My Queens: Chapter 2
Summary: Bella takes a trip of a lifetime, but all is not as it seems.
Bella/Athenodora, Didyme, Sulpicia
"I've always wondered what I said that clued you in." She said with a smile that surprised her mates.
"You've known about us before today?" Sulpicia asked, shocked.
"Yes, I found…"
"Wait, did you say you've always wondered what you said that clued me in." Athenodora started.
"As if you knew this moment would happen." Didyme finished.
"Every moment since I tripped over Aro's feet at the airport has not come as a surprise." She muttered sheepishly.
"So you know everything that is going to happen?" Athenodora asked as she stared at Bella in awe.
"No, just until… now." Jane appeared with her ringing phone. She was well aware of the fact that Charlie had been calling nonstop. "From here on out, everything is as much of a surprise to me as it is to you," Bella said as she answered the phone.
"Hello, dad."
"Hey, Bells… hello ladies. I have it on good authority it is safe to call." Charlie chuckled. If he was honest with himself, he was enjoying this too much.
"Yes, it is. Although, I am flying blind from here on out." She quipped.
"How is the villa?" Charlie asked.
The question got a chuckle out of Sulpicia. "You truly knew everything." She said with a shake of her head.
"Not her, her fairy godparents." Charlie teased.
"Hey." No one missed the indignant yell from two voices.
"Oh, I'm to inform you that there is a perfect outfit in one of your cases for the opera tomorrow. Take it out and hang it up after the cleaning crew has left." Charlie said as though the words meant nothing to him. Her mates stared at each other, still struggling to believe what they'd just heard.
"What Aro would give to get his hands on such vampires," Sulpicia whispered.
"Okay, dad. Speak to you later. Love you."
"Love you too, Bells."
"So, what did I do wrong, or was it something I said?" Bella asked, they were back at the villa. Bella was surprised at the sight of the villa without the dust sheets. The decor was a modern contemporary design, with a warm color scheme of creams and browns in various shades. She would enjoy living in the villa.
"It was what you didn't say or more the questions you failed to ask," Athenodora said.
"You didn't question your connection to the twins. Even more telling, you have three vampires interested in you, and you accept it without question. In fact, you asked to spend the weekend with all three of us without fear of being rejected. One, I would understand, but three… come on, Isabella. It was rather obvious you knew of the concept of mates, at least. I never suspected you knew vampires who had knowledge of the future." She clarified.
"We always thought it was something I let slip. It didn't matter because in all the possible futures we saw, you never once questioned me in front of Aro, so we didn't care about changing this outcome." Bella admitted. "I actually think it worked out well, secrets make conversations harder than it needs to be," Bella mumbled.
"So, how long have you known about us?" Didyme asked, curious to learn just how close Bella was to them. It is apparent it was close enough for them to have seen Bella's mates and facilitate a meeting.
"I was seventeen; I had just moved to Forks…" Bella smiled fondly at the memory.
"He left you in the forest," Alec growled.
"Yes, but it was for the best." Bella chuckled. "Truth was, his family had not left me. They simply led him to believe they had. They left with him, but I knew what to expect; I played my part, thanks to Alice. A couple of weeks later, Alice, Jasper, his brother Peter and his mate Charlotte showed up. Soon Rose and Emmett joined them later. The entire birthday fiasco had all been part of the plan. I did not know that part, but I expected Edward to leave me. Alice had already informed me."
"Why the charade?" Athenodora grumbled.
"They'd known from the beginning he wasn't my mate. Unfortunately, Edward still believes I am his mate. In all fairness, I was his singer, and he'd somehow managed to leave me alive, and my mind was silent to him. The problem was his beliefs. He was unwilling to damn my soul as he believed, so he refused to change me." Bella chuckled humorlessly.
"That kind of thinking is dangerous," Sulpicia said, then it dawned on them. "He would have done any and everything to prevent you from turning, including keeping you away from us. Worse, because he still sees you as his mate." She surmised. Edward had been willing to kidnap or kill her if need be. All in the name of protecting her soul.
