A/N: I still haven't been turned into a very talented writer named Stephenie Meyer, so the Twilight characters don't belong to me. But at least this story that you've been following chapter after chapter for 18 months now is the product of my wild imagination. That ought to count for something... Thank you for sticking with me, and good reading.

Chapter 37

Return to the harem

BPOV

"Tanya tried to kill herself..."

These first words from Rosalie's mouth felt like I was being drenched in a cold shower. After Edward's confidences about the Russian slave, I expected to have to deal with an angry and jealous young woman, not a maudlin one who could no longer find meaning to her life now that the man she loved had slipped through her fingers. Ah! The irony of this thought hit me just as it crossed my mind. The life of the Volturi's slaves was already meaningless due to the circumstances, despite the fact that it soon could change. Besides, was it really because Edward had chosen me over her that she had tried to commit suicide? Did she even know what happened between the comte de Morvalle and me?

I lacked information. Moreover, if Tanya attempted to take her own life, why hadn't she been taken to Carlisle's?

"But, Rose, how come Carlisle hasn't checked her condition?" I asked.

"That's what I was about to tell you, Bella," the duchesse continued. "She swallowed rat poison and right now she's writhing in pain in her bed, but she adamantly refuses to be carried to the doctor."

Edward stood a few feet away from us because he wasn't allowed inside the harem. "Do you know how much poison she swallowed, Rosalie?" he asked.

I noted he didn't address my friend with a formal tone. It almost sounded like he was talking to a member of his family. Odd...

"I have no fucking idea, Edward. And I don't know why she would do such a stupid thing to begin with," Rosalie replied with the same familiarity.

"Look, I'm going to warn Carlisle, but I need more details. Can you at least tell me when she did it?" Edward asked.

Kate had momentarily disappeared into another room, but I saw her reappear in the hall soon after. She seemed hesitant to join us.

"Ask Kate," Rosalie said, pointing in her direction. "She's the one who found Tanya in the storage room."

Edward motioned to the young woman to come forward. "Tell me, how long has it been since you found Tanya?" he inquired, trying to look impassive.

"Well, I found her about an hour ago. Irina and I put her in bed, but she won't stop vomiting and drooling, in addition to screaming that her belly is going to burst open."

"Okay, the vomiting is helping get rid of the poison, but you need to convince her to be taken to Carlisle. And I'd like to know why she tried to take her life. She wasn't depressed, to my knowledge."

Kate stared at Edward like he was a total dimwit. "Shit, Edward! Do you really think we're a bunch of brainless girls who are only useful to screw whenever you feel like it? Don't you know that at least half the harem captives are infatuated with you? Tanya's always boasted about being your favorite. How do you think she felt when she learned that you were keeping the new prisoner in your quarters after her punishment instead of taking her to the good doctor?" the gorgeous blond slave snapped.

"How is it that you're aware of what happened after Isabella's punishment?" he asked, clueless.

I had to restrain myself from laughing nervously. Even though Edward had lived in the Volturi's castle during the last five years, he seemed to be completely oblivious to the fact that everything going on in the palace was likely to reach the ears of the seraglio captives eventually. It was mainly thanks to Kate, who loved to spy around in the harem and was also able to focus on the dialogues exchanged around her when she was with her masters.

"That's what I was saying," Kate retorted through clenched teeth. "You think we have nothing inside our heads and that, consequently, we don't have the slightest idea of what is going on outside the women's quarters. My goodness, do you think it was hard for me to connect the dots when Isabella disappeared for hours after I clearly heard from your own mouth that Aro wanted to see her? You didn't come for the girls last night, and this morning I heard Rosalie tell Esme that she finally found out what happened to the marquise, everything that happened... You're such a dirty scum for doing this to Tanya!"

"Today is not my judgment day, Kate," the comte defended himself. "In case you didn't know, I never made any promise to Tanya. And I'm perfectly aware that I've acted like a bastard in the past. However, it's time to look toward the future from now on -"

Kate cut him off. "Ah, our future is fantastic, really! Thanks for reminding us!" she said sarcastically.

"That's enough!" the slave tamer fumed. "If you're not going to listen to what I have to say, at least go take care of Tanya while I warn my father. Bella came back to the seraglio to discuss our plans with the slaves without your masters knowing. And I sincerely hope that you'll deign to listen carefully to her, because it's your future that is at stake, as I tried to explain unsuccessfully."

And with that, Edward turned away swiftly and disappeared down the hall.

"Fucking asshole," the blond slave muttered as she walked away, headed toward the dormitory this time.

It was clear she was trying to avoid me, despite what the comte just asked. I wasn't resentful toward her for being angry at Edward; I understood her feelings. Edward was just as much of a cold bastard to me upon my arrival in Volterra before dropping his mask, and I hated him before falling madly in love with him. Kate sympathized with Tanya and it was only natural. And I could also understand, somewhat, how Tanya must have felt at the moment. After all, she revered the comte de Morvalle like a god; she offered him her heart on a silver platter, and accepted the worst fancies from her masters only because it meant she would first go to Edward and she adored being trained by him. I guess she figured out that her time with Edward was over as soon as Kate told her about the conversation between Rosalie and Esme.

