Happy late New Year everybody!
here's the next ch.
Enjoy!
Bella's POV (present):
Modena, Italy~
After pacing, and pacing I came to the conclusion that I needed to call someone. The only other person who would help me.
So I swallowed my pride and made the call to my older brother. Upon a quick explanation on my part and his laughing response he told me to calm down, and that he would find a way to get to Modena and help me.
That was four and a half hours ago.
As the time passed by, I could feel myself growing more and more tense. Finally, after what seemed an eternity I heard someone else step out of Nonno's home.
"What's wrong, principessa?" Uncle Marcos asks, suddenly appearing at the doorway. (Princess)
"It's Nani. She- she wants me to get married, before she passes away," I say while continuing to pace along the length of the terrace.
It was times like these that I wished I could use or do something to calm myself. Sadly, I always prided myself in being a health nut. Aside from a glass of wine every now and then.
"That crazy old woman." My uncle scoffs, shaking his head in disbelief.
"Zio." I gasp. (Uncle)
"She expects everyone to be married and having babies once they turn eighteen. You can calm down, you are twenty-two, don't have to get married if you do not wish." He says, amused. "Your Nonno Felipe will agree with me." He adds, amused.
I shake my head at him, amused yet disbelieving.
"In cases like these, I find it best to follow your heart. What do you feel you should do, Isa?" He asks as he sits down in one of the chairs on the veranda.
"Would you mind taking me to see mamma and papa?" I ask.
He gives me a sad smile before nodding and inclining his head to the side.
It is thirty minutes later that I find myself at Camposanto Monumentale di Pisa.
There I stand before the graves of Carlo and Renata Swantorini.
"Mamma. Papa." I whisper as I bend down to place the flowers on their graves. "It's been so long since I was last here." I whisper.
"I miss you two so much." I say, wringing my hands together nervously. "I miss coming home to see you two in the kitchen talking or laughing about something, or watching tv together. Nothing has been the same since you two left." I say as tears begin to form, blurring my sight.
"But that's not why I am here. Papá, I am twenty-two, and I don't know what to do. You and Mamma always told me to follow my heart, but how can I trust my heart when I followed it before only to wind up getting hurt. I don't want to be hurt again, and I don't want anyone else to be hurt either." I sniffle.
The soft breeze, once calm began to blow a bit harder around me causing me to look up at the sky. When I looked up I felt as the light rain began to fall onto my face.
"What should I do? Help me. Please." I whisper, closing my eyes, as I feel the tears begin to fall.
"Your parents would have been proud of you, dolce. Never doubt that, cara mia." My uncle said, as he offered me the umbrella.
"How do you know?" I asked as he lead me back to the car.
"Because I know my fratello. Your fratello, Emmett and you along with your mother, Renata, were his greatest joys. That is why when you three were threatened, he didn't think twice to move you and go into hiding." He explained, as we slid into the car.
I nod in response, suddenly remembering the Oath, and everyone's reaction to Anthony and I making it.
I am not stupid. I knew it must have meant something big. I tried asking Elizabeth, but she always dodged my questioning. As did Nonna Masen, only patting my hand before she walked away. Nonno Masen only said, I would know one day soon, and that it was for the best. Leaving me more confused than before.
So, I decided to ask the one person I knew to always be honest with me.
"Zio, what do you know about Giuramento di Amore?" I ask, abruptly, yet hesitant to his reaction.
"Giuramento...Giuramento di Amore? Isabetta, dove hai sentito parlare di questo?" He asked me, as he drove through the semi-empty streets of the gloomy city. (Where did you hear of this?)
"Anthony's Nonno, Lesandro Masen." I whispered, as I noticed the sky's gloom.
"Cara, why exactly would the Giuramento come up? Is there something you need to tell us, Isabetta?" He asked as he suddenly pulled to the side of the road, even though we were a few feet away from my Nonno's home.
"Well, zio, Anthony and I did the Giuramento di Amore when I was seventeen…" I muttered flinching as I heard his responding gasp, before he pulled my left hand to inspect it a moment later.
Upon close inspection his eyes widen."Dio mio!" Uncle Marcos says, as he pulls away from the side of the road, with a difficult maneuver.
"What's wrong, zio? Zio, you're scaring me." I say, looking at him, as he zoomed through the lengthy, dirt road that lead to the Casa del Amore.
Upon reaching the mansion, my Nonno Felipe already awaited there, worry on his face.
"Why did I receive a call from my nipotino, Emmett, saying he and the Cullens are on their way?" He asked as I watched Uncle Marcos hurry up the steps towards Nonno Felipe.
"I-I might've called him earlier when I came out here for some fresh air." I muttered.
"Papà, potremmo avere un problema nelle nostre mani." My uncle said. (Dad, we may have a problem on our hands)
"Cosa sta succedendo?" Nonno asked, turning to look at my uncle. (What is going on?)
"Isabetta made the Giuramento di Amore with Lesandro Masen's nipotino, a long time ago, five years ago, in fact." My uncle says, his eyes on me.
"Is this true, dolcezza?" Nonno asked, turning to look at me.
The unbelieving shock clear on his ancient, yet familiar face. Reminding me of my father and brother all at once. Resemblance almost uncanny, if it weren't for the fact that my brother has my mother's dimpled grin, and bright blue eyes.
"Yes, it is." I say, hesitant yet unafraid.
