Chapter Fourteen

Whenever Bella traveled throughout the castle by herself, she could feel the dark topaz eyes of the Cullens on her, especially Edward. Despite Alice trying to tell them Bella was happy here, and how the Volturi would treat her with the utmost respect and love, Edward would always be in the background. He didn't trust her being attached to the castle and being mated to one of the Heads of the Royal Guard. It only reminded him all he had put her through, and how in the end it didn't lead to him coming back because he couldn't stay away from her. She was meant for someone else, not for him.

It was during one of the endlessly sunny mornings that Bella was heading in the direction of the main library of the castle to read one of the many books she had stacked up in piles only to smile when she saw a familiar brunette woman coming down the corridor. Her surrogate sister and eventual sister-in-law had just come home from a mission that Caius had demanded her to go to, since the people that had fallen out of grace with the Volturi needed to be punished properly.

"Sister, must I ask why the Animal Drinkers are staying here? Please tell me it is not your doing," Jane declared, an irritation coming from her voice. Bella continued forward and put her hand on Jane's shoulder, as though to let her know that everything was going to be fine.

"Peace, Jane. They are only staying until after I am turned. I wanted them to come and witness me becoming one of them, and you. I also wanted to show them they had lost the opportunity to turn me, themselves, and have me go with their diet," Bella added, making Jane's angelic features tighten some before she had a flicker of surprise in her crimson eyes at the mention of how her new sister wasn't going to become an Animal Drinker after all.

"Two things. One–" Jane couldn't help but smile a moment later– "you have been spending too much time with Father and Uncles. You sound just like them."

Bella blushed, knowing it was true.

The kings often came to visit her whenever she would be reading in the library, or in her bedroom sitting in one of the chairs that were on the balcony. Jane had a tinge of amusement there at the blush, she only reserved positive emotions towards those who she cared about (Alec obviously because he was her twin, and Bella because she had been nothing more than respectful and understanding).

"Two, I am glad you decided to choose the proper blood source. The Cullens left their mark enough as it is, the last thing we need is for you to share their blood diet," Jane added, earning a sigh from Bella at the mention of her past with the Cullens.

"So how was the mission, if you are allowed to speak of it?"

Jane had a wistful look appear upon her angelic features, making her look even younger than she already was, enough that she smiled at the memory. She went to tell Bella what had happened when the throne room doors opened, and they entered the room. She stiffened immediately.

Bella slowly turned my attention away from her surrogate sister, only for her brown eyes to land on a familiar red-haired vampire peering at the brunette with turmoil. He slowly began to step forward, anger flickering in those eyes of his, as she was certain he was now more familiar about how she had been changed and been raped and impregnated by her town's preacher–since her mind would flicker to the last time a man had done anything 'romantic' towards her.

"No. No. No. Not yet…not him."

One moment Jane was next to Bella and the next moment she was a complete blur, disappearing from the throne room completely. The pieces of Bella's hair blew from the blur of speed Jane had made, letting Bella be overwhelmed with the intensity that came from the situation.

She had never thought she would see the horror that appeared in Jane's eyes or the fear that emitted from her. It was obvious the girl had been transported in her memories back to the moments where she had to be alone with the pastor, it was all she had known when it came to men in her human life. All she had known was…no. Even Bella didn't want to think of what Jane had gone through, and Edward had just seen the blurry images of everything Jane had gone through–everything.

Bella's eyes widened when Edward stalked one of the pillars in the throne room and slammed his fist through it, making a large hole in the pillar. She slowly made her way to him, her high heels so loud as they clicked against the marble. Concern laced itself around Bella, enough that when she reached him, he let out a roar in anger and anguish.

He fell onto the marble floor, tears of venom came from his tear ducts and cascaded down his face. There were cracks that were forming on his marble face, disappearing when the venom dried up. He peered up at Bella, heartbroken. He was so human in this moment, the thought of his mate going through hell from that preacher was enough that Bella was taken aback.

Marcus had informed her of the intensity of mates in the vampiric world. For some it was almost like an instant love-at-first sight, something that had happened between Bella and Alec (the same thing happened between Marcus and his wife, Didyme). The other type was an understanding, not a love that took someone over like a tsunami. They knew each other, and understood them, understood the reasons their mate had and taught each other in a more intellectual way before they would end up falling in love with each other in a romantic manner.

Edward and Jane would have to be in the latter category. They would have to build up, support each other, and understand their partner's sins. They would be there through the darkness and through learning each other they would end up falling in love with them gradually.

"She's in so much pain," Edward whispered finally, as he peered at the marble flooring and then up at the hole that was in the pillar. He didn't look apologetic towards the fact he had destroyed part of the throne room, not just any throne room, the Volturi throne room.