I turned to the duchesse d'Essanges. "Rosalie, I'm going to try to reason with Tanya as well. Meanwhile, can you go fetch the other captives who are not in the dormitory yet?"

"I hope you'll have more influence on her than I did. If you ask me, we should all get together and drag her to Carlisle whether she agrees or not. The poor girl is really a mess right now."

She went to the dining room while I entered the dormitory where I was greeted by Jessica and Angela. "Ah, Bella! You're back at last!" Angela exclaimed. "Is it true that Aro beat the crap out of you and that you barely made it out alive?"

"It's true that I've been severely beaten, but I was very well taken care of. Anyway, my ordeal isn't what's important now."

I motioned toward the back of the room where I could clearly see Tanya sitting in a bed, emptying the content of her stomach in a basin held out by Irina. Kate wiped her forehead between each attack of nausea.

"That's what falling in love with the dark and handsome Edward Cullen leads to," Jessica sighed when she realized what I was referring to.

I decided to play innocent to see exactly what the other captives knew about my relationship with the slave tamer. After all, maybe only Kate and Irina knew the extent of Tanya's drama.

"Tanya should have known from the start that Edward is just a scrounger," Angela trumped, looking in the direction of the three Russian slaves.

"But she took advantage of him as well," I remarked.

"Oh yes, that's true! She had more than her share of him. In fact, she probably spent more time with him than all the other girls put together," Jessica agreed with a wry grimace.

My word, all the girls seemed to be jealous of Tanya... what would they think of my situation, then?

"And... why did she try to kill herself now? I mean, why not last month or even last year?"

The two prisoners stared at me as if suddenly I had a third eye in the middle of my forehead.

"Come on, Bella, having sex with Edward alone is worth staying alive in this fucking harem. But if we are deprived of it, or of the sensual games with Emmett for those among us he's in charge, you can be sure that Tanya won't be the only one trying to commit suicide," Jessica answered.

"But why would Edward and Emmett stop pleasuring you?" I asked, trying to look bewildered.

However, I suspected that my talents as an actress were rather limited.

"Do you think we're stupid or what?" Jessica questioned, starting to lose patience. "All the Volturi's sex slaves are perfectly aware that the duchesse d'Essanges and you pulled the two harem guardians into your clutches. And I don't think I'm wrong to assume that you won't let the stunning Edward play with us now that you can have him all to yourself, am I?"

I didn't like the way this girl was addressing me, but once again I couldn't blame her. However, I needed to set the record straight about my position in the seraglio. My two companions seemed to believe that I was Edward's new favorite and that I was leading him by the nose. In fact, I was much more than that...

"It's not what you think at all. I'm not the one who pulled Edward into my "clutches", fucking shit. I don't have any experience with men! Circumstances led to a connection between the two of us. I confess it's true that I'm in love with him and the thought of sharing him with the other girls in the harem horrifies me, but this decision is not up to me. I don't think I could prevent the slave trainer from screwing all the captives under his responsibility if he so desired. But he, too, is in love with me and he promised me he'd be faithful to me from now on."

"Well, I wonder how he's going to keep his promise given the nature of his work here," Angela stated with a frown.

"That's precisely what I need to discuss with you and all the other captives," I replied. "You see, over the past few days Aro and his brothers committed actions which caused Edward to intervene, and now take the necessary measures to put an end to their current reign of terror. He wants to start a revolt to free the slaves."

Jessica's and Angela's eyes grew wider.

"Eh? Start a rebellion?" Angela repeated, stunned.

"Shush! Not so loud! If Jane is sneaking around and she hears us, our plan will fall flat," I said, putting a finger on my mouth.

"Why doesn't Edward simply try to escape with you? It would be much easier," Jessica remarked.

"Edward is not really the bastard he led you to believe he was, Jessica," I explained. "His initial intention was to protect and shield me from the Volturi, but he's also concerned about the well-being of all the sex slaves, and he knows that if he wasn't there to watch over you, Aro and his brothers would treat you even worse than they do now. So he wants to release all the women in the harem, and for good measure, he will arrange for all the other slaves in the castle and those working in the fields to regain their freedom too."

At that moment, Rosalie entered the dormitory with the girls who hadn't prepared for the night yet. Because I drank too much of Carlisle's drug, I was unconscious from morning to evening and I suddenly noted the time of day as the lighting began to dim in all the rooms of the harem.

I gathered all my courage and made my way to Tanya's bed. She'd stopped vomiting and was resting on the additional pillows at the headboard. Kate and Irina looked at me suspiciously.

"Tanya," I said hesitantly, "is it because of me that you tried to end your days? I can assure you that I've never wanted to hurt you-"

"If you hadn't wound up here in the first place, Edward would still want me, you little viper!" she spat at me briskly despite the fact that she must have been very weak right at that moment.

