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 34: Wedding Plans
"Oh, Esme!" moans Bella. "What do you think that they want now?"
"I am sure that Chelsea went directly to Aro with the news," I reply, after they are gone. "He probably wants to confirm the plans."
Shortly after Edward and Carlisle go off with Chelsea to see Aro, there is a knock at the door and Sulpicia and Corin walk in. The large guard Santiago is out in the hallway, but I have noticed that he never comes in. Edward told me that he terrifies Bella. He terrifies me too, so I am glad that he stays outside the room.
"Oh, Bella!" cries Sulpicia. "You must show me the ring."
Blushing a deep pink, Bella extends her left hand. Sulpicia very gently picks it up and turns her hand this way and that in the dim light.
"It is quite magnificent," she says. "In my time, all we had were these iron bands."
She holds up her own left hand.
"I didn't realize that wedding rings went so far back in time," says Bella.
"Oh, yes," she says. "Very far back. Do you know why the third finger of the left hand was chosen?"
Bella shakes her head.
"In ancient times, they believed that the vein in that finger was the lifeline that went directly back to the heart," she says. "Isn't that romantic? Of course it is nothing but stuff and nonsense where we are concerned!"
She has a delightful wind chime laugh that reminds me of Alice. Just thinking of my family so far away and probably scattered makes me sad. But I need to put on a cheerful face for Bella. She still looks utterly bewildered by everything that has happened to her in the last week.
"Aren't you absolutely thrilled to be married?" gushes Sulpicia. "This is the most exciting thing to happen in Volterra in a millennium, maybe longer. And Aro has given me permission to plan the wedding for you."
"Yes, I heard that," she says. "You really don't need to go to a lot of trouble for me."
"It won't be any trouble at all!" she says. "Right, Corin?"
"Yes, Mistress," says Corin patiently, most likely because the trouble will be all hers.
"And of course you must help me, Esme," she continues. "It can't be too much. Demetri will be going out to find a local official to bribe to come and perform the ceremony. We will have to do it out in the office area because of the human involvement, but I am planning to decorate it with lovely flowers and ribbons. Everything will of course be white for the two virgins. And I promise you, Bella, that we will find you a lovely dress."
"How will you do that?" asks Bella.
"Why, I have made a sketch for Gianna and she is presently looking for one," she replies. "She was able to estimate your size. You are so slender that she will endeavor to find the smallest size. I have never heard of something called a size 0. That makes no sense. 0 means nothing, doesn't it? In my time we didn't have a number such as 0.*"
"What if it doesn't fit?" asks Bella hopefully.
"I can do the alterations," I reply. "It will be simple enough. You won't have to do much more than stand in it. The transformation will take place immediately after."
"Yes, and wouldn't it be lovely if she wore the dress for that too!" cries Sulpicia. "There of course will be a feast, but we won't attend. Heidi is making a special trip for the meal."
At the mention of the words feast and meal, Bella looks slightly ill. Sulpicja notices but misunderstands.
"Oh dear!" she says sympathetically. "Everyone must be terrifying you with stories of the pain of transformation. I promise that I will be by your side the whole time. I will comfort you when you are screaming in pain."
Looking at Bella's face, it takes all of my strength not to slap the woman. But I know that it won't help.
"Have you given any thought to what Edward will wear?" I ask, to change the subject.
"Oh, I had not thought of him," she says. "What do men wear at weddings?"
"Tuxedos," answers Bella immediately.
"A tuxedo?" she says. "What's that?"
"Men's formal wear," says Bella. "It's too bad that we can't get anything from home. Edward had a wonderful black tux that he wore when he took me to Prom last year. It had tails and everything."
"What? It had a tail?" asks Sulpicia, as Corin suppresses a grin.
Neither one of them have any idea of what she is talking about so I quickly sketch a picture of Edward in a tux. I have a feeling that Bella is trying to get her revenge on Edward for making her marry him. What she doesn't know is that Edward has always liked that kind of dress up.
"How dashing!" says Sulpicia. "Where is the tail?"
"The tails," I explain emphasizing the plural. "Are a reference to the long waist coat. See?"
She examines it closely, and then asks, "What is Prom?"
