hear it. She had addressed the comtesse de Marillac. Yet it was the middle of the night and the two young women should have been sleeping soundly in the dormitory. Suddenly, I caught sight of the slaves coming down the flight of stairs I had just taken myself. The sensation of being in a dream rather than awake grew stronger when I noted their juvenile and harmoniously curvy naked bodies. However, I couldn't linger on Isabella's and Alice's figures, for they were evidently fleeing a menace; they were running like they were chased by the devil himself. Obviously they were trying to reach the harem in haste.

And that's how Alice twisted her ankle and tumbled all the way down the stairs. Maybe she would have continued to roll further if I hadn't been in her way to stop her. I didn't hesitate for a second and took off my shirt to cover the poor girl who seemed to have a concussion as she lay unconscious at my feet. At the same time that I was bending down to hide Alice's nudity, I couldn't help but make a comment at the marquise, "Haven't you ever learned that running on the stairs is very hazardous?"

She stood frozen at the top of the stairs as if some invisible entity had taken her ability to move and talk. I continued, "Alas, Isabella, I never wear more than one shirt at once. So either you return directly to the harem, or you allow everybody see you naked while accompanying me to the infirmary so the comtesse de Marillac can be checked by my father."

At this hour, everybody was sleeping except for the lords of Volterra, and Miss de Courville's striking body was unlikely to attract anyone's attention… aside from mine, that is. Truth be told, I hoped that Isabella decided to return to the women's quarters, even if she'd look indifferent to her friend's fate in doing so. As soon as I'd caught a glimpse of her – naked and merely feet away – my cock had hardened in my pants. Fucking crap, now wasn't the time for an erection! But how was I supposed to stay unaffected by this girl?

"I don't know what you think, Edward, but I still have a pinch of dignity left – no thanks to you – even if it doesn't seem to be the case at this moment. Just be aware that I owe my present nakedness to the savage manners of your employers, and let me go to bed. And as for Alice, I trust you. I'm sure you'll take good care of her if I leave her with you," she finally replied, slowly walking down the stairs while holding my gaze.

I grabbed her arm as she passed me, needing to clarify her statement.

"Are you telling me you went to Aro?" I asked, unable to hide my surprise and doubt.

Somehow it was hard for me to imagine that Aro decided to use his authority to obtain the girls he coveted, and yet, it was to be expected. I was a fool to think I could delay Isabella's introduction to her masters for a few more days! The marquise probably wanted me dead at this very moment. Didn't I implicitly guarantee her that she didn't need to fear for her virtue as long as she had the purple mark visible on her face?

"You heard me perfectly well," she replied through clenched teeth.

I felt a weird tingling through my body when I touched Isabella's bare skin. It was the second time in as many days that this phenomenon happened. I noticed that she was staring at my shirtless torso and I shivered as I realized she wasn't indifferent to my own attributes, even if she would never admit it.

"But, I'd already supplied the Volturi with girls for the night," I muttered.

I should have let Isabella go her way so I could take Alice to my father immediately, but I was incapable of letting go of her. Her eyes were fixed upon mine and sending sparks of disapproval.

"Well, I've got the feeling that you'll have to revise your quota upward in the future," she retorted while trying to get free of my hold.

Regardless, I needed at least to apologize if she had suffered from her masters' brutality and I wasn't there to intervene.

"Isabella, I'm sorry if the Volturi abused you tonight. Sincerely so," I whispered in her ear.

She stared at me with even more animosity, as if I had called her a dirty whore.

"Go use your false affliction on Tanya or the other harem's 'doormats.' I should have known from the start that you're good at fooling everyone, including the little nineteen year old virgins. Good night, Edward!" she spat, shaking her arm vigorously enough to finally get free.

Her comment was like a punch in my chest. Did she really believe that I was just pretending to be contrite? That in reality I was happy that she ended up in Aro's hands? I wanted to tell her that she was utterly mistaken regarding my feelings, but she was already too far away when my shock dissipated.

"Holy fucking crap, marquise! You won't get away with your misplaced arrogance!" I cursed loud enough for her to hear it despite the distance now separating us.

And I wasn't just thinking about the physical distance… I took Alice in my arms and went back up the damn stairs to get to Carlisle.

ooooo

When I entered my father's apartment, he was talking to someone in spite of the ridiculously late hour. I immediately recognized Alec's voice in the infirmary, and I tried my best to stay quiet because I wanted to hear the conversation. I stood in the little lounge, still holding Alice in my arms. I had thought Isabella was light until I met the comtesse, who truly weighed less than a feather. All of a sudden, she opened her eyes and saw my face close to hers. She seemed disoriented. I laid her down on a couch and covered her with a bedspread conveniently placed on it to hide some holes in the fabric of the upholstery. I put a finger on my lips to enjoin her to keep silent.

