Disclaimer:
I own no part of the 'Twilight Universe'. Only the idea to this story. This is strictly for fun.
Author'snote:
I would like to thank everyone who reviewed, enlisted me or wrote me a pm. Your support and understanding mean the world to me!
This chapter is dedicated to all the friends I made here on fan fiction. Love you guys!
Previously:
He started right away, instructed me in historic events, politics, innovations in science, medicine and -of course- the arts.
I had created a monster, an endlessly speaking indoctrinator. On and on it went until we heard two pairs of feet coming closer to our quarters.
Chapter 33 (Marcus' pov)
Marcus, pretend to sleep. Lean back in your chair and take on a more relaxed pose; don't forget to breath in and out slowly and steadily. We don't want the nurse to become suspicious," ordered Aro and slumped himself.
"This is ridiculous!" I hissed back at him, but copied his actions, slumping in the chair and leaning my head to one side. It was not the first time we were required to adapt human mannerisms, but it certainly had been centuries since I last did so.
Not a minute later a muted, soft knock sounded from the door. Due to our role, we didn't answer.
Yet another moment later, Santiago's voice declared in a faux whisper, "The Masters must have fallen asleep, I will wait outside." The nurse's heart rate doubled as she opened the door as silent as humanly possible. She tiptoed closer, her harsh breathing clearly audible. Aro snickered inaudibly. I heard the scraping of a pen on paper, plastic being broken and lastly the rustling of fabric and steps going here and there I was tempted to risk a glance. What was this woman doing?
A minute later, she moved closer to me and to my surprise, a soft blanket was placed over my slumped form. Aro's snickering became louder, but then stopped suddenly. I had to look. Now was my turn to voice my amusement. The nurse was leaning over a mock-sleeping Aro, tucking him in snugly, while he let her continue. It was hilarious, a sight before the gods.
The footsteps retreated back to the door then, Santiago just barely kept his countenance, and the door closed.
The uneven pair of footsteps retreated from our private quarters.
At the same time, Aro burst out laughing. Rarely did he laugh so honestly.
"And, brother, are you warmer yet?" he mocked. Instantly I loosened the duvet around me.
He sat back up straight in his chair.
"Ah, what a steady source of merriment humans can be. They will always be entertaining to me, no matter how long I shall exist.
"Rarely was I so amused. I'll have you know, she was seriously concerned for our health, brother. We are too pale and look too sick ourselves to sit watch throughout the night at Isabella's bed. Then again she was deeply moved by such care. To cut to the case, she found Isabella's vitals to be satisfactory, all things considered. The fever even went down some," he concluded.
Now that was news I welcomed.
"She will return later, when your mate has awoken, to help her with anything she might need and to administer new medication. She is a dear one, that one; very obliging." Aro stated contentedly.
I was content, too.
Over night the bond that bound him to her had morphed into a familial, brotherly one on his part. If he thought the staff was good enough for his little sister, then it would be good enough for my mate. Because for family only the best would suffice. Briefly, I wondered what thoughts might have prompted his bond to grow so rapidly, but decided that it didn't matter.
Now I simply wanted to lean back and sort through all the information I had been given, to put it into perspective. It was astounding how much had happened, how much had been discovered; much more then ever before in the same amount of years. The number of discoveries had risen exponentially. It would take me longer than expected to be up to date.
I closed my eyes and began to shift through every bit of information I had been given, trying to file it away into already existing categories to make later access easier.
I heard as my brother rose from his seat, and interrupted my musings.
In this moment the first rays of the spring sun broke through the cover of clouds and warmed my face. It gave hope and comfort. I could do this, I would emerge on top of things.
"Ah, I see. You are not yet prepared to face the hardships of this fine new day yet, and prefer to 'sleep in'", he observed.
"Not at all, brother. I merely meant to wait here for the hardships to come and find me, as Isabella put it so nicely. The red head will come either way, whether I sit here, as I do now, or in the throne room. But forgive me, I'd much rather wait for the trouble here," I answered.