"It's this dreadful human experience that Edward insisted that I have last spring," Bella says grimacing. "Alice bought this blue chiffon dress and made me up like Guinea Pig Barbie. I had a cast on one foot and this ridiculous spiked heel shoe on the other. And then I had to dance."
Bella shivers at the memory, but Sulpicia is rapt.
"What is a Guinea Pig Barbie?" she asks.
"We use the word Guinea Pig to describe someone who gets experimented on," answers Bella. "Alice is so beautiful that she doesn't need make up, but she decided that I did. And Barbie is this stupid kind of doll that little girls play with that they can dress up."
"Did you have a Barbie?" she asks.
"No," she says. "They weren't my thing. Besides my parents didn't have money to waste on that kind of crap. I preferred books."
"Because you like to read," says Sulpicia, switching topics as quickly as if she were switching channels with a remote control. "When you are changed and in the guard, will you read to me?"
"Sure," she says. "But if you want, I can teach you to read. Then you wouldn't have to rely on other people."
"I'll think about it," she says. "But I still don't understand what Prom is."
"It's a formal dance that schools hold at the end of the school year for the older students," I explain. "They decorate the gym and have music. The kids all dress up in fancy clothes."
"Did the others dress up?" she asks. "You, know Edward's brothers and sisters."
"Yes," replies Bella. "And they all looked gorgeous."
"You looked gorgeous too," says Edward coming in. "Hello, Sulpicia. Are you working on the wedding plans?"
"Yes, I am," she says. "I will have to speak with Gianna about getting you a tuxedo.
"A what?" he asks in surprise.
"I am getting Bella a wedding dress," she replies. "I asked Bella what the man wears and she said a tuxedo."
Edward looks at Bella in surprise.
"If I have to, you have to," she grimaces. "How about a white one? Since you're a virgin too."
Sulpicia looks very pleased at the suggestion.
"Sure," he says. "That's great! I think that it's a wonderful idea to have a formal wedding. Who are the witnesses going to be? Who is going to give away the bride?"
Bella is now glowering at him, but Sulpicia is delighted that he is playing along.
"Well, Edward," says Carlisle. "I would be honored to stand up with you as best man. Maybe I could wear a tux too, but a black one for me. Esme, I'm sure that you would make a lovely matron of honor."
"That's a great idea, Carlisle!" says Edward. "Bella would you like to ask Esme to be your matron of honor?"
"Esme," she says reluctantly. "Would you be my matron of honor?"
"Yes, of course, dear," I say. "What color would you like for my dress, Sulpicia?"
"What would you suggest?" she asks uncertainly.
"Esme looks wonderful in pink," says Edward. "It goes beautifully with her brown hair."
"And you can have pink accent in the flowers and ribbons," I add. "For your flowers, you can have pink and white roses."
"You have so many wonderful ideas!" beams Sulpicia. "But who will give Bella away?"
"Oh, I don't know," says Carlisle. "Normally it is the father of the bride who gives her away. But we certainly can't ask Charlie."
"Who is Charlie?"
"Bella's father," he answers. "But because he is a human, it would not be appropriate. We will have to find a substitute. It is a very great honor."
"How about Aro?" asks Edward mischievously. "He is the one who is really responsible for making the marriage happen in the first place."
"Yes, he is," she says. "After all, when I asked him, he said yes."
Once again, Edward's words are a two-edged sword. However, looking at him and Carlisle, I suspect that when Sulpicia and Corin are gone we will found exactly why we are playing along with her so willingly. Then, Edward thinks of one more thing.
"We must have music," he says. "What would the wedding be without Wagner's wedding march? Do you have anyone who plays?"
"An instrument?" she asks. "I think not. We don't play instruments in the tower."
"You must try to get a piano for Edward," interrupts Bella. "He is a magnificent player. He even composes music. He has written songs for both Esme and I."
"A piano?" she says. "I've heard about them in my books. You are so talented Edward!"
"Well, we can speak to Gianna about getting a player and the appropriate CD," he says, getting the discussion back on track. "I am sure that she knows all about these things."
"What is a CD?" asks Sulpicia.
