Felix
I didn't know how Bella was managing. We got in late from our gown shopping, Bella wanted to find a few while she was out. Poor girl really doesn't like to shop. But, I made it a little better, I ended the trip with a shopping expedition at a bookstore and that got her energy back.
Now she was sleeping deeply. I called Demetri from the living room.
"Some day huh," Demetri answered.
"Some day is an understatement. Can you believe this? Even I feel like I've been caught in a whirlwind and she is human. Her mind doesn't work as quickly as ours yet." I admitted.
"Let's get business out of the way before gossip. Jasper is of course acceptable for your girl but Alice is not. We'll keep Jane with her instead."
"Jane and Bella will both be happy with that." I agreed.
"I want to see a video of the coronation. Have a video camera set up so I can see when I get back. A princess. It's unheard of."
"You should have heard the retelling of her history. The Cullens are lucky that Bella asked for their lives before that story or I think Carlisle and Edward would both be dead. I could tell she was trying not to say anything to incriminate them but there was no way around it. She was so upset afterward, I felt bad for her."
"So how did this princess thing come about?" Demetri asked.
"I think they must have discussed it after we left. Marcus has a father-daughter bond with her and Aro has an uncle-niece bond with her. I don't know about Caius. He wasn't there.
"You're going to have to watch some of our new guests," Demetri said.
"Which ones?"
"I guess Edward and maybe Rose, but that's just instinct," Demetri admitted.
"With Jasper, Me, Jane, and Alice watching out for her as well as the rest of the elite, they'd have to be damn clever. I don't think they're up to it. I think Edward is probably nutty enough to try though."
"You know I'll be looking out for her too." Demetri offered.
"I know Dem. I went out Dress shopping with Bella and Jane last night. It was impressive. Bella found five gowns. She said she knows she will need them now so she got a few so she didn't have to go shopping again. My girl will be glad when her personal shopping arrives. I hope she is not secured in the jails."
"Ha, a princess who hates to shop and sends someone else out to do it for you."
"Her shopping phobia is no where in sight when you set her in the middle of a bookstore."
"That's too funny. By the way, tell Bella the search for her body continues and I'm playing Emmett's video games without him. I hope this assignment lasts long enough for me to explore his collection. He has a better selection than we do. A few of these I'm going to get for the recreation room myself if I have to."
"Glad to hear you're working hard. You and Alec could be working on their fighting skills."
"I don't want to accidentally train the wrong people," Demetri admitted. Edward and Rosalie might be watching combat practice.
Bella
I woke feeling rested, nervous, and excited. I went to have my human minute and take my shower. Then I went wrapped in a towel to the walk-in closet Felix had directed me to the night before. I found a soft blue dress and matching shoes. I was supposed to meet with Aro this morning so I needed to be dressed appropriately. I was going to run out of dresses soon and I was going to get sick of blue even sooner. Everything in my closet had been purchased to please Edward. It would be nice to have some other colors. When I was dressed and ready I opened up the door and found both Felix and Jane waiting for me.
Felix came forward and kissed me on the forehead. Jane smiled and said, "You look ready, princess. We need to put on just a little makeup and you'll be ready for the big unveiling."
"I don't have any makeup?" I asked Jane.
"You're only a shade darker than me, we can use mine today. Come sit down on the couch and I'll make you perfect."
I didn't see any reason to complain as long as Jane understood what just a little makeup meant. I sat down and waited while she put a little concealer under my eyes, eyeliner, blush, and lipgloss on.
Jane stepped back and I went to look in the bathroom mirror. She was right. I would look perfect when in my red gown. My eyes popped and looked like I was blushing lightly. The lipgloss was the perfect touch.
"We might actually be the same color. I did well if I do say so."
"Felix, what do you think?" I asked.
"Absolutely stunning," Felix said seriously.
I took Felix's hand in mine and we exited the room. "Where do we meet Aro today?"
"Back in his office," Felix instructed.
We made our way down to the office and I waited eagerly for what he had to tell me.
Demetri
Carlisle, Esme, and Emmett returned late in the evening. They were not continuing to look for Bella. I was almost ready to go home but I needed to see what news they brought.
The memorial was going to take place in three days and I didn't want to wait that long.
"Carlisle, make your excuses and finish packing what you need. We leave in the morning. I'm missing important events in Volterra right now. Emmett, might I recommend that you take your video game collection with you. Bella has instructed me that I need to play video games with you. I intend to try to follow that order."
"Since when does Bella give orders," Edward sulked. My phone rang.
"Felix?" I asked, answering the phone mid-conversation like I usually do.
It was Bella and she wanted to talk with Edward. I passed it to Edward, "It's Bella, for you," I directed.
We could all hear both sides of the phone call and I couldn't convince myself not to listen. It could be relevant.
"Edward,"
"Yes,"
"I think it's time we break up Edward, I need to get to know my real mate and I can't do that if I'm in a relationship with you," Bella said calmly.
"Like you've waited till now to pursue him. I don't know what I ever saw in you."
"That's all that I had to say. See you soon."
The phone disconnected. Edward threw the phone at me. I caught it out of the air. Jasper watched Edward closely. He was muttering again.
"Demetri," Alice said.
"I need to go shopping before I am isolated in Volterra for a while. I don't have what I need." Then she mouthed 'for Bella'.
I thought about it for a moment and decided. "Take Alec with you. The Major will stay here while you are away."
