Jewel in the Crown
Disclaimer: All the characters in the story are the property of Stephanie Meyer. I have borrowed them for my entertainment and (hopefully) your reading pleasure. I make no profit from their use.
Chapter 21: Women's Words
After we are dismissed by Aro, I walk with Bella to the room that she and Edward have been sharing. I am glad that my son will be going out with his father to hunt. Maybe if he isn't so thirsty, Carlisle will be able to talk some sense into him.
The woman Chelsea walks in front of us, with the other three, Sulpicia, Corin, and Santiago behind us. I remember from my instruction by Carlisle that Corin and Chelsea are both gifted.
I know that Corin has the ability to make one feel happy and contented, while Chelsea is able to create and break bonds within covens, although not between mates. Carlisle told me very little about the wives. Usually, they play no role in the operations of the tower. In fact, he seemed a little surprised that Aro's wife was so forward as to approach her husband while he was conducting business.
When we arrive at the room, I look around and notice that although it has a rather gloomy atmosphere with its stone-walls and high window, some effort has been made to make it comfortable. There is a small bathroom off to the side with a shower. In addition to a bed with sheets, pillows, and a blanket there is a small table with a couple chairs, no doubt for Bella to eat at. There is also one large chair against the wall next to the door.
I notice a tray with some leftover food on it and a pile of dirty laundry, no doubt from Bella. I suppose that this is the Volturi's idea of proving human necessities. However, after our conversation with Aro, I doubt that Bella will be human for much longer.
Bella leads me over to the bed to sit down. She is clearly exhausted. There is a large chair across the room from it. With an inclination of her head, Sulpicia indicates to Santiago that she wants the chair moved closer to the bed. Once he has done this, he and Chelsea quietly leave. Sulpicia sits in her chair and Corin stands behind her.
"Bella," says Sulpicia smiling. "Please introduce me to Esme."
"Sulpicia, this is Esme, Edward's mother," says Bella wearily. "Esme, this is my friend Sulpicia."
Sulpicia looks very pleased that Bella has called her a friend. She is a dainty woman who looks hardly older than a child, dressed in a simple pink sundress with sandals on her feet. Her long, brown hangs loosely to her slender waist. She is beautiful. But from my perspective, her lovely face is ruined by the large ruby-red eyes that are presently openly staring at me, with lively interest.
"I am pleased to meet you, Esme," she says cordially. "The last time that Carlisle was here, he didn't have a mate. He seemed rather lonely to me then."
"It is a pleasure to meet you," I answer. "When Carlisle changed me, he already had Edward with him, so he wasn't quite so lonely."
"Aro said that he created you because you were on the verge of death," she says. "Why were you dying?"
I am surprised by her very direct question. Bella smiles a little.
"Sulpicia does not believe in wasting words," she says. "And she is curious about everything. She is also quite open about herself. I have found her very easy to talk to."
Once again, Sulpicia looks pleased by Bella's now obvious affection for her. I notice that Corin is looking rather smug. I suspect that Carlisle was correct when he said that Corin would be able to affect Bella's mood. Considering how many others have failed to pierce through her shield, it is not surprising that Corin looks pleased with herself.
As we have been sitting here, I have noticed that Bella is relaxing. There is even a little smile on her face. Combined with her tiredness however, her eyelids are drooping. She picks up the blanket to wrap around herself and curls up on the bed beside me, her eyes still on Sulpicia's face.
"Yes, please tell me everything about yourself," says Sulpicia, looking kindly at Bella. "As I was saying to Bella earlier, I never leave the tower and it is nice to meet people from the outside that I am allowed to talk to."
Despite her innocent expression, I can almost see the wheels turning in her head as to how she will use this information later. This is no shy, naive girl. I wish that I could have asked Edward earlier what her motives were in this show of friendship.
My instincts tell me that her desire to develop a friendship with Bella may be genuine. I have to wonder about the other wife and where she is. She is Caius's wife. Perhaps she has no use for these little games, as her husband has none for Aro's. It would seem that we have entered a house of intrigue.
"Yes," I say. "It is true that Carlisle changed me because I was dying. I had recently lost my infant boy and I was in despair, so I jumped off of a cliff."
Before I can continue, she abruptly interrupts.