"Indeed, for Alice's plans to work, Edward had to be out of the way entirely. The plan worked, and he ran to South America. Alice sees the future based on decisions…"
"And you cannot freely make decisions with a telepath hellbent on stopping you about." Didyme groused; she knew that predicament all too well. Even if Aro had to touch you first, it was still a nuisance.
"Why did you not come to us sooner," Jane asked. Bella would swear the girl was pouting.
"I needed to grow. Physically, mentally, emotionally… I was not ready for the Volturi. Aro, Caius, Chelsea and Corin, and a few of the lower guards would have eaten me alive." Bella grumbled. "In some cases, literally." Her voice was barely above a whisper.
"You died in some cases," Alec asked, horrified. "Where were we?" He bellowed.
"Away on missions. Sometimes, my fear was so prevalent no other emotion broke through. In one particularly horrifying scenario, torture was involved. You arrived and turned me, but I could not let go of my anger and hatred. Of course, some were regretful of their action, others not so much. Three months later, I slaughtered the entire coven and burnt down the castle with me inside." Her mates stared, their horrified looks saying it all.
"Thank heavens for them," Jane whispered, tears in her eyes over a future that would no longer come to pass.
"Indeed." Bella pulled her close. "They trained me to fight. I questioned the need at first. I wasn't likely to win a fight with the slowest of vampires. Soon, I realized that it strengthened me physically and mentally as well. I learned to fight my fears and control them.
My bond with you all had to be the first thing Marcus saw. Caius had to realize despite my predicament, I showed and felt no fear. I cannot allow Corin to use your past against me because she would have succeeded in hurting a young Bella." Bella giggled at the look on Athenodora's face.
"Told you that one was a bad idea, no matter how great her tongue." Sulpicia quipped gleefully.
"Yes, Picia, you did… now shut up." She grumbled.
"I have no issue with your past, especially when I have one of my own." She had sown her wild oats at college. She hadn't planned on it, but she had grown rather confident by the time she got to Dartmouth, and confidence brought admirers. Admirers Rose encouraged her to take advantage of.
"Still, I hate to subject you to her because she will try even now," Athenodora said with a sigh.
"Oh, I know, but frankly, I'm looking forward to it. Corin may not be able to hurt me, but I know she will, given a chance." In several of Alice's visions, Corin had been the bane of her existence. "She is the main reason I had to wait so long. Aro wants my gifts, and the worst he could do was torture me until I agreed to be turned. Corin wants me dead." The growls reverberated around the villa.
"Her decisions are being monitored." Bella laughed.
"Oh, the poor girl," Sulpicia mumbled disingenuously.
"What is she…" Alec didn't finish when Bella's phone vibrated.
Didyme snatched the phone before Athenodora could. "She knows she cannot physically attack Bella and live, so she plans to get Bella to hate Athenodora." She read.
"Is that all," Sulpicia muttered. "I mean, Dora can do that all by herself." Everyone cracked up laughing except for the vampire in question, who was glaring at Sulpicia.
Bella's vibrating phone distracted Athenodora from her glare. "I'm to remind you that your splendid outfit is still in your case," Didyme informed Bella, who responded with an eye roll.
"We could put your things away for you. It will take all of a couple of minutes." Jane offered, surprising the queens. Frankly, Jane had been a revelation. Her entire demeanor with Bella was different.
"Feel free. I certainly have no desire to spend half my day unpacking the mountain of clothes Alice believes I need." Bella groaned. "I've seen it, Bella, you need this." She mocked in a bell-like voice. She was not the least bit surprised when her phone vibrated again. "I know exactly what it says, you do not need to tell me." Bella laughed.
"Glad you do." Didyme giggled, showing the phone to the other two, who laughed.
"I have never heard of a human having such a relationship with vampires. The love you have for each other is so surprising." Sulpicia was awed by it all.
"Is there anything you need for the villa?" Didyme asked.
"Yeah, electronics." The villa was clearly lacking any form of technology except for lights. "But I was going to buy them myself in the morning." She said with a shrug.
