I had managed in a power nap, not necessarily on purpose. Once Aro had left, I had leaned back on the bed to take a few breaths. It only took about three minutes of Bella calmly petting my hair for me to fall asleep.
It was only about twenty minutes, but it was needed. I could hardly tell what time it was and my suspicions that the idea that vampires didn't sleep was confirmed. I woke up to Bella who was sitting at the foot of my bed, her arms wrapped around Edward's waist. He looked like he was stiff, on guard and put off by where he was. Carlisle was sitting in a chair, a large book in a language I didn't know sitting in his lap.
The minute I looked at him, he looked up with a small smile.
"I was just about to wake you up. Clara brought you some more water and towels in case you wanted to shower." He said, using his eyes to point to the glass of water and luxurious folded towels that sat on a beautiful table across the room.
"Oh." I said before shaking my head "I'm good."
Something about showering in such a strange place was too much for me. It was comical really. After everything that was happening, a shower is where I drew the line. But at this point, I decided I got to make at least one choice about how this was going to work for me. Even if it was a pointless stance.
I stood up, half bouncing myself off the oversized bed and went to the table, picking up the glass of water and opening the duffel bag Esme had packed for me someone had set on the black chair.
When I looked inside the bag, I took a breath and silently thanked Esme from afar. Not only had she packed me pajamas, but also several outfits of varying formality. To make the whole package even more thoughtful, she had included a toothbrush, toothpaste, and makeup.
I wasn't sure where she got them, as I'm sure she didn't need them nor did Bella or anyone else in the Cullen family. But the fact that she had thought to include it had me speechless.
I sifted through the various pieces of clothing before settling on a pair of dark skinny jeans and a black v-neck shirt. It was made out of a more elegant material, almost like silk, but wasn't too much. I wasn't sure what Aro was expecting but hopefully it wasn't some formal dress.
I made my way to the bathroom that was attached to the bedroom and happily brushed my teeth, looking through the makeup bag Esme got together for me. I wasn't sure exactly how nice I wanted to look but I knew I needed to look better than I did now.
I had heavy bags under my eyes and any mascara I had on from earlier was crumbling off of my face. I pulled my hair into a bun, some pieces falling down around my face and redid my makeup. I looked rather nice, especially for the kind of day I had.
I walked out of the bathroom to see Carlisle who was standing by the door, a small smile on his face. I smiled back and grabbed the black flats Esme had packed for me. I really needed to thank her when I got back.
"You look great." Bella commented with a small smile.
"Thank you." I managed out. I was suddenly much more nervous than I was. It was becoming real that once I got downstairs I was going to be left alone with Aro. And the two of us were going to go on a romantic walk.
"Ready?" Carlisle asked.
I nodded, though my stomach was doing backflips and I was lightheaded. With that confirmation, Carlisle opened the door and put out a hand gesturing me forward. My legs felt heavy as I moved forward and left the bedroom into the grand corridor.
"If you do not want to do this, you don't have to." Carlisle said as we walked, worry in his voice. I could see his eyes scanning my face for signs of distress.
Something about that offer made my stomach drop. The idea of not seeing him made me...unsettled. This whole time I had been nervous to see him and now I was upset at the idea not to. Like being promised a cozy hot chocolate and then it being yanked away.
Just looking at my face made Carlisle chuckle and kept me moving. The corridor was spacious and it was odd that there was nobody walking through them. I had no idea how many people stayed here but I assumed it would be a high number considering the size.
It wasn't until we arrived downstairs that my attention was pulled away from the numerous ornate paintings that lined the stone walls. Carlisle had stopped walking and lightly put his hand on my back for me to do the same. I did so, with a bit of a jolt just in time for the three royal men to step out of a large room with a heavy looking door.
The first out the door was Caius, his face still stone like but his attitude less toxic than earlier, following was Marcus who...looked lifeless. It was hard to believe he had just been laughing uncontrollably just a few hours ago. Finally my breath caught as I saw Aro, standing right outside the door, his eyes looking at me with a strange intensity.
All my nerves calmed instantly, my eyes meeting his and I couldn't stop the smile that spread on my face.
"Hello, darling Annabelle." He greeted formally. He was still wearing his black suit and he held out his hand.
I instantly tensed up knowing if I took it, he would see everything all over again. I felt an icy hand take mine but it was Carlisle's he gently guided mine to Aro's and I took a breath as mine lay on his.
He instantly beamed as if he had seen the sunlight for the first time in years and a small laugh escaped him.
"Please excuse me, I am absolutely taken aback by you. Every part." He said kindly and shockingly slightly embarrassed.
My cheeks were hot and I looked to Carlisle who gave me small nod, as if he were as happy as I was in this moment.
"We will return later this evening. Though I must warn you, Carlisle, I do plan on keeping her as long as she will let me." Aro said, applying a bit of pressure on my hand before releasing it.
"This way." He said, gesturing me forward down the corridor.
We were silent as we walked to the grand set of doors that led to the outside. That was until I gasped at the beautiful scene before me.