"Why do all of you American women jump off of cliffs?" she asks bluntly. "Bella jumped off of a cliff too. She said that it was fun. Was it fun for you too?"
"Well, I think that was a coincidence that we both jumped off cliffs," I say soothingly. "It's not something that many people do. To be honest, it was not at all fun. It was dreadful. When the emergency workers found me, they thought that I was dead so they took me to the hospital morgue. Carlisle was on duty and realized that I was still alive, just barely, so he took me home and changed me."
"Which was more painful?" asks Sulpicia. "Falling off the cliff or the transformation?"
"Physically, the transformation was the most painful thing that I have ever known," I say. "Falling off the cliff and hitting the ground were nothing compared to that. The whole time, I was screaming and begging for Carlisle to kill me. But he never left my side. Neither did Edward."
"When Aro transformed me," answers Sulpicia. "He never left my side. And he kept promising that the pain would go away and I would be with him forever."
"It was something like that for me with Carlisle," I say. "But when I was finished changing, he told me that I was free to go if I wanted. He would not force me to stay with him and Edward."
"But you did stay," says Sulpicia. "Why is that?"
"Believe it or not, ten years before, when Carlisle and I were living in another place," I explain. "He treated me when I fell out of a tree. We didn't know each other at that time, other than as patient and doctor. He was so handsome and kind that I thought that he was the most wonderful man that I had ever met."
"I can see how you could think that," she admits reluctantly.
"I recognized him ten years later when I awoke," I continue. "Of course, he had not changed a bit. And he now had Edward with him. But the boy was often alone while Carlisle worked. He wasn't going to school then. So I stayed with both of them, first for Edward and then for Carlisle. Edward was the child, the boy that I had always wanted and Carlisle was my idea of the perfect man. We became a happy family."
"Did you approve of Bella for this . . . special son of yours?" she asks. "I have learned from the books that sometimes mothers don't want their sons to marry the girls that they fall in love with and they are jealous of them."
"I never felt that way about Bella," I reply honestly. "I loved her from the moment I met her. I had never seen Edward happy before. He seemed to come alive then. Of course, he was tortured by the idea that he might harm her. But I thought that if this was true love then it would work out."
"Do you still think that it might?" she asks.
"I can only hope so," I reply carefully. "Edward has made some poor choices with regard to his relationship with her, choices that have hurt both of them badly. But now that they are together again, I hope that they will stay that way."
"It seems so odd that any mother would approve of a choice for a human for her son," she persists. "Yet you have accepted her without question. Why is that?
"Because Edward was all alone," I reply. "I was afraid that he was never going to fall in love because Carlisle changed him too young. But then he met Bella and suddenly he was like a new person. It was the first time that he was truly happy."
"Bella is very easy to love," says Sulpicia fondly. "You see, since my sister Didyme died, I have missed having a friend. My other sister, Athenadora keeps me company, but she finds me tiresome. But when I visited with her earlier, Bella listened to everything that I said and even told me a little bit about herself. She is rather reluctant to talk. I have never met anyone like her before."
"Neither have I," I reply. "But now I am afraid that she has fallen asleep on us, poor child."
"Yes, I knew that she was tired," replies Sulpicia. "Look at her now, curled up on her side. I find it odd to watch her sleep. I can't ever remember seeing a human sleep before."
"You were changed a very long time ago," I comment.
"But you were changed more recently," she says. "How old are you?"
"I was changed ninety years ago when I was twenty-six," I say. "I am younger than Edward in this life, but eight years older in human years."
"Does that make a very big difference?" she asks. "The human years?"
"I think that it does," I say. "I know that for you it doesn't sound like a very long time at all, but in human years eight years are lot. Especially when you consider the time of life. For a human, it is the difference between being a boy and a man or a girl and a woman."
"I don't know how old I was when I was changed," she admits. "I was old enough to have a husband. If Aro hadn't found me, I am sure that my old aunt would have married me off to someone."
"You didn't have parents?" I ask.
"I was an orphan," she says. "Aro saw me and wanted me. He courted me just like Edward courted Bella. First he met me when I was out if the house to go to the agora, the market. Then he came to my bedroom at night to visit, but he wouldn't even kiss me.
"Edward kisses Bella. Aro says that it is a sign of excellent self-control if a man can kiss a human woman and not bite her, especially when he desires her blood so much. But I think that it is because he loves her so much."