Sulpicia waved away the concern. "Give me a list, and we will have it sorted immediately."
"Okay, TV, Bluetooth speakers, internet, and a sim card for my phone. I've only got a few more days on my AT&T network."
"The internet will take a couple of days, but the rest should be done by morning," Sulpicia said as she typed away on her phone.
"Thank you," Bella muttered.
Alec and Jane appeared then. "We've put everything away," Jane said proudly.
"Thank you guys, I greatly appreciate it." Bella smiled at them and ruffled Alec's hair when he sat down. The boy in question, grumbled as he righted the mess on his head. "Don't you two have a change of clothes?" Bella asked.
"You want us to stay?" Alec asked, his messy hair forgotten.
"Of course, or are you needed back at the castle?"
"No, if they need us, they will call," Jane answered.
"Excellent, you can pick out your rooms," Bella said with a yawn.
"When did your father learn about all this?" Didyme asked.
"He married into it. His wife Sue is Quileute, her kids are wolf shifters. It happens when they are exposed to vampires for sustained periods. When the Cullens, moved into the area the phasing started. Then there were the nomads."
"You have certainly experienced both sides of our nature," Athenodora said when Bella finished her story.
"I knew vampires were dangerous, but it was almost as though it was something on the periphery of my mind. Then James and his coven showed up." Bella mumbled, her thoughts seemed to be elsewhere.
"Did your gift make you a target.. apart from the boy?" Bella smiled, of course, Edward would be a boy in the eyes of a three thousand plus-year-old vampire.
"No, I think my blood was more of an interest to Edward than my being a shield," Bella muttered absentmindedly.
"Isabella, are you saying you were the boy's singer." Bella knew she had nothing to fear from her mate, but right now the look in Athenodora's eyes had her hoping Edward never run into her mates for the sake of the Cullens. She loved them dearly and knew they'd be devastated if Edward got himself killed.
"I am…" She had also let it slip earlier, but for some reason, they'd missed it then, but not a second time.
"You know what your gift is?" Jane asked.
"Oh yeah, I'm a shield, a mental and physical shield." She smiled, relieved the subject had moved on from her being Edward's singer.
"Of course. Sulpicia chuckled. "Your mental shield is always in place, but what of the physical?" She leaned forward, eager to know more.
"It's only ever manifested once, I was about seven when I fell out of my bedroom window. Over the years I thought I dreamed it, but Jasper believes it saved my life." Bella often wondered where the fucking shield was when James came after her.
"Isabella, you will truly be formidable as a vampire." Didyme praised, which had Bella blushing.
"Heavens, I am starving." She mumbled when the smell of food reached her nose, something she was grateful for. There was too much attention on her at the moment.
"You are staying as well, aren't you?" She asked her mates.
"We will stay until you fall asleep. We, unfortunately, have a lot to do at the castle." Athenodora said sadly.
"That's fine, as long as you are not leaving just yet," Bella murmured as she made her way to the kitchen.
"Would you like us to tell Aro that you two are staying at the villa?" Athenodora asked teasingly.
"No, it's not a permanent move, so there is no need to tell Aro anything," Jane grumbled, knowing Athenodora was teasing her. Anyone else, they'd be on the floor crying out in pain, but while everyone feared and loathed them, the queens adored them.
"If you say so." Athenodora intoned, suspecting Bella had no intention of living in the castle even after her change. At least not for a long while. The human in question came back to the table with a plate full of food.
"You cannot possibly eat all that." Alec laughed. Bella was tackling half a chicken, Pilau rice, and roasted root vegetables.
"Wanna bet," Bella mumbled.
To their utter surprise, she finished the meal. "Oh, that was damn right perfect." She moaned. "Give me half an hour, and we can hit the pool.
"You know he's going to use them as leverage," Didyme grumbled as she watched Bella and the twins play in the pool. She knew her brother well enough; in truth, they all did.
"Yes, he will more likely put the twins in danger to force Bella into joining the guard," Athenodora whispered. Was she in Aro's position, it is what she would have done. "Yet, I don't see it working." She added as she stared at their mate. "She will not give anyone an inch because she knows they will take a mile," Athenodora said with a smile.