"It is easier to show you, than explain it," he says. "But it is a silver disc that plays music by putting it in a special machine."
"I am learning so many new things by planning the wedding!" she exclaims. "Are you remembering all of this, Corin? Well, don't worry about it, because I am."
"Thank you, Mistress," says Corin.
"And don't forget that you must create an aisle," says Edward. "Bella must walk down the aisle to me."
"I am not sure what you mean," she admits.
"I'll draw you a picture," I say, and within seconds, I hand her a sketch of a traditional wedding scene.
"Yes," she says. "I understand. Bella, I am sorry, but I cannot stay with you any longer, I must speak with Gianna when she returns and make my plans. This is wonderful! I had not imagined that it would be so romantic and lovely! It's like one of my books come to life!"
After she leaves, Bella sits down on the bed and heaves an enormous sigh of relief.
"I hope that you are ready for the fact that I am not going to forgive you for this little charade for the rest of eternity," she grumbles.
"I'm sorry, Bella," he says. "But I read in Aro's mind that he wants her kept busy with this. It's all for her benefit, not ours. And when I came in here, I could see that she genuinely wants to be your friend and do this for you. If we are going to be here permanently, you will need to be in her favor. Besides, I am going to be stuck with Aro. Sulpicia can't be that bad."
"Do you want to trade?" she asks sarcastically.
"Bella," says Carlisle. "You can't be stubborn about this. You need to accept the situation with good grace. Besides, Aro is being very accommodating about the transformation. We think that we will be able to do it more quickly and less painfully than normal."
"Well, after this wedding, it has to less painful," she says.
"Listen," he says, ignoring her. "Aro is going to get me some morphine. That should help deaden the pain. Also, before Edward bites you, he will inject a syringe of his venom directly into your heart. That should make the process go more quickly."
"I hate needles," she groans.
"You will be asleep from the morphine," says Edward. "With any luck, you won't be aware of anything until you wake up."
"I hope not," she says. "If I'm screaming it may be because I want you to get Sulpicia out. She has promised to stay by my side the whole time."
"She won't be there when you wake," says Carlisle. "I have seen how dangerous newborns are when they first wake up. They are completely disoriented and terrified."
"Except in the case of Rosalie," says Edward. "She was screaming because you didn't let her die."
"So who will be there?" Bella asks.
"Edward and I," he says. "I don't want to risk anything happening to Esme."
"Gunnar will also be there," says Edward. "You're lucky, he was also considering Felix, but decided against it."
"Who is Gunnar?" asks Bella.
"He is a large German guard, about 700 years old I think," replies Edward. "He's been in the main room every time that we have been there, but you probably didn't notice him. When Carlisle was talking about the transformation, Aro was thinking of assigning him to keep watch over Bella while she is still a newborn."
"I will need a guard?" she asks.
"It's a good precaution for him to take," Carlisle admits. "Newborn emotions are very volatile and they have great physical strength. It will prevent any accidents if someone says something wrong to Bella and makes her mad."
"Too bad," says Bella sardonically. "It might be nice to have an accident involving Jane."
"Bella," says Carlisle sternly. "You have to cut out the sarcasm. Aro may find it amusing for a while, but he will not tolerate it for long. The same goes for you Edward."
"He likes it more than you think," says Edward. "Especially when it is directed at Caius. And Marcus thinks that it is hysterical."
"How can you tell?" he asks. "His facial expression never changes."
"Some of his indifference is genuine apathy and depression," he says. "But he also likes to see Aro and Caius bested, especially Caius. However, we are going to have to be careful of Caius. He wants Alice very much. He wouldn't even mind taking Jasper in the bargain, especially since he has a talent of his own."
"This whole situation is becoming very dangerous," answers Esme. "Neither of them will come here willingly."
"I know," replies Carlisle. "But if Alice sees them coming for her, she and Jasper will run."
"With Alice's vision," says Edward. "She could keep Demetri on their trail for centuries. I wouldn't mind that."
"Speaking of him, what did Aro read in Demetri's mind?" asks Carlisle.
"Demetri was standing there speculating about the color of the cloak that Aro will give me," he says. "He doesn't want it to be darker than his. Needless to say, Aro was mighty pissed."
