The Arrangement

I was starving. Absolutely ravished. I hadn't been this hungry since those first days with the Cullens. How long had I been out?

True to form, I took a moment to try to figure out my surroundings before opening my eyes. The air smelled musty and old, the bed I was lying on was hard and the blankets were coarse.

I opened my eyes slowly and was greeted with gloom. A few candles flickered around the room that was oddly Victorian style. There was an old looking dresser that had been restored, several oversize mirrors and paintings. The walls themselves where made of stone and large grey bricks.

The door was suddenly thrown open and a vampire who looked more like a boy entered. He tossed a large platter on a table in the far corner of the room away from me as I sat up in the bed. I pulled the covers around me defensively and realizing I wasn't decently dressed.

"Eat. Then put on the red dress, your presence will be required in the main hall in an hour. I suggest you hurry." He was attractive and his voice alluring, but his eyes were blood red. Definitely not a Cullen.

The door slammed behind him as he walked out. I got out of bed and went over to the food dressed only in a slinky nightgown. I dug in to the cheap sandwich meat and slightly stale bread. It ran out long before I was satisfied.

The room was still dark. I picked one of the lit candles and searched around for other candles that hadn't been lit. I found five or six more that brought more light into this medieval like chamber. The light helped, but the room was still cool and damp.

I sat myself back down on the bed to think. I had no idea where I was, but some instinct told me I wasn't in Southern California anymore. This building was too old. Like old before the discovery of America old. With how hungry I was, I'd easily been out for days. Crap. I'm out of the country.

So vampires have me, but haven't killed me yet. More than one, enough to orchestrate my kidnapping back in California. They are powerful, to be able to get me out of the country. Things are not looking good. I quickly gave myself the once over in the mirror, there were no new bite marks. They'd know I was different by my scent alone, but they most likely didn't know exactly what I was.

I came to the conclusion that escape at this very moment was unlikely; rescue, well maybe. If Alice has seen this, and if there are more Cullens than the other vampires, or maybe I can talk my way out of this? For now, I decided I needed to play along to better gauge my circumstances.

I walked over to the closet and quickly found the one red dress. This was going to be interesting. The skirt was huge and ruffled with lace, the top was small and strapless. I turned it around to glance at the back and saw the lace up like a corset.

I found the necessary under pieces in the dresser: bloomers included. Then I pulled that sucker on. I pulled at the lace in the back as best I could, getting it tight and secure. I rolled my hair up and secured it with some pins I found.

Not two minutes later the door was swung open and the familiar vampire boy appeared again. He nodded for me to follow him, so I did. The hallways were dark and dreary and the stairs narrow and steep. There was light at the end of the tunnel though. We entered a large open, oval shaped room with throne like chairs situated at the far end. There were many vampires here. They were more than the Cullens and all very formidable looking vampires.

"Welcome to Voltera, dear Bella," a handsome dark haired vampire announced as I walked into the room. "I am Aro and these are Caius and Marcus," he introduced.

"Why have you taken me?" I yelled.

"Ohh, you are feisty. Did you honestly think that your little stunt would go unnoticed? That we do not watch the other covens? Especially one as large as the Cullens? How naive and young you are."

"My stunt? What are you talking about?" I had to find out how much they knew so I wouldn't give information away.

"Don't play coy with us!" Caius sneered.

I bit my lower lip and rolled my eyes. My brain was clicking and I realized they wanted me alive- for whatever reason. Information might be the key to my survival or the key time at least.

"Imagine my surprise to find out two of the Cullen coven are a little more, well lively than the last time we saw them," Aro replied.

They knew about Rosalie and Emmet. "Why do you care?"

Aro's eyebrows furrowed as he spoke slowly, "I'm afraid we can't allow someone like you to exist. You are a threat to our kind. You and your entire tribe are a threat that must be eliminated."

I bowed my head as his words sunk in. Damn. "No! No! You can't! We're no threat to you! They are innocent people, innocent girls!"

"We cannot allow such poison to walk the Earth, so tempting and alluring. But perhaps we can come to an arrangement?"

I looked to Aro in question, what could I possibly have to offer?

"You see," he began, "I am what you would call a collector of rarities. You, dear Bella, are a rarity. I took the liberty of searching your soul when you first arrived and learned all there is to know about your tribe. The black accented mermaids, which is the vast majority of your population are little threat to us, and hold no interest to me really. I will turn a blind eye to their existence on a few conditions."

I looked up to him wondering what his demands would be.

"I want every gold and silver mermaid, no exceptions. When they are discovered they will be brought here and live their lives in my service and will therefore be unable to threaten our kind. The sacrifice of few will save the lives of many."

"You know I am the only one," I said.

"For now, but there will be others," he was sure.

"We're dying! Just let me go in peace. Let us go in peace, we won't walk this Earth much longer anyways, why does it matter?" I pleaded.

"So very young," Aro tisked, "You see my dear, I have lived thousands of years. I have seen many plagues that have threatened to kill all of humanity. And yet, they never do, some will always survive. Those that survive become stronger and multiply. Your generation is perhaps lost, but another will come. I am offering my grace to them in trade for your word as their chief."

"My father is the chief."

"You wish for me to bring him here? No, I imagine not. You, Bella, are the one I make this pact with. And only you. What say you?"

"If it was just me, I would agree. But you would have me condemn others to this fate," I spoke my thoughts aloud.

"It is this or death," Aro said plainly.

"Besides if you believe all your kind will die anyways, what does it matter," Caius pointed out.

I did what any good leader does, I sacrificed the lives of the few for the welfare of the many. "I accept your terms."