"So then Aro fell in love with you while you were still human," I remark. "Why do you think that it is odd that Edward would do the same thing?"
"Actually, I do not find it so odd," she says. "I find it interesting, because her courtship is so like mine was, except for the changing part. Aro has said that Bella was begging Edward to change her, but he wouldn't. When Aro wanted me for his wife he asked if he could change me. I had to say yes because I loved him so much that I wanted to be with him forever. And if he didn't change me, he would have left me. Just like Edward did to Bella."
"So then you understand her feelings?" I ask.
"Completely," she says. "But I don't understand Edward at all. If he would change her then they would both be happy. They could live here forever with us. Aro wants both of them for the guard. And I want Bella for my friend forever. Right Corin?"
"Yes, Mistress," says Corin.
Just as with Jasper, even though I know of her power to make me happy, I still cannot resist. I am starting to feel contented with Edward's future. I have always wanted for his relationship with Bella to work out and now I see how it can. And I can see that she would have a good friend in Sulpicia. The only troubling thought is that I might never see them again.
"You look troubled, Esme," comments Sulpicia. "What is wrong?"
"I am glad that Edward and Bella have a chance of happiness here," I reply. "But it is sad to think that I might never see them again."
"I could make sure that you would see them," she replies. "If I asked, I am sure that Aro would grant my wish. Don't you think so, Corin?"
"Yes, Mistress," replies Corin.
Suddenly, we hear Bella's voice.
"Edward," she says in her sleep. "I love you, Edward. Please don't leave me again."
"Is Bella awake?" asks Sulpicia puzzled. "Why doesn't she open her eyes?"
"She is talking in her sleep," I say softly. "Humans do that from time to time. It means that she is dreaming of Edward."
"How sweet!" she says in a whisper. "We must make her dream come true!"
As Sulpicia continues to admire the sleeping girl, I am reminded of the lullaby that Edward composed for her a year ago. It was so lovely, a tribute to the sleeping beauty. And yet it ended so sadly. Edward could see no way to reconcile the gulf between them.
But I realize that this is because he has idealistic notion that somehow they can live happily together as vampire and human. But it is this same idealism that has brought us to this pass. Now it is time for my son to put childish notions aside and become a man. His immaturity has led them to this change in fate. It will take a mature perspective to live with it.
The Volturi, other than their thirst for human blood, do not seem inherently evil. In fact, they have made it their mission to make sure that our existence is not compromised by greedy fools, who would betray the secrecy that insures our security.
How many other mothers have sacrificed their sons for the good of the state? It is not like I am sending him off to a war that could kill him. I could look at it as a way of benefiting us all. And he could finally have his Bella. Perhaps Aro would even let them marry . . .
"Sulpicia," I say, arousing myself from my reverie. "Do you think that Aro would permit Edward and Bella to marry?"
"I don't see why not," she says. "Why do you ask?"
"Edward comes from a very traditional upbringing," I explain. "His sense of honor is such that he would not think of making love to Bella unless she was his wife. If they married, then it might encourage him to change her. Carlisle could do it of course, but Aro really wants Edward to do it himself."
"I love you, Edward," sighs Bella. "Don't go."
"So charming," says Sulpicia in wonder. "This little girl who dreams of him."
"She dreams of marrying him," I hint.
"I never thought of that," she says. "But it does make perfect sense. What a romantic idea! We have never had such a thing before. A wedding! Wouldn't that be lovely, Corin?"
"Yes, Mistress," she answers with a roll of her eyes because Sulpicia can't see her face.
But then she looks at me, and smiles triumphantly. Something tells me that my suggestion was in part engineered by her mood controlling powers. No doubt, this will please Aro very much. But in my current state of contentment, I have to admit that it pleases me as well.
I knew that when we came here, we would probably not be leaving with Edward and Bella. However, if I can leave knowing they are married and together forever, and that I may be able to return and visit, then I would be content. And once they are married, then Edward will have to change her (or let Carlisle do it). What is the use of having a wife if you can't make love to her?
Author's note: Some of the details that I have included about the Volturi and the personal histories of Esme and Edward mentioned come from The Twilight Saga: The Official Illustrated Guide. Some references to Bella and Edward's early relationship are derived from the unpublished manuscript of Midnight Sun, by Stephanie Meyer.