"Yes, yes, of course. If I had the option to choose between sitting in the throne room without my Sulpicia, and sitting with my dear wife somewhere else... well it's obvious which I would prefer." He smiled benignly down at Isabella, and lay a hand softy on her forehead. "Still much warmer, then what is normal, but cooler than yesterday," he commented.
"Very well, I shall take my leave now. Some things still need to be taken care of," he said.
"I will see that Isabella's breakfast is ready for when she awakes. It shouldn't be long now." After a moment of hesitation, during which he seemed to be engaged in an internal dispute, he leaned down and placed a soft kiss on her forehead. "Get well soon, Cara, we have waited so long for you," he whispered to her.
"I shall see you both later, brother. Felix is standing guard; just call, if you need something. I will keep you informed.
He straightened out invisible kinks in his suit and with a couple of swift strides he had left the room.
I sat, again, watching my mate, waiting for a quickening in her breathing, the rise of her heart rate, any tell- tale sign that she was waking up. She didn't move, so I shut my eyes again and leaned back in the chair, luxuriating in the warming rays of the sun. With perfect clarity I recalled the moments I had spent with Isabella so far. I was as close to dreaming as I could possibly get.
We had already come a long way in a short period of time, yet things didn't progress nearly fast enough for me. I hated to call myself out on a weakness, but I was being impatient. A Thousand years, and I had thought I had learned my lesson in patience.
Finally, she started to rouse from her sleep.
When she began to move, I opened my eyes again, and was surprised to find her looking at me.
Automatically a wide smile formed on my lips.
"Good morning, Isabella," I crooned softly. She looked to be half asleep still, disoriented.
"Mhmm", she garbled in reply, all glassy eyed. Her poor health visible for the world to see. The expected blush made a delayed appearance, and was less noticeable, as her cheeks were already flushed with fewer.
She raised a shaky hand and removed the mask. Her face portrayed her dislike clearly.
When she had finally succeeded to disentangle her hair from the elastic of the piece of plastic, she smiled shyly back at me and murmured in a voice that was hoarse from lack of use and sleep, " ' morning, Marcus." She seemed to fight heavy lids.
"Ugh, what did the doc give me? I can barely keep my eyes open," her exasperation colored her weak voice.
"We can ask him later. Did you sleep well though? You didn't move once, you were as still as a stone." I told her.
"Mhm. I don't remember dreaming either. I'm okay, just a little stiff now." came her slow explanation. I was relieved. She had needed a good night's rest. If possible, I would ensure she take this medication again.
"I am glad to hear that. And how do you feel today? I mean, are you in any pain?" I prompted her further.
"Na, I'm f-" I looked sharply at her. I wanted the truth and not a set phrase. Despite her sickness she caught on rather quickly.
"Okay. I feel awful. My head hurts, my eyes burn, my stomach is funny, I'm hot and everything is sticky; plus I'm sure I stink. Happy now?" She told me and tried to cross her arms, but stopped, when all the cables got in her way; like a sullen child. Just now her young age had shown.
"No. I am not at all happy, Bella. How could I be? You are dear to me, to us, and I cannot be happy when I know that you are unwell. But", and I put some emphasis on the last word, "Now that I know what is wrong, we can take action and try to eliminate some of these troubles," I calmly explained to her, and I could see the defiance leave her posture.
The next words were carefully chosen,"We want to help you take better care of your self. You are an independent, intelligent, brave, young, modern woman. Your self-concept may vary from what I told you, but rest assured, I speak the truth and hopefully you will see your own value one day soon."
"Sorry," she said and her voice didn't break, but hot tears had sprung to her puffy eyes and were now flowing down her cheeks. She had been right, I recalled fondly, she was emotional when sick. Slowly I reached out and wiped away the leaking fluid. She felt burning hot to my cold hands, and I was warmer than usual, because of the higher room temperature. In reaction she leaned closer and pressed her forehead against the palm of my hand.
"Thank you," she whispered in my hand.