Then again it wasn't just every day that you found out the woman you were to spend the rest of your immortality with had been tortured mentally, physically (sexually), and verbally in her human life. It would be one thing if Edward were supposed to be with just any other human girl than Bella but being the mate of one of the most terrified and respected Heads of the Volturi Royal Guard was another thing. Another thing, all entirely.

"I must–"

Bella had been the one who had decided to say something, only for the throne doors to slam open and reveal Aro came stalking into the throne room. Alice was behind him. She kept her hands in front of her, kept together and her face bland of emotions. Though when she let her eyes flicker over to Bella, giving her a slight nod to tell her everything would be fine.

Bella's mouth fell open as Aro reached Edward, picked him up and held his hands underneath Edward's jaw. Bella almost went forward only for a hand to touch her shoulder. She knew that familiar sense of being home, enough for her to loosen up some. She still looked behind her to Alec, before he wrapped his arms around her and held her against him.

"If you ever cause distress to my daughter, ever make her self-worth crumble into nothingness I will make sure to tear you apart limb by limb and make you watch yourself burn, piece by piece. I will starve you until all you will drink is the proper blood source. You will be begging for me to finish you off. I. Promise. You. That."

Aro tightened his long fingers against Edward's jaw, creating little cracks against Edward's jaw and up to his cheekbones. He was limp in his hold. He was showing submission though there was a spark of anger that came from Edward, as though he was pissed off that Aro would think he would ever treat Jane anything less than beautiful and loved.

Aro dropped Edward, allowing the red-haired vampire to fall down onto the ground of the marble flooring. Alec had a complicated expression, himself, at the knowledge his sister had ended up meeting her mate. It was one thing for her to meet him now, after he met his own mate, but it was another thing entirely for the mate to be the golden-eyed precious saint's son who could do no wrong.

"Alec, Isabella."

Bella tore her attention from the fallen vampire and to the vampire king, so he would know he had gotten her attention without any hesitation. She knew Alec almost seemed as though he wanted to have his own time threatening Edward, Bella let her eyes flicker towards him and arch one of her eyebrows up. Should he really be more concerned about intimidating Edward right now?

"What can we do for you, Aro?" Alec asked once he tore his attention away from Edward and instead looked at his surrogate father for over a millennium.

"Alec, I wish for you to take our dear Alice and Edward back to the rest of their family and inform them of the newest developments that have happened. Bella, I wish for you to go to Jane. You know where she is," Aro commanded, Bella curtseyed, and Alec bowed in response.

Bella turned towards Alec and reached her hand up to put onto the side of his face. He closed his eyes and took in the feeling of her warm and human hand against his marble, cold vampiric skin.

"Don't hurt him too bad, Alec. Jane will be upset even more if you hurt him. And before you say anything about her not wanting him to ever get hurt, this is your sister we are talking about. If he ever messes with her, she will make sure he'll never again."

Alec let out a sigh, before he leant forward and put his head onto her head. He took in the deep scent of her strawberry shampoo and the expensive flowery perfume Heidi had bought her not that long ago. It was so perfectly his mate, and he took it greedily. He also took in as much warmth from her, since she would eventually become a vampire (even then, that was only a year at most. Alec was certain the kings would want her changed before it would reach a year).

Bella surprised both him and her for when he pulled away, she pressed her lips softly against his. She hadn't expected him to wrap his arms around her and pick her up, scooping her up so that her feet were floating off the marble floor. He held her so desperately and they just held onto each other, as though they were the only thing that mattered, the kiss was the only thing that was keeping them alive.

Eventually, Alec pulled his lips away from hers and sat her down. He would have been blushing bright red if he were able to but vampirism didn't grant them the ability to blush anymore. Besides, Bella was blushing enough for the both of them.

"I'll see you later. I'll go comfort our sister," Bella assured him, before she pulled away from him and went out of the throne room.

She didn't have to look far to find Jane. The young woman was a talented musician and over the millennium she had been a vampire and in the company of the Volturi she had learnt how to play multiple instruments. She preferred to play the violin or the piano.

In fact, when Bella entered the music room, she was greeted with the sight of Jane sitting at the piano, on the bench, her fingers brushing against the keys. Her head was tilted down, and she didn't look up despite the fact she was in the presence of Bella and not her brother.

Bella swiftly made her way across the room, dismissing the elegant instruments that were around her. Her focus was on the vampire sitting at the piano on the bench. The vampire who never imagined she would have a mate out there, but one who had dated her brother's mate and broke up with her because she had lost her memories. One who could read thoughts and had easily seen the images of what Jane had gone through with the preacher.

Once she got to the piano, Bella sat down next to her and let her eyes travel towards the windows that looked out at the sunny Italian skyline.