"This accusation is unfair and you know it," I continued, trying to ignore her aggressive tone and insults. All things considered, she didn't look like she was emotionally flayed. "I never asked to become the Volturi's sex slave, and besides, you never had a future with Edward because he wasn't in love with you!"

Tanya had had Edward's attention for five years, for heaven's sake! Was she so pitiful? Moreover, it was clear that she was going to recover from her foolish gesture. She wasn't bent in two and writhing in pain any longer.

"My life is ruined," she moaned.

"She's right! And mine too, for that matter," Kate chimed in, disheartened.

Jesus, if she'd only listened when Edward tried to explain that things were about to change for the slaves!

The other captives all stepped closer to Tanya's bed. The irony of the situation was all too obvious; this morning I'd told Edward I would settle in a bed to talk to the prisoners of the seraglio if need be, yet it was Tanya who ended up in the bed. This thought made me realize that my back was beginning to hurt again, but not in the same way as the previous day. It was as if my skin was pulling in all directions simultaneously.

"It's really a pity," Jessica sighed, mirroring Kate. "With Tanya and Irina reassigned to the kitchens, maybe Edward would have wanted to spend more time with me, whereas now I don't even have the slightest hope..."

Angela shrugged upon hearing Jessica complaining. "You may not have any hope of receiving more attention from Edward, Jessica, but if he's really planning on helping us escape and it all works out, in a few days we'll be free and we'll have the opportunity to get the attention of other worthy men."

"What are you talking about?" Irina asked, abandoning her mortified expression momentarily. "How could this shabby heartbreaker be planning something to help us? That doesn't seem like him at all..."

"Well, apparently he cares about our future now," Kate jeered, still furious at the slave tamer. "Crap! Isn't it a little bit late to decide to do something about the Volturi?"

"Better late than never," Rosalie commented. "And I'm going to tell you something else, girls. Instead of being angry and resentful toward Bella because Edward is in love with her, you should be happy that she ended up here. It's thanks to her that the Cullens are viewing the plight of the sex slaves in a different light and are finally ready to address it permanently."

Dear Rosie, she was giving me much more credit than I really deserved. Truth be told, it was Aro's shameful behavior that was the catalyst for what was soon to happen.

"Oh, this is so rich!" Tanya hissed. "For years, I've tried to convince Edward to do something to remove us from the grip of those three rotten men who govern this domain, and this little aristocrat barely out of childhood succeeded in doing just that within four days! So, marquise de Courville, are you going to tell us what our dear comte de Morvalle has in mind to free us from this doomed place?"

"I'm going to tell your companions all right, but you, however, have to go to the infirmary urgently. You'll be in very good company with my friends Jacob and Alice..."

All of a sudden, an expression of fury crossed the Russian slave's face and I couldn't fathom why.

"It's out of the question that I go to the infirmary," she interrupted. "I might come across this gross Jasper Whitlock, and so help me Lord, I don't know what could prevent me from killing him after what he did to this poor Jacob!"

Her response left me pensive and Rosalie gazed at her with an offended look.

"If you'd let me speak earlier, Tanya, I could have explained that Jasper is no longer in a coma and he lost part of his memory, which is a good thing because otherwise I would have knocked him out myself, believe me," she said. "Now he's as gentle as a lamb. And besides, he returned to his apartment so you're not likely to run into him."

"Ah, this remains to be seen," I corrected.

"What do you mean?" the duchesse asked.

Obviously no one had told her of the latest developments between Alice and Jasper.

"Well, it's quite late now, so he may have returned to his quarters, but he spent the entire day at Carlisle's to take care of Alice," I said.

Rosalie raised a brow and she might have made a comment, but then Jane entered the room and all the slaves turned to her and stopped talking at the same time.

Without preamble, the harem's attendant said in a dry tone. "Heidi, Renata, and Gianna, Emmett's waiting to take you to your masters. And you too, Rosalie. Tonight's the night... Ah, I almost forgot! Edward is waiting in the hall too, to take Tanya to the infirmary, and he demands that it be willingly or by force, whatever it takes..."

And she disappeared.

My companion shrugged. "If that bitch thinks that I'm the one who's going to suffer tonight, she's seriously mistaken," she said as she stood up from the mountain of cushions she was sitting on.

With an almost exaggerated eagerness, she walked to the door of the dormitory with the three other young women who were going to spend the night with Aro, Caius, and Marcus. Kate and Irina were able to convince Tanya that it was better she be seen by the doctor to insure her condition wasn't going to get worse. After Rosalie's revelations, they didn't have as hard a time motivating her. They helped her out of bed and led her to Edward, then they came back to learn about the plan.

Dang! Will we ever learn the details of this plan? Maybe not. Oh well...

Huge thanks to the readers who take the time to let me know they're there. You know who you are.

And of course, thanks to my beta Just4ALE for being the best.

Until next time.

Milk