"No need to thank me, Bella, I tell as I see. I promise to always tell you the truth. I will not lie to you, or omit facts to sway your opinion in one way or another. Some things I cannot tell, but we have formed an agreement on this account," I looked at her meaningfully. She nodded.
"Now, to make you feel more comfortable, I will call for the nurse. She can help you with your morning routine, to freshen up and to change your attire, though I'll have you know, you certainly don't stink. Furthermore I'll order a light breakfast, and some tea to go along. You will accept the help with grace and your inherent friendliness. This woman and her uncle are here for the sole reason to help you get better. It is only right if they do the work they are here for."
"Seeing as you still have a high fever, don't feel well and have the occasional extra-systole, Aro and I agree that you ought to stay in bed for now. I will go and consult with my brother and your physician while you take your time and get ready for the day."
She had gained some clarity in her eyes, and looked more lucid now. She propped herself into an upright position and went to fold her legs under when her movements abruptly ceased. She paled and cautiously lifted her duvet a little to risk a glance. A moment later she blushed profoundly.
"Erm, yes, sounds great. I think I'll need the help. I should be fine, I don't want to keep you from meeting with Aro or anything. You can just go, I'll be fine," she squealed and didn't meet my eyes. She was all flustered.
"Are you sure? I'll gladly wait here with you until the nurse arrives. Are you quite well?" Something was definitely up.
"Yes, I'm sure," she retorted shortly. It was clear she wanted me out the room, but the reason evaded me.
"Alright. Felix is on guard outside, the nurse will come to you immediately. I'll see you later then, Bella. Do not over exert yourself," She nodded, still flushed.
Distractedly I left our quarters. When Felix greeted me and lifted his eyebrow in question and threw a quick glance in the direction I had come from, it was clear he had noticed the difference in Isabella's composure, too.
"I really don't know. Stay close and guard her. You know we are expecting the redhead today. Try not to listen. She certainly prefers her privacy right now," I ordered sternly.
"If anything happens, call for me."
"Yes, Master. Certainly," the trusted guard replied and straightened up to his full height.
He had a few centimeters on me and was broader, more muscled-a good, experienced fighter. I had chosen him well as the assigned guard for my Bella.
My brother's trail lead me to the throne room; no surprise there.
Caius was present, too, much to my delight.
"Master," Afton acknowledged, as he opened one wing of the double doors, that made up the grand entrance to the throne room, for me. I simply nodded in response.
"Aro, Caius," I greeted my brothers.
Swiftly I approached the eldest of us three and took his hand. I wanted his opinion on Isabella's sudden change of heart, just mere moments ago.
When we had finished our silent conversation, we parted. "What say you, Aro?" I voiced while I sat on my assigned throne.
"Unusual indeed. She was clearly embarrassed by something. The only assumption I can come up with is that it must be a problem a female might understand better. If you would like, I could ask Sulpicia whether she'd visit with her and see what the problem might be. I am sure she'd gladly do so. I will go and speak to her about it myself right away. I'll be right back," the last part was spoken back to me over his shoulder, as he was almost already out the door. He had once again known how to use a situation to his design, and had left me alone with Caius.
Unlike the silence that arose between Bella and me occasionally, the one that now stretched between my fair haired brother and me was tense, and at least on my part, hostile.
It lasted a little longer, before Caius unnecessarily cleared his throat and actually found the courage to talk with me.
"Marcus, " he addressed me. I nodded. He sighed.
"I find you well, I assume?" he asked formally. This was a clear sign he didn't know how to deal with a situation, he gained security by staying close to protocol.
"Indeed," I retorted.
"I hope Isabella is doing better this morning?" he tried again.
"Her fever has gone down a little, but she is still very weak," I informed him calmly.
"Good."
Silence again.
"How did she sleep?" he picked up a few moments later.
"She had no nightmares, slept deep and long," I answered, still not looking at him. I wouldn't let him of the hook so easily. He would apologize, and properly, otherwise I wouldn't drop my passive aggressive stance.
He sighed and slouched in his seat, an action he would never display, were others present at time.