It was so different from the skyline she had been used to in Forks and even Phoenix. She had learnt to love this skyline, faster than she thought she would, though sometimes she thought back on the skyline in Phoenix and even the skyline in Forks. Sadly, neither of her parents would ever be able to look at those skylines ever again–one was dead, and the other was in a coma.

"I don't want a mate."

Bella nodded her head, listening to Jane.

With the history the older vampire had, it would make sense that she didn't want a mate. She would rather have that hole in her heart for the rest of her life than having a mate, because then she would have to truly confront her past once again. She would have to tell her mate she had her innocence taken away and did a self-abortion to the fetus. She would tell them in time, or at least that was what would have happened if it weren't for Edward being that very mate.

Jane leant over and let her head rest against Bella. Bella reached her own arm up and wrapped it around Jane. She never had a sister when she was growing up, sometimes she wished she had a sibling growing up, but she never wanted to make Charlie feel guilty about not having a child before her. Renee would have been aggravated at it, she hadn't been the best mother after all and having one child to begin with was more than she could handle.

"Your feelings are valid, Jane. Edward needs to learn some patience also. You are mates, remember. Even if you do not have an instant fairytale bond that Alec and I have, that doesn't mean that your bond isn't any less worth it. Besides I am certain you would have hated having the kind of instant fairytale bond that Alec and I have with each other. You deserve to actually go through your feelings, to teach each other in time, and at your own pace," Bella pointed out, making Jane nod her head a little bit as though to let her know she was listening to her and understood.

"Thank you, Bella. Some might consider me Aro's daughter, but you remind me of being Uncle Marcus's daughter," Jane admitted, making Bella seem to wonder why she still had a strange kinship with Marcus, as though maybe once upon a time they were in each other's lives.

"That's because we are related."

Bella and Jane looked up, noting how Marcus came gliding into the music room, his crimson eyes were patient and kind. Bella felt her heart stop when hearing this, never expecting that she would have a relative that was not dead, well not completely, in her life anymore.

"What do you mean?" Bella couldn't help but ask, only for Jane to stand up from where she had been sitting. Bella reached her hand out and grabbed Jane's wrist as though to have her not go anywhere only for Jane to give her an assuring smile.

"This is not for my ears, sister. I will see you later."

Jane kissed Bella on the cheekbone before she wisped out of the music room and disappeared, the doors shutting. Bella turned her attention away from the closed doors and instead focused on Marcus, who motioned her to come to the two drawing chairs that were a few feet away. Chairs that were meant for those who were in an audience to sit and listen to the beautiful music that would resonate around them, or just for musicians in the room that wished to take a break and sit for some time.

"Is it true, Marcus? Are we related?"

Marcus nodded his head, before he reached his hand out and took one of Bella's in his.

"Yes, my dear. We were having an old friend visiting us when they revealed their power to us. Once they touch someone, they can see all your living blood relatives. Your face appeared, my darling, and it made sense. My connection to you made it possible for you to astral project me when you still were in Forks. No one else has been able to do that before nor since."

Bella's mouth fell open as her free hand went up and touched the necklace that belonged to Late Queen Didyme. She was Bella's ancestral aunt or cousin, or even one of her many great-grandmothers. She was a part of Bella's family, and it meant so much to her. She had something of hers that was tangible, despite the fact that Bella would never meet his wife.

"Would…would she?"

"Yes. She would have adored you, Isabella. You remind me so much of our daughter."

Bella's eyes widened at hearing this, not expecting to not only hear that she was related to Marcus but how he had a daughter with his late wife.

He added, "She was a stillborn, but she was the most beautiful girl in the world. Aro had come to me as a vampire not long after and asked me to become one, since he is my brother-in-law, and my wife was his sister."

While Jane could say that Marcus was her uncle, along with Caius, she was technically his adoptive niece. Bella was Jane's adoptive cousin now, though Bella still considered her more of a sister the longer she was in her presence than just a cousin as Bella had just learnt. Aro might end up being Bella's adoptive uncle, and in a way, Alec could be her adoptive cousin too but that didn't bother her at all. They weren't related to each other through blood, so that didn't matter.

"Why did you agree to become a vampire?"

Marcus sighed as his eyes went towards the window directly across from them, the closed off balcony didn't have anything outside it except for multiple plants in pots. They were exotic and from around the world, nothing but the most unique and expensive when it came to the Volturi. Something that Bella was certain once upon a time she would think was excessive but now, as Bella was getting accustomed to her new home, which included adding things like exotic plants into it she couldn't help but be happy she wouldn't be stuck in the same gray slate she had been living in back in Forks and Phoenix.