"…But Alec, why can't Aro come here if he needs to be checked?" my father asked, sounding like his patience was wearing thin.

I wondered if he had had a moment to rest in the last two days.

"Master Aro is indisposed right now and can't move without screaming in pain," the servant explained.

I frowned. Aro was suffering to the extent of not being able to walk? What the hell happened to him? Didn't Isabella tell me she was with him a few minutes ago?

Triple idiot, Edward! Under normal circumstances, Aro would have asked for you to come take the slaves back after he was done with them. Isabella wasn't leaving Aro's apartment; she was fleeing the Volturi brothers with Alice!

I couldn't be seen by anyone who left the place from where I stood. I saw my father follow Alec outside and shut the door behind him but he never realized I was there.

"Monsieur de Morvalle, I think I broke my leg," Alice complained weakly, trying to sit up when she was sure the servant wasn't there anymore.

"Mademoiselle de Marillac, were you attempting to escape the Volturi when you fell down the stairs?" I asked with my most velvety voice so that she'd remain calm.

But Alice Brandon immediately curled up on herself when she heard the name of her masters. She appeared profoundly traumatized and started to cry.

"Please, Mr. Cullen, don't… don't take me back up there," she whispered, failing to withhold her tears.

Fucking Aro! The son of a bitch had chosen to play with the most vulnerable of the new prisoners!

"I don't intend to return you to your masters, Miss Brandon. I just want to understand what happened when you were in their chamber," I said gently.

"The one whose name is Aro wanted to fondle me and Bella stepped in to prevent him from doing so," Alice replied, snorting.

"You mean the marquise de Courville tried to protect you?" I asked.

I could see that the young woman was embarrassed to recount her ordeal. However, I needed to know the state of my employer, if only to prepare myself to confront his fury if Alice confirmed my suspicions, which was that Isabella Swan didn't stay passive in the presence of Aro.

"Bella told the old pervert that I hadn't received any training yet and she suggested that… that he play with her instead," the slave stuttered, blushing.

Fucking hell, what did the bastard do to the young noble girl? And why was I so fucking emotional about it? I was so mad at this immoral man that I wanted to knock him through a wall. I tried to remember if Isabella had any whipping marks on her body but the only memory that came to my mind was the fine line of her exquisite curves.

"Alice, you heard Alec when he told my father that Aro couldn't walk over here. Can you enlighten me on the matter?" I demanded with a very soft voice.

"Master Aro… asked Bella to serve him with her mouth. She took advantage of his request to bite his… his manhood," the young woman murmured.

She looked like she was about to die of shame. As for me, I almost burst into laughter in front of her. If it was true that Miss de Courville had the guts to bite Aro's dick, he had it coming and I certainly wasn't going to pity him if he was so badly wounded that he couldn't leave his room.

"Isabella bit her master's cock? Seriously?"

I didn't want the comtesse to think I was laughing at her, though… She nodded, but as soon as she did a shadow crossed her pixie face.

"I beg you not to punish her, monsieur le comte. She just wanted Aro to stop touching me with disrespect," she went on, sobbing even more.

She seemed to have a bad perception of me as well; maybe she believed I was a man lacking principles and integrity. A man as bad as the rulers of this place. Shit.

"Alice," I began with a sigh, "I'm already appalled enough as it is by what you've been forced to endure tonight. I'm not going to add to the humiliation and suffering. And believe me when I tell you that I'm not displeased with your friend Isabella's behavior. It was very compassionate of her to have acted like she did to spare you. Aro was supposed to wait until I decided the moment was okay for you to be sent to him, but he clearly lacked simple patience…"

On the other hand, I didn't want to admit to Alice that her companion risked facing her master's wrath precisely for being kindhearted. It wasn't her fault. It was also hard for me to think about it because the inevitability of Isabella's punishment sickened me. Not to mention that Aro would probably take me down by the same occasion. But for the moment, the comtesse's leg needed to be examined so I explained, "I'm going to take you to the infirmary and when Carlisle comes back he'll have a look at your injury, Miss Brandon."