Alice's eyes were unfocused for a percentage of a second and then she nodded. "Alec," she called. "Shopping duty. We have work to do."
I heard Alec grumble as he saved his video game and he just barely had it saved before Alice turned it off. "We have to go."
"Get your shoes Alec we have to get there with enough time to shop before closing."
I've already done what I can do online. Packages will be delivered tomorrow, overnight even with international shipping. It was expensive.
"Okay Alice, let's go."
Off we went.
Alice
Finally, I had a way to get one of the Volturi away from the house. Bella truly did need all sorts of things but it was nothing I couldn't have shipped. What I needed was time away from Edward where I could see.
"I'll drive Alec, we'll take the SUV it has room"
"Then drive Alice, I don't see what you could possibly need."
"Keep complaining," I hissed at him.
"You have everything a girl could want in that room of yours. Do you need some practical clothes to go with them?"
Alice squealed the tires out of the drive.
"Alice are you mad, this is a shopping trip, not an emergency ."
Alice drove until she was sure Edward couldn't hear her and slowed.
"Alec, we are going shopping because there are some things that Bella needs but I need you to text Felix or Aro or whoever you want and let them know that Edward and Rose are both planning on trying to kill Bella. Yes, I know she's a princess. Yes, I know our punishment. No, I'm not kidding. You have to take all of our senses before we get to Volterra, about an hour out is when you'll lose control of your thoughts and give us away.
No one can know you're focusing on those two. Carlisle and Emmett would both fight you for trying to take their senses away so do all of us, I guess it doesn't hurt anything. Edward has to have no senses until he's under guard or in Jail where he can't do anything. Rose will wait with her plans but Edward plans to die to kill her. He has to have another taste of her blood.
"Okay, Alice give me time to type this." Alec started typing.
"Sure, I'll drive, you type. We really do need to hurry if we're gonna get our shopping done."
"So we're actually going shopping for Bella?" Alec clarified.
"Of course, I have clothes for this season and next already," Alice said.
"Now, we're going to take all of your senses away so no one realizes we're focusing our attention on Rose and Edward."
"Yes," I agreed.
"Keep two guards on Bella at all times until she knows how to fight. It's imperative that she know how to protect herself."
"Once she knows how to fight she can go down to one guard but she must never ever be completely alone until after Rose makes her attempt."
"You have to let Rose make her attempt. You can't jail her to keep her from attempting, she'll just wait and it will be worse."
"Bella will be ready to be down to one guard the first time she beats Demetri. Beating Felix is not enough, he won't push himself to his limit to attack his mate even in sparring."
"Are you keeping up?" I asked.
"Almost," Alec chuckled. "Now I'm done."
"Edward is going to die in the attempt to kill Bella in the audience chamber on our second visit there. That is the second time all the family is there. Tell Jane to be ready she's the one who stops him."
"You'll be called there twice?" Alec clarified.
"I promise it will make sense later," I said.
"You can't think about either of them or what they are planning or all their decisions change. Do you know how to block your thoughts from Edward?"
"No," Alec said.
"Think of something else on the surface. Recite War and Peace or something similar. He can only hear your surface thoughts. Jasper plays the southern wars over and over in his head. I recite War and Peace or focus on fashion. Rose thinks about how beautiful she is. Emmett thinks about sex, that one is particularly effective for the virgin. He's a bit of a prude. Carlisle goes over her client files. I don't think Esme bothers to keep her thoughts safe so no matter how against their plans she may be she's not safe to talk to because Edward will hear."
"You should also know that Carlisle will not stand against Edward, even at the risk of Bella's life. Do not trust him to do the right thing. His choice will always be for Edward."
"How do you keep all this straight?" Alec asked.
"You get used to it when you wake up with the gift of future possibilities. You have no idea how many possibilities I had to search to find this option that worked out. You, by the way, have stronger mental fortitude than Demetri. He wouldn't have been able to keep this all from Edward. He goes over threats to keep Edward out of his head and he would have let him hear the whole plan."
"You can tell Demetri all of this after we are under the influence of your gift on the plane, just tell him how to block his thoughts. If he thinks over and over about seeing the coronation video or his latest fling he'll be successful. No, I'm not telling you who his latest fling is."
"Can't blame a guy for wondering. I'd be happy with man or woman to start with."
"Nope."
"She must learn to control her shield immediately after beating Demetri. No, she can't take time off to play with Felix for a few days in between, she needs to start work immediately after her success."
"I wasn't going to ask that," Alec said with a grin
"No, but she will."
"Bella is going to be an exceptionally controlled newborn. Except for her possessiveness. Tell Felix he'll make his life easier if he lets no woman anywhere near him for the first week. Otherwise, there will be drama."
"Got all that?"
They pulled into the mall.
"Yes, now."
"Good now let's shop."
I parked outside of Neiman Marcus.
"Luggage first, I used all mine."
"Alec I need you to pick a bag that would be suitable for your work trips. Buy the set that goes with it and meet me at Victoria's secret." she forced a credit card in his hand and left him in front of the luggage shop.
Alice came out of Victoria's secret just as I headed for another store. She passed the bags to him but he pushed them back at her. We have to get makeup next. Then suits. Then dresses, then shoes, By then the stores will be closing and I can get the rest at a drugstore. Hurry Alec, I have to walk slowly.
"This doesn't feel slow to me."
"If only I could have brought Jasper, he knows how to shop with me," I grumbled.