"You three going to join us?" Bella shouted, ending their conversation. "Come on, Marco Polo is a much better game with more people, especially vampires.
"Aren't you as a human at a disadvantage?" Jane asked.
"What is Marco Polo, and there was nothing fun about the man himself." Sulpicia teased.
"Let me guess. You met him." Bella looked appropriately awed.
"She fucked him." Didyme giggled at Sulpicia's annoyed look.
"How many times must I correct you? I slept with Niccolò, his father… and his uncle. Those two knew the meaning of fun." Bella simply rolled her eyes at the conversation taking place.
"So, what is this game?" Athenodora asked.
"Jane is right. Your heartbeat puts you at a disadvantage." Sulpicia murmured after Bella explained the game.
Bella smiled. "Yeah, I know, but I still want to play."
"I can't believe you won that," Jane grumbled, which only made Bella smile all the more.
"Of course, I did. You vampires are just so damn competitive you forget about the human." Bella laughed as the grumbling continued. Hell, she even managed to win a game of hide and seek with the Cullens. Vampires focused so hard on besting each other, she wasn't even considered a competitor. It was almost as if they allowed the poor human to play just to shut her up.
"After your change, we are playing this game again, we will see how less competitive you are then," Alec mumbled. This time he saw Bella's hand coming and moved out of the way before she could ruffle his hair.
"Speaking of games. I need to get a few board games for the house." Bella made a note in her phone.
"Give me a list. I will have them delivered soon." Didyme offered.
"Oh cool, we can play monopoly." Bella cheered.
Three hours later, the board and every piece were in tatters. Bella sat in the corner of the couch trying her damndest not to laugh, which was not helped by Alice's running commentary. Of course, she had seen it all.
'Try Scrabble next.' Alice texted. Bella looked up at the still squabbling vampires and thought, why not.
'I'm joking. Are you trying to get someone killed?' Bella could just see Alice screaming. This time she could not stifle her laugh no matter how hard she tried.
In truth, Bella had not considered how they would make the trip to Milan. Aro had mentioned the Volturi had a private plane, but she had not expected to travel on it so soon. The journey to Milan would take three hours. Of course, the queens of the vampire world did not travel alone. Six members of the guard traveled with them, Jane and Alec included. The twins were entirely different in front of the other guards. Bella being Bella, of course, could not help but try to break their stoicism. Every time they looked her way, she'd pull a face, wink, or stick out a tongue to try and break them. Of course, she succeeded, which only had Jane scowling harder when Demetri caught her smiling.
Thankfully, the guards would not accompany them to the opera; they would remain a respectful distance. Bella wanted a date with her mates, not half a dozen of the Volturi guard.
"So, when are you getting changed?" A guard whose name she did not know asked. From the information Alice gave her, she suspected the vampire was Heidi, the Volturi's fisher.
"Don't see how that's any of your business," Sulpicia responded. Although her voice was calm, it held an edge that had Heidi shifting in her seat. Alice had already told her that Heidi was there at the behest of Corin, who Athenodora had made sure was not on guard duty. The question was Heidi's attempt to start a conversation, befriend Bella, and learn everything she could.
"I didn't see you when I was there yesterday," Bella said. She would not answer the original question, but she saw nothing wrong in starting a conversation.
"No, I was out getting food." She said with a toothy grin that was supposed to frighten Bella.
"Ahh, you are Heidi," Bella said with a chuckle. "I don't see it myself, but then again, I suppose I wouldn't since your gift would not work on me," Bella said with a shrug.
"Oh, you've heard of me," Heidi said, suspecting the queens or the twins would have informed Bella of the guards and their gifts.
"Yes, Victoria says hi, by the way." Bella couldn't help but think the fisher looked like a fish at that moment.
"You know Victoria." There were no amount of words that could rightly convey Heidi's look. Bella simply smiled in response, putting her earphones in. She winked at Jane, who looked delightfully smug. Bella knew she and Heidi would be good friends as long as the vampire stayed out of Corin's bullshit.
