Disclaimer: 'No' on so many levels. Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer; The Little Mermaid belongs to both Disney and Hans Christian Anderson; "The Sound of the Sea" (Edward and Bella's song) belongs to Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.
Author's Note: I admit, I'm a little terrified. It's been so long since I've written a chapter-fic… I'm not sure I have it in me anymore. Please be patient with me as I try!
Speaking of, I should probably get it out there now— this fic will be 4 sections long: 1 prologue and 3 chapters. Just so you know. (…and now you do.)
Warnings: Dark. Flashbacks and back-story (as shown by italics). One-sided JacobxBella (Ugh. I hate myself a little right now.) Tentacle rape! (Nah, just kidding about that last one. Sorry.)
XXX
ELEGIAC
Day One: Past
XXX
Blackness.
Thick and deep and silent, and the only thing Bella knew. Briefly she wondered if she was still trapped in the depths of the sea witch's lair, but no—this darkness was more solid, somehow. Solid, yet freer. As if she'd been locked in a dream…
Oh, she thought, blinking rapidly. It didn't remove the clouds from her eyes, but it made her feel better to move. As it was, she was merely floating, floating, floating…Perhaps this is a dream.
The gloom turned white.
And then there was neither darkness nor light, but a calm, deep blue. It was everywhere, above and below, and Bella knew in an instant that she was home. Unfortunately, that realization only left her with more questions: how did she get back here? What had happened? Why was she… why was she swimming so fast? Struggling to remember the chain of events that had brought her to this point, Bella slowed. It all very odd— she'd had a purpose when she'd begun. What was going on?
Fuzzily, the mermaid lifted a hand to scratch her temple, cocking her head in deep concentration. But as the movement jostled her face, she felt something cool and slippery slide down her chin. Her eyes widened in surprise as an opalescent bead drifted downward, landing in her open palm.
A pearl.
And then there was another, and another, and another.
She was… crying? Why was she crying?
Bewildered, Bella made a valiant effort to stop the milky flow from her eyes, but the more she tried the more futile the attempt seemed. This made no sense, why was she—?
Wait.
This seemed… familiar, somehow. As if she