"After losing our daughter, Didyme couldn't handle the thought of losing either me and her brother anymore. So, she had told me she wanted us to become vampires also. She couldn't imagine being in a world where she couldn't be with those who she loved forever," Marcus explained, his eyes so sad and brilliantly shiny from the venom build up.

"In the end, when it came to the first stages of the war between us and the Romanian Coven…" Marcus's eyes darkened, enough for Bella to know he was being transported back to the very scene he was telling her about in his mind. "Two of their best warrior women managed to infiltrate the coven and went to assassinate the queens. My Didyme sacrificed herself in order for the other two to live. Every morning I light a candle in the cathedral in memory of her."

Tears cascaded down his cheekbones, the steam fizzling off of his marble skin. Bella reached her hand out and put it upon his cheekbone that was closest to her, wiping away the venoms though she bit the corner of her mouth from the natural sting it had. Marcus chuckled softly at the tenderness his descendant had towards him, before he reached into a pocket of his robes and pulled out a white silk handkerchief to wipe away the venom that was now on her hand.

"Perhaps you should wait until after you are turned to be doing things such as this, my girl," Marcus pointed out, Bella blushed but she nodded her head wordlessly.

She had forgotten how painful the venom was, and she couldn't imagine what it would be like for the venom to fall down her face when she was a vampire. It looked painful for vampires also. It was just painful in general, she was certain. There wasn't anything good about vampire venom except for making you immortal. It would end up causing them to eventually loathe being the very creature the venom made them. For by then they would have craved the sweet, sweet arms of death.

"Perhaps you are right. Let's go find the others."

Bella stood up though she was almost jolted out of her skin at the sight of Marcus already standing in front of her, reaching his hand out for her to take. She shot him an aggravated look, enough for him to give her an amused smile. She knew he didn't mean to do it most of the time, as did others, but she was certain some of them did it on purpose because they knew she wouldn't be able to see them move at their natural speed due to being a human.

Marcus made sure to hook her arm around his before they walked out of the music room, the doors shutting behind her. Bella gave one last look at the stunning doors behind her, knowing she would forever have that room molded into her mind as something good in the end. She didn't have to associate it with anything bad.

Unexpected news, yes.

Good, unexpected news.

Obviously the second one was the better outcome.

They had barely gotten to the end of the corridor and were about to go around the corner to the next corridor only for Bella to perk up when she saw Alec coming down the corridor with Felix, and Demetri. She frowned a moment later, her eyes taking in that stupid Haute Culture cloaks all of them wore. She knew seeing them in those stupid robes meant they were going on guard duty, and she would be left alone without them.

Alec reached Bella, his eyes flickering from her to Marcus. Nervousness came over him a moment later, allowing her to know that he had sensed her the change. Marcus smiled and reached his hand out to put on Alec's shoulder. Alec bowed his head down in both shyness but also in respect towards his king and adoptive uncle.

"I informed her of our ties, all of our ties," Marcus informed Alec. Alec brought his head up, his eyes narrowed in weariness.

Bella couldn't help but laugh some before explaining how she had no issues with them being adoptive cousins of each other. She had known the Cullens, once upon a time, but she knew enough they all claimed they were adoptive siblings.

They could still date each other freely and though sometimes they had gotten raised eyebrows at this; it wasn't as though they were actually blood related to each other. So, this wasn't going to be bad for them, mostly because of the fact that they were the Volturi.

Leaning forward, Bella pressed her lips against the side of Alec's cheekbone before mumbling, "I'll see you later, Alec. Don't be too bad to the poor new recruits if we have any."

Alec chuckled and wrapped his arms around her, hugging her to him for a longer moment than a normal person would, before he pulled away. "Can't promise you that."

As the three Head Guards of the Volturi Royal Guard continued down the hallway, and Bella stood next to her newly found family member, she could only hope Jane and Edward would eventually find themselves not only calling each other home but both of them could call Volturi home together.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: we only have 10 chapters left of the fanfiction. :) I hope I was able to pull the Jane/Edward pairing off. Let me know if you think I did. I was very careful writing this chapter when it came to that part. I also never thought about making Marcus her ancestorial family member, but it's perfect. :) I'm very proud of this chapter.

If you are wondering about future stories of mine, please check out my profile. I am currently working on the THREE KINGS TRILOGY (STAND ALONE) along with PETIT PAPILLON. When I am finished with the Eclipse version of 'Petit Papillon' I will be starting to write a fanfiction where Bella moves to Forks as a mortician/funeral director and ends up falling in love with Carlisle and loving his children. It's basically a grown-up version of the Twilight Saga. Most of what happens in the fanfiction happened in the books but some of it doesn't.

anyway, I hope you enjoyed the latest chapter. As always, Twilight doesn't belong to me

-Emmy