Somehow she was surprised when the Dark Lord apparated them into his room. She was still high off her kill and she knew that her master could feel it. He was so close, his hand moved from her shoulder to her waist turning her around to face him. Bella stared up into his icy eyes, but there was something new behind them. A fire that both excited and terrified her at the same time. He moved his other hand up to rest against the side of her pale face, drawing her into his lips. She met his kiss with a fiery passion, one that could only be compared to her bloodlust. He was everything she had ever wanted but the terror that these moments were too good to be true lingered in the back of her mind. He pulled away, looking down into her dark eyes.
"My Bella," he hissed softly scooping her up in his arms and carrying her over to the fireplace.
Nagini was curled up near the roaring blaze, an emerald love seat was placed directly in front. He sat down with her still in his arms, his embrace unyielding. To say the Bella could hardly breath would be a vast understatement.
"M-my lord," she managed to whisper as she looked into his cold distant eyes, trying to figure out what in the world was happening.
What could he possibly be thinking behind those eyes of his? She longed for something, anything, but she knew well and good that she would never see more than she was allowed. Why she continued to try, after all, this time, was beyond her, but something always made her search, hopeful one day he would let her in. Such a funny thing hope was.
"You did well tonight," her master hissed coolly, "not that I expected anything less from my best lieutenant."
She smiled broadly, "Thank you, my lord," she spoke trying not to sound too overly pleased with herself. She enjoyed torturing and killing more than anything else, especially when it was for the pleasure of her lord.
"Did you enjoy yourself?" her master asked, which threw Bella for a bit of a spin. She thought it was rather obvious, but maybe he was just being courteous.
"Of course, my lord," she said faster than she would have cared to. "Maybe more than I should have," these words came before she could stop them, the truth behind them stung her lips and she almost immediately regretted letting them slip past.
She never tried to say more than she should around her master. Everyone knew she was mad anyway. To her surprise, her face was guided up to meet her master's, his cool hand resting softly on her face. She clearly looked surprised, and when her eyes met the dark lord's she found a small bemused smile waiting for her.
"But Bella that might be one of your most endearing qualities. You do most things more than you should. Your bloodlust alone is inspiring," her master's words were cool and smooth and seemed almost out of place, such flattery.
"Thank you, my lord," her eyes broke his gaze, trying to hide the flush that rushed to her cheeks.
Only her master could make her blush like a sappy little school girl. Even when she was in school she was not the sappy sort. He was her only weakness. She could watch the whole world burn as long as he was not burning with it. Hell, she would burn it all down if he asked her to, and she would enjoy every moment of it. She cherished every moment she was allowed to spend with him, and in service to him. Even her years in Azkaban were almost bearable, they were worth it for him. It was all worth it, even just for these small moments.
Voldemort ran his fingers through the long messy curls that fell from Bella's head, wildly out of place adding to her maddening presence.
"Your mind is always so open to me," he hissed softly before leaning in to whisper in her ear, "I have seen your heart, and it is mine."
Her eyes flashed wildly when his words met her ears, but she knew he knew. Maybe he always knew and even if he did not, there was no running from it.
"It always has been, my lord," she finally said looking up to him. She was shocked to see a smirk upon her master's face, the bewilderment must have been clearly painted across her own.
"And I have always known," he hissed almost pleasantly kissing her softly on the forehead. "I always told you that your loyalty would be rewarded, and as my best lieutenant and most loyal servant, your rewards should be as important to you as your service is to me." He eyes we wide as she listened to her master speak, beyond speechless. "Though I do have one possibly selfish request," he hissed.
"Anything for you, my lord," Bella exclaimed, her enthusiasm evident. Her master smiled a wicked smile waving his wand and summoning a simple silver band with an emerald snake inlaid in the metal.
"As you are well aware over the years I have created several Horcruxes, in case anything should ever happen to me. One of these precious objects even resides in your vault and Gringotts." Her master paused for just a moment, "Your unyielding loyalty is so rare to find that I simply could not afford to lose you. Which makes you performing your duties as my right hand exceedingly dangerous, as you are well aware. So tonight, my dearest Bella I ask for you to willing give me a piece of your soul so that I may keep at least a part of you safe. You are the only person who could ever be worthy enough to be my right hand." Bella's eyes were transfixed on her master, in stunning disbelief.
"It would be my greatest honor, my lord."
Her words clearly please her master as he moved his wand to her placing the tip on her chest. She was well read on Horcruxes and knew that her soul had already been split into many pieces, another bit fracturing tonight when she took the life of her filthy half-blood niece. She watched intently as her master drew a small piece of crumbling soul out and hid it deep within the ring that he had summoned only moments before. He had clearly done this many times as he did it silently and with swift precision. It was mere moments before he finished creating her very own Horcrux and slid it onto the ring finger of his right hand. Forever his right hand.
The rest of their night flew by, eating chocolate and drinking a bottle of Bella's favorite wine. Indulging in this quiet night in a world that was slowly becoming less chaotic. Things felt safe and that felt dangerous but for now, she would allow herself to believe that things for them might really be safe. After all the dark lord was everywhere, his pawns all falling into their rightful places as the New Year slowly began to tick away. She was, at least, safe here, tucked away in her brother-in-law's manor in the arms of the dark lord himself. Which is where she found herself when she woke up the next morning, still in his arms wrapped up in the emerald sheets that were becoming more and more familiar. Could her master really be asleep still? Would he really allow her to see him in such a mortal state? She rolled over only to find him watching her with those icy eyes.
"Good morning," he hissed casually enough.
"Good morning my lord," she replied softly.
His right arm was draped around her waist, her Horcrux gleaming in the morning sunlight. She reached out carefully running one of her fingers over the emerald snake feeling her own energy meet her finger tip. It was a strange feeling to be able to reach out and touch a part of your soul, even when a soul was as mangled and torn as her own was. She thought that she might feel different having a piece of her soul missing, but maybe she was too far gone, too mad, too mangled for such a thing. She was cold and slightly detached and that was why she was her master's right hand.
"You should go down to breakfast before someone wanders where you have slithered off to," the dark lord said as he watched her.
She looked up, "Do I have to?" she asked playfully, knowing good and well what her master's answer would be. His icy eyes told her all she needed to know but she lingered for just a moment longer.
He kissed her hand softly, "Get up, get dressed, eat breakfast," hissed the dark lord, "Appearances my dear Bella. I know I do not need to remind you."
She nodded, "Yes my lord," she said as she got out of bed, wrapping her robes around her and striding out of her master's room without a second glance. Maybe it was easier know that he now kept a piece of her with him.