"You just turned twenty-two back in September, correct?" My Nonno asks, pacing back and forth.
"Correct, Nonno." I respond, wondering why the air had suddenly gone tense. "Nonno, what does the Giuramento di Amore mean?" I ask, nervously.
Anxiety causing my stomach to churn as I watched the much older, taller version of my father continue to pace.
"Dolcezza, the Giuramento di Amore, or Oath of Love is a promise a man and a woman make, before marriage. It's a blood oath. It binds you and the person in much deeper form than that of an actual marriage ever would… You see, in the famiglia… words, and actions or far more important than that of a marriage certificate, a paper. You have to trust, know, and love a person to do this oath, Principessa." He says. "So, here is my question to you, Principessa, were you forced to take this oath with the Cullizio boy?" He asked, suddenly angry.
"No. I wasn't forced to. He may be an ass but… he would never force me to do anything like that." I say, shaking my head in disbelief.
Underlying anger began to boil in my veins. He's known about this, yet, he's never told me. Why would he keep this from me?
I could feel as his familiar ancient eyes searched upon my face, searching for something. Whatever it was, he must have found it.
"Are you sure that you wanted this? There is no going back, dolcezza..." He asked once more.
I stare at him, taking a deep calming breath before. Was I? Did I truly wish to dive headfirst and submerge myself into the Mafia world once more let alone get involved with the Cullens? Could I?
Here is the bigger question. Do I still have feelings for Anthony? Can I walk away from him after finding out that he and his family have kept this from me for three years?
"Yes, I want this. If I didn't, I wouldn't have done the oath." I say, realizing that even if I didn't want to, we had already done the oath.
A few years back when Aro and Sully were married I very nearly killed me to cut him out of my life. I took me almost a full month to snap out of it when I did.
Even Jasper tried to help but it only ended with me shutting him out too.
"Why weren't we informed of this when it happened?" He asked as Rosa, one of the maids brought out a snack for us.
"I honestly don't know, Nonno," I reply as Rosa places some salad before me.
We were contemplating the new developments when three large SUVs pulled onto the yard.
"Damian?" Nonno called to one of the many guards that littered around the large house.
"Yes, sir?" The large man responded.
"I need your gun," Nonno said, never taking his eyes off the SUV.
I realized who it could possibly be, caused me to tense up as I slowly turned my head to see who it was, but wasn't able to.
"Who is here, Nonno?" I ask, as my fingers wrap themselves around my steak knife, just in case.
"I'm not sure." He murmurs as Damian hands him a .43 caliber.
Zio silently hands me one as he clicks the safety off of his glock.
"Famiglia! Sono arrivato a casa!" My brother calls as he walks onto the veranda. (Family! I have arrived home!)
I feel my eyes narrow as I see Jasper, Carlisle, and Aro follow him before a mop of familiar bronze hair follows them.
Without giving it a second thought I throw the steak knife towards him. It hits him on the right shoulder causing him to howl in pain.
Before anyone can stop me, I have already clicked the safety of the gun and shot him in the right thigh. "Ahh!" He groans.
"Pay up, assholes! I told you she would injure him when we got here!" Jasper said, laughing as Anthony glared at him.
"È abbastanza, Isabetta!" Nonno orders, though the dimple on his left cheek says he is highly amused. (That's enough, Isabella!)
"Damian, take him down to see Zeek." My Nonno says, as he stares at Senior and Nonno Masen as I notice Nonna Masen, Elizabeth, Sulpicia, and Esme walk up.
"What happened?" Nonna Masen asks, wide-eyed.
"I don't know." I respond, watching for all of their reactions.
I watch as their expressions change, varying from shock, dread, amusement, relief and excitement.
"So, you found out what the giuramento is." Nonno Masen says, stepping forward, his ancient eyes looking into mine.
"I have." I confirmed, trying to resist the impulse to use my gun once more.
"Now, why wasn't I informed that the children made this oath when it happened, Lesandro?" Nonno Swantorini asked, sitting back down, and motioning for everyone to sit themselves.
At last, the question we have all been asking. Yet, no one dared to answer.
Tension soon filled the air, all the men on the veranda stood stiff, and tense, as if waiting for a fight to break out. The women were still in shock from my greeting towards Anthony.
The eerie silence had begun to fill the already tense atmosphere.
I truly hoped, the tension would leave soon or someone else was about to get a bullet to the thigh or a knife to the shoulder.
"So, dolcezza, when did you learn to wield a knife?" Nonno Swantorini asked, his eyes gleaming with amusement
"My father taught me a bit of everything, and Jasper finished teaching me, perfected those skills." I replied, sitting down before snatching my wine glass and downing half of the sweet rich liquid.
"Damn, she is just like Renata. This could either be really good or really bad..." Uncle Marcos mused.
"Lesandro. Eduardo. I wish to speak to you, once we know if Anthony is alright." My Nonno Swantorini says, in an eerily calm voice.
"Of course, old friend." Nonno Masen says, nodding in agreement.
"On a lighter note, what is going on here? Why have you all suddenly showed up?" Nonno Swantorini asks suddenly.
"We are here because Isabetta called Emmett earlier today," Elizabeth says, taking a seat on the table.
"Ah, yes, Nani has asked her to marry before she goes." Zio Marcos says amused as he eyed me.
They all turned to me in surprise.