"Marcus, brother," he said seriously. Now he had my attention. His tough façade was crumbling and before me was the ancient leader, who I respected and usually got along with well. I turned to face him.
"The behavior I displayed towards Isabella, your mate, was atrocious and inexcusable. I honestly apologize for that. I mean the girl no harm, she is to become my sister, and from now on I will treat her as such. Will you please pass along my exculpation to the lady, as I am not allowed to do so in person?" he concluded his mini speech.
He truly meant it. He didn't like the fact that he had to say it out loud, but it was an honest apology, and the last part was added merely as a fact, not as a snide comment.
"You could always write a note. I would gladly hand it to her, when I go to call on her later," I offered dryly.
"Careful now, don't push too hard," he warned.
I couldn't resist and tugged on, "Why, I am sure it would mean a lot to her, if she had it in written form, black on white."
A low angry growl escaped him and he glowered at me. "I warn you, Marcus! I swear, in a prior life you were a woman, you surely know how to play their games!"
"It is good to know you think so highly of my sex, my dear. Is it such a bad thing, to be a woman?" Athenodora, who had entered at exactly the most unfortunate-at least for Caius- moment, exclaimed with a definite edge to her tone. She was not amused. Good thing I had had no time to reply as I had planned.
"Mi Stella, no, of course not. I merely meant to say..." Caius attempted to back pedal, but Athenodora cut him off.
"I don't want to hear your half hearted attempts to sooth me. Save your breath. I know what I heard," she bit back.
"Anyways, we'll talk about this later. Marcus, I am so glad you are finally back on speaking terms with Caius. It grieved me so." She came over to me and I stood, returning her hug, while I smiled broadly, childishly at Caius, who simply scowled.
"Aro will be with us in a moment. He just received news from Lydia," she informed us. I was on high alert instantly.
Before I could ask for more details, the door opened and he swept in.
"Afton, call everyone in the castle, without a designated watch, to a meeting," he commanded.
Within a minute all spare members were assembled before us.
"Ladies, Gentlemen. You all know about the importance of Miss Swan's safety, and the looming threat. We have just had news from our outpost, Lydia. Victoria, the red headed female, is on her way here. We will proceed according to the original plan. Marcus will join his intended mate in their quarters. Sulpicia will stay with them, as will Gianna. Felix and Renata will guard the entrance to the private wing, while Jane and Afton watch the balcony from the street level. Renata, you will stay in the adjoining study. We wouldn't want to overwhelm Miss Swan with the presence of so many.
The rest of you will patrol the city. Be mindful of the sun. Demitri, Chelsea and Corin, your part in this is of particular importance. You need to find her first and bind her to us in any way you can, as soon as you can. Remember, she is most likely very wary and easy to betake herself to flight.
Prevent this at any cost. Take her here. Alec, Jane, if one of you would incapacitate the woman as soon as she enters the premises of the castle, that would be very appreciated. In any case, make sure she is brought here directly. Caius, Athenodora, and I shall be waiting for her. We would be so disappointed if she got away." my brother briefed them.
When he didn't pick up again, I took over, "Corin, as soon as she is inside this room, you come and get me and Sulpicia. Santiago, you will ensure the safety of the doctor and the nurse," the younger guard member was obviously disappointed with his task, but I was positive he would follow the plan.
When the family has convened here, we will hold court. You are invited to witness the dealings. Remember that my mate's security has the highest priority. Due to her human state and her illness, she is absolutely defenseless; a sitting duck. Felix, Renata, when I leave her side to join my brothers and sisters, you both will be responsible for her life and well-being. Should Miss Swan sustain any harm, during my absence, I will hold both of you responsible for it. Is everything clear?"
"Yes, Master," the guards answered as one.
"Leave then!" I barked out.
When everyone had cleared out, I was tense and pacing. Surprisingly, so was Caius.
End note: Love? Hate? Let me know, leave a review.
A huge "Thank you" to 'DerFlash'! He invested quite some time to fight my redundant commas, and other pests that I cultivate. This chapter is so much better all thanks to him.