I enveloped her completely in the bedspread before to lift her. She let me proceed while observing me more intensely; it was like her beautiful doe eyes were seeing me for the first time. I entered the other room as she confessed, "You're not the brute that I imagined, Edward. I think Bella totally underestimated you."

"It all depends on what she told you about me," I replied placidly.

I put her down on one of the unoccupied beds in the first aid room. She let out a scream of pain and I noticed that her left knee was bluish and swollen.

"I think you're right, mademoiselle. It looks like you have a knee fracture on your left leg. However, only my father can confirm it and treat it accordingly."

Just as I mentioned Carlisle, I heard the door open and a few seconds later he entered the infirmary.

"Ah, Edward! You don't want to know what kind of shithole you'll soon find yourself in," he stated when he saw me.

But he didn't continue when he realized Alice was there too, moaning non-stop now.

"Jesus Christ! What happened to this little one?" he asked as he approached her bed.

"Alice Brandon fell down the stairs when she was running away from the Volturi brothers, Carlisle," I summarized briefly. "I think she broke her left knee…"

My father bent over the young woman and pulled the cover to examine the comtesse's injury. He felt the swollen area, making Alice scream louder.

"I don't enjoy seeing you in such a bad state, comtesse, but sincerely I prefer to have you under my watch for the moment," he said in a low voice.

His face was stern as death itself.

"Why do you say that, Doctor Cullen?" the patient worried.

My father evaded her question and went on instead, "I'm going to give you an anesthetic tisane so I can work on your fracture without you feeling the pain. I'm also going to give you a soporific because you need to rest after all you've been through lately."

With that, he dragged me to the lounge to continue the conversation away from Alice's ears.

"Did she tell you what happened upstairs?" he interrogated gravely, the color drained from his face.

"Alice told me that Isabella bit Aro's genitalia, Carlisle, if that's what you're asking," I answered calmly, although apprehension began creeping over me.

"Yes, Edward, Isabella bit her master's penis, and she didn't go lightly with her teeth. She tore him and I had to stitch him to fix the damages. For once, he had a taste of his own medicine!"

We were on the same page on that topic: Aro deserved the suffering Isabella inflicted upon him. Unfortunately, there was a reverse to this situation…

"What are the consequences going to be, Carlisle? It must be disturbing if you don't want Alice to hear it," I remarked, staring at my father.

"Aro wants the two slaves responsible for his torture to be subjected to an exemplary punishment, Edward," he sighed as he fetched the material he needed to treat the comtesse.

"I will certainly not punish this poor little aristocrat who almost broke her neck less than an hour ago!" I snapped. "Anyway, she's got nothing to do with this mess, for fuck's sake!"

Why couldn't I be indifferent to Isabella Swan's fate? Maybe if I banged my head against the wall everything would return to the way it was before I met this girl. I mean my feelings, or lack thereof. Carlisle came back and tried to reason with me, "Calm down, Edward. That's exactly why I told Alice I wanted to keep a watch on her-"

"But there's still Isabella, Christ!" I cut him off, aggravated.

"I know, son, but it's your job to punish the disobedient slaves. And even though Aro largely deserves what he got, the fact remains that Isabella committed a very serious offense tonight."

How was it possible that Carlisle accepted the situation so easily and was even finding some excuses to justify Aro's request?

"Am I dreaming or what? Are you defending Aro? He wanted the marquise to suck his fucking dick! That, when I didn't even have the time to show her how to satisfy a man with her hands! So forget about the rest…"

"Look, Edward, Aro threatened to torture the other sex slaves if you let Isabella go unpunished for her crime," he said bluntly.

I furrowed a brow.

"What do you mean, Carlisle? From my standpoint Aro and his brothers are already using torture on their slaves."

"I'm talking about burns, cuts, stretching devices and intentional sexual mutilations, son. Not the small 'accidents' I normally treat," the physician clarified.

I started to pace back and forth in the room. Aro had me by the balls, fucking hell! The thing was I didn't have the energy to consider an alternative to what I would be asked to do; I was a wreck at this very moment.

"Go to bed before you collapse in my parlor, Edward. Your eyes are bloodshot," Carlisle advised.

"I'd be surprised if I'm able to sleep after what you just revealed," I said with a bitter grin.

Nevertheless, I listened to him and I left his quarters so he could take care of Alice. Ten minutes later I was asleep, but not before imagining Isabella's reaction next time I approached her.

Starting now: I'm grateful for MoTU because if it were not for this story and one of the comments I sent to Icy, I would never have met my lovely and devoted beta Just4ALE.