The Queens and the twins knew Victoria had been ripped apart by the Cullens. Of course, she hadn't told them which coven Alice and co belonged. She said it was information she would reveal after she was changed to confidently protect them from Aro's greedy paws. Right now, they just enjoyed and admired how quickly Bella fucked with Heidi's head. Of course, there might be repercussions to her little game, but she was ready if that happened.
"We should have asked. When do you want to be changed?" Athenodora asked.
"Tomorrow is as good as any other day," Bella murmured, her focus more on the décor and splendor of the Teatro Alla Scala. They were seated in what amounted to a royal box. It sat more than four people, but today it was just them.
"Tomorrow?" Didyme asked.
"I'm here because I'm ready," Bella responded her focus now firmly on the queens.
"Indeed," Sulpicia whispered. "Tomorrow it is then."
"Cool." Bella pronounced with a smile.
"Cool," Didyme repeated, amused.
"Have you ever been to the opera," Didyme asked as she adjusted her gown to the other side so Bella's legs could move more freely.
"No, a lot of play, especially Shakespeare." It was part and parcel of the English curriculum in England. She had enjoyed her two-year teaching stint in Windsor very much. It was something she would love to do again after she had a few years of being a vampire under her belt.
"So, I take it, you've seen this opera before." Bella draped her hand over the back of Didyme's seat.
"Yes, a few times actually, including the very first time it was performed in 1821 in Naples," Sulpicia answered.
"You have got yourselves some real cougars, Bella." Athenodora teased. Bella let out a laugh, which she quickly stifled as the lights went down and the curtains started to rise. The queens made it a point to keep up with society's changing trends. It made it easier for them to blend in when they needed to. Apparently, Aro loathed all things technology and fought about allowing tech into the castle. He had lost the fight, and now the castle had the latest in all things tech. Marcus especially found handling the coven's vast archives easier with the latest PCs, printers, and scanners. Of course, she often saw Alec and Jane playing one game or another. She had grumbled when Alice bought her the newest iPhone but would admit she loved the 4s.
"I'm afraid it's all in Italian," Didyme whispered, leaning closer to Bella.
"Non è un problema." (It's not a problem.) Bella responded nonchalantly.
"Sei pieno di sorprese." (You are full of surprises) Didyme replied her attention on the stage. Having known for years she would eventually be living in Italy, she had learned Italian. She'd also taken up French and Spanish and was finally tackling Mandarin, but that was not going well. Apparently, it would be easier once she became a vampire.
"Che io sono." (That I am) She murmured to herself. Her focus had shifted from the opera, which in all honesty, she had no genuine interest in sitting next to Didyme. Her dress was designed to show a lot of cleavage, cleavage Bella found her eyes glued to. Her hand found Didyme's bare shoulders and absentmindedly ran a finger back and forth. Didyme leaned against Bella, who buried her face in the vampire's hair. Bella could not name the scent, but it was intoxicating.
Didyme looked up at her, her intention clear as she leaned forward. Bella leaned in, welcoming Didyme's move. It was a soft, tentative kiss, yet had Bella reeling. Her sharp intake of breath through her nose drew the attention of the other two. Her hand went to the back of Didyme's head as the kiss deepened. Didyme's tongue lightly moved against Bella's, who sucked on the tongue, earning a loud moan from the vampire. Her taste was intoxicating as her smell, and she wanted more. Bella's grip on Didyme got firmer, while the vampire was careful in her hold of the human. Bella's tongue dipped into the vampire's mouth, forcing Didyme to pull back. She had sharp teeth capable of cutting Bella's tongue with ease.
Bella felt smug. The desperation on the vampire was apparent as she stared into her pitch-black eyes.
"Didi move," Sulpicia whispered. The vampire in question shook her head and buried it in Bella's neck. Bella looked up to find the two glaring at Didyme, who couldn't care less. Bella might not have heard what was whispered, but she had a pretty good idea. She couldn't help the chuckle that left her. She would enjoy life greatly with mates, that was certain.