AN: Hello, readers. I am back. Sorry for the delay in updating again. I know I promised to do better, but I had a serious case of writer's block for this story with a major boost in creativity for my novel, which is going well thankfully. Just know I haven't forgotten about you all or the story. This may be a short chapter compared to some, but I couldn't go on leaving you guys hanging. Having said that, get ready for the next chapter of A Better Forever.
Chapter 6
Bella POV:
Much to the delight of everyone who had a part in planning that grand event, the christening flowed into the reception without any incidents. Aurora had handled everything very well. She even loved meeting Garrett and the rest of the Denalis. Garrett eventually handed Aurora back to me, but not without telling his new best friend goodbye.
The next people to approach us were the ones everyone had been dreading. I could see all of our family members and close friends tense up and move a little closer, and I placed my shield over all of us. The only one that kept his distance and yet looked like he was ready to go to war was Seth. He stayed by the door and I could see he was trying to control his tremors.
"Ah, Bella, Edward," Aro began as he walked toward us with Marcus, Cias, Felix, Dimitri, Jane, Alec, and two other guards following him, "what a happy occasion to be celebrating. Your daughters are so very beautiful. Congratulations on the new princess as well as the other new additions to the Cullen Coven."
"Thank you, Aro. We are very lucky to have been able to extend our family, and we are very thankful you were able to attend this joyous event," Edward said with great formality, but I could tell it took a lot for him to even pretend to be polite to the people who almost stole our entire life away from us. I could also tell that Aro sensed the strain as well.
"We wouldn't miss this wonderful celebration for anything. It pleases us all greatly to be able to visit such close friends of ours under such happy circumstances." I didn't have to have Jasper's powers to see that Aro was worried for his life. More than power, he was all about self preservation.
Finding it in me to speak I decided to introduce Aurora to them. "Yes, thankfully there aren't any misunderstandings between us, Aro. Edward and I would like to introduce you to our daughter, the princess Aurora." I turned my body to display Aurora while still keeping her safely between Edward and me.
"Her highness is an absolute beauty," Marcus said speaking for the first time. "I wish your entire family well, and have only the best wishes for the princess. I believe she'll make a fine queen someday." I smiled at Marcus because, out of the three leaders of the Volturi, he seemed to be the only one to have a head on his shoulders and I could tell he was sincere.
"Yes, how lucky you Cullens are to have gained royal status thanks to your babe." And then there was the stupidest one of the three, Cias.
I turned my head towards him with what I'm sure was a death glare, but being the imbecile that he was he kept the look of disgust directed at my daughter.
One of our guards, Max, stepped forward then. "Sir Cias, if you cannot keep your ill thoughts to yourself and cease voicing your vile opinions, you will be asked to leave court immediately."
Cias turned his head to glance at Jane and I saw her eyes focus in on my daughter.
I felt the pinpricks at my shield around my daughter and I glare at Jane. A protective growl escaped Edward and he positioned himself between Aurora and Jane. It was all I could manage to say through my gritted teeth, "Max, please escort Jane, Cias, and Alec to the portals. I think it is time they leave."
"My pleasure, Lady Bella," Max said with a smile as he motioned for more guards to come forward to lead them away from court.
"I think it's best if we all leave. We've overstayed our welcome. Please forgive my brother and his guards. If there is anything we can do for the princess and the rest of your family, please don't hesitate to ask," Marcus said with a bow before he turned to leave.
I nodded a goodbye to Marcus and snuggled Aurora a little closer to me. "She didn't feel anything, did she?"
Edward turns to look at Aurora and shakes his head. "You protected her, but she could sense something was wrong."
It must have been clear that we all needed a minute or two because the introductions ceased. No one approached us for ten minutes, and the only one to do so after that time was Jacob. It was obvious by the fresh woodsy smell on him and the way he looked like he'd gotten dressed in a rush that he had just phased. "Where have you been?"
He ran a hand through his hair and sighed before he answered. "I had to phase and put an Alpha order on Seth. He would've started a war as soon as the Voluri were in his sights if I hadn't. I hated to do it but no one could control him." He looked thoughtful for a second before he shook his head and sighed again.
"It is strange," Edward said and I assumed he was commenting on Jacob's thoughts.
I looked at him in exasperation and asked simply, "What did I miss?"
Edward smiled slightly and explained, "Jacob was just thinking that Seth's reaction was like one of a wolf whose imprint had been threatened. It's strange because Seth hasn't imprinted on Aurora, but his thoughts when Jacob phased also matched the protectiveness of a wolf over his imprint."
"So Seth reacted like he would've if Aurora was his imprint, but she's not?" Nessie looked up at Edward looking for confirmation that she had put the pieces together correctly.
"Yes," Edward answers.
"Well, I say we don't worry about it, not until we have to at least," I said adjusting Aurora in my arms. "Getting food in this baby's belly, on the other hand, is something we need to worry about at this very moment."
I had thought that being a vampire had eliminated the possibility of anyone taking me by surprise, but obviously I was wrong because I looked over my shoulder and there stood Alice looking quite annoyed with a bottle in her hand. "You should really learn to stay aware of your surroundings."
"Thank you, Alice, I owe you. You are the greatest sister-in-law in the world and one day you may make the greatest mom in the world," I said with a huge smile as I took the bottle from her. Her eyes narrowed at the suggestion of becoming a mom because, somehow, we—along with Jasper—had been able to keep the fact that I had cast the fertility spell on Alice months ago a secret from everyone.
"Maybe," she said and walked away. I laughed and watched her retreat as I gave Aurora her bottle. Something told me that there would be a surprise soon.
Aurora Two Months Old
Bella POV:
I'll be the first to admit, compared to Nessie's first two months, Aurora's were quite uneventful, but that didn't mean we weren't excited about every new development.