"I'm sure that he was," answers Carlisle. "I would have thought that Demeri was smarter than that."
"Demetri is a very smart man," replies Edward. "But he was very put out after Aro acquired the twins. His jealousy sometimes clouds his judgment. By the way, Bella, what was all that about the piano?"
"Well, if I am going to be stuck here for the rest of eternity," she says. "I still want to hear you play. It will make me feel better. I am sure that you will find it comforting also."
"That's true, I do," he admits. "Of course I am going to learn how to tune it. And talk Aro into a dehumidifier. Pianos need to be kept in a very special environment. And this is not it. But now she wants me to write a song for her."
"You should," I say quickly. "In thanks for the wedding. It will please Aro if it pleases her."
"That is a very good point," says Carlisle. "Think of it as solidifying your own position. The more that you please Sulpicia, the more time that you get with Bella."
"That's true," he says, as he sits beside her. "Now Bella please, just try to be a good sport about all of this."
"I am," she says. "I just feel bad for Charlie and all the people back home who probably still think that I am missing. You know that he's going to keep looking for me forever."
"We will do something about faking your death when we get home," Carlisle promises. "Then he will have his closure, and then he can move on with his life. Right now, we must concern ourselves with the wedding and transformation."
"Sulpicia wants me to wear the wedding dress for the transformation," groans Bella.
"You might as well," says Edward. "Just think of how radiant you will look when you wake up."
"And thirsty," she says. "What's going to happen when I have the cravings for human blood?"
"Aro is intending to make sure that there is plenty of human blood for you to consume as soon as you awaken," says Edward. "Let's face it. You aren't going to be able to control your thirst. And I am not going to try to force you to live the animal blood diet. There's no way to do it anyway."
"Why not?" she asks.
"Logistics," says Carlisle. "They can't risk letting you out of the tower. There is no way that you could control yourself in the city. After three thousand years, everything they had built up would be gone. And they would be breaking the very laws that they defend."
"What if I refuse?" she asks.
"You can try," he says. "But no newborn could possibly have that kind of self-control. And that's what he is counting on."
"You did," she points out.
"Yes, but I was turned at a different time," he replies. "And the population was not so dense. I was able to go off to very isolated locations. You will be in here and given no other options. Besides, you must cultivate Aro's favor."
She looks very miserable. I feel bad for her. Later I will tell her how even with Carlisle and Edward's loving support, I made my share of mistakes. Edward looks over at me and gives me a slight nod. But then I remember that Carlisle and I still have to get out of here.
"What going to happen to us, Carlisle?" I ask nervously.
"Aro said that he would send us home as soon as Bella has recovered from the change," he says. "Once he says that we can go, I want to get out of here as quickly as possible."
"Aro is not going to change his mind," says Edward. "Right now he is very happy with you for helping me to make the right choices. As long as Bella and I remain cooperative, he will have no issues with you. That is another reason for you to be cooperative, Bella.
"But he doesn't want you and Esme to stick around any longer than necessary. And Esme, you must be careful too. I read a little bit of jealousy in Sulpicia's mind because you and Bella have such a warm relationship."
"He will have no arguments from me on that score," answers Carlisle. "As far as I am concerned, Esme and I cannot get out of here fast enough. I am sorry that Sulpicia feels that way about Esme. I know that she is a great comfort to you, Bella."
"This isn't how I pictured it," says Bella sadly. "I always imagined that after I became a vampire, I would live with you and the rest of the family forever."
"This isn't how any of us pictured it," I say. "But this is how it is. And as long as we give Aro what he wants now, perhaps we will see each other at some point in the future."
But when I look over at Edward, he shakes his head a little. That is one thing that Aro will not allow. Once Edward is his, he is his. Aro does not share.
*Historical fact: The numerical digit 0 was first conceived in Persia in the tenth century. It is believed that the word zero is derived from the Arab word for "nothing" or "empty space." It was first used in algebraic equations to hold the empty space in the decimal (base 10) columns when there was no number. Just a little bit of trivia.
Author's note: Some of the details that I have included about the Volturi and other vampires mentioned come from The Twilight Saga: The Official Illustrated Guide.