Like with Nessie and Rose's children, Alice and Esme had been making sure that Aurora had her proper outfit for every occasion and had plenty of pictures for her baby book, but then things started to change. The further into Aurora's second month we found ourselves, the less Alice seemed up to all the ensemble changes.
Weird I know, but that wasn't the only strange things happening with Alice. She had also taken to hunting more and seemed to be attracted to the smell of human food. The more I look back the more I realize this had been going on since about a month before Aurora was born.
You'd think we'd have noticed by then, but when Alice wants something hidden, she makes sure it stays hidden.
That's how we all ended up here at the big house because Alice said she had news to share, and the entire time Rose and I shared knowing looks. We'd had both guessed the good news before Alice even shared it.
Alice was pregnant, and she was having a boy. This of course sent us all into congratulations and best wishes for the mommy-to-be. "How were you able to keep it a secret so long," Rose asked while the women were all gathered around the five month pregnant Alice.
"Baggy clothes and very skilled thinking," she answered with a laugh. I looked down at the huge baby bump that she proudly showed sticking out from her pixie frame. Seriously, how had we all missed it? "Plus it helped to have a new addition taking the attention away. Not that I minded of course. It was her time to shine."
"But even when you went baby shopping with Edward, how did you and Jasper keep it from him," Rose asked reminding me of the night that Aurora was born.
"Okay it wasn't all baggy clothes and skilled thinking, but it took skilled thinking to come up with the idea. Thankfully, Amelia is a fan of surprises and agreed to help me shield the thoughts of the baby and the symptoms from everyone until I was ready for everyone to know."
I could see the amazing happiness in her eyes as her hand rubbed circles around her belly. "Well, at least he'll have someone close to his age to play with. Luckily for Izzy and Brandon, they got a built in playmate."
"I'm sure they'll all be able to play together. After all it's only about a year and a half between the twins and Aurora, and it'll be about five to six months between Aurora and Jackson," Alice was quick to inform me.
"You've already named him," Rose asked with a laugh.
"Yes, I didn't want to end up like Bella and Edward and not have a name ready. Anyways, as I was saying, they all have plenty of time to play together, and I'm sure they'll all form some crazy bond and get into a lot of trouble together."
"Yeah, I'm sure they will. That's the only thing I hate about Nessie growing up so fast, besides her leaving too soon. She'll never get to form a crazy bond with Aurora or any other child that may come along. She's only four years older than Aurora and yet there's already a greater difference between them than that. It won't be long before she's ready to leave and live her own life, and Aurora will have gotten such a short time with her." I looked over to the bassinet that Esme had put in the living room for Aurora and sighed.
"It's sad, I'm sure they could stir up a whole lot of trouble together," Alice said with a hint of sadness in her voice as well. "The two daughters of Bella Swan. We'd need a miracle to survive their trouble."
I laughed at her joke and smiled. "Okay enough sad thoughts, we should be celebrating the new baby to come. So what would the mother-to-be like to do?"
"Well, I would enjoy some apple pie and ice cream. It's been all I've craved." Alice laughed and then the room filled with the big swish that signaled a portal had been opened.
I looked behind me to find Amelia standing in the room looking worried. "Hello, Amelia. Is everything okay?"
"I need to speak to you and Edward immediately." The worry in her eyes told me she had news that she didn't want to share, but knew that she must.
As if he'd been summoned, Edward came through the back door. "Amelia, how did it happen?"
"How did what happen," I demanded standing and looking between Amelia and my husband.
"Aurora's oracle has been taken," Edward told me as he started pacing.
"Well, it's terrible and we will find it, but does Aurora really need an oracle? I mean she already has an aunt that can see the future." I was trying hard to understand why this was a lot more terrible than, in my mind, it should've been.
"Yes, she has Alice, but in this world an oracle does a lot more than see the future," Amelia started to explain. "A princess's slash queen's oracle is a being chosen for her at birth to be her guide. It's like an adviser, only a lot more powerful than any other advisor. It's her connection with the past, present, and future.
"The oracle comes with all the information of the world, from the very first of anything to everything that will be. Alice can see only the path that someone is on at that moment, and if they change, her visions change. An oracle can see the path that will ultimately be chosen, and they're only meant for the queens. If they are in the wrong hands, it can be disastrous."
I tried to let her words sink in, but I still couldn't wrap my mind around how the oracle could've been taken.
"Do you have any idea who could've taken him or her," Alice asked.
"An oracle isn't a person, more of an orb with magical knowledge, and I have my theory," Amelia answered and a growl of rage erupted from Edward.
I didn't have to ask who she thought did it. "How did they find it?"
"We don't know. We think they had someone within the palace helping them. We're looking for the culprit now, but no one's been found to have helped them, yet. The real task at hand has to be finding that oracle. If they have it, they can find ways to harm Aurora and anyone else they wish to without us being able to stop them."
I looked into Amelia's fearful gaze and then to my husband. "They've already found a way to cover their tracks." As I said the words I felt the weight of them. As long as the Volturi had that oracle, everyone was in danger.
AN: Alright lovelies, there was chapter six. Thanks again to all of you have followed and added this story to your favorites. Huge thanks to all of you who have reviewed. Time in this story will most likely be moving a little bit faster at maybe two chapters at most a year, unless there is a major storyline to be played out over many chapters, so that I can get to my major plot points, one of which has been opened in the end of this chapter. Actually many plot points have been opened in this chapter, but one is closer than the others. I have really great ideas for the progression of this story and I'm sure you will all love them. Now I leave you with thoughts of what the Volturi are planning, why did Seth react so strongly to the threat against Aurora, and how much trouble will the four new additions to the Cullens cause as they grow up. Until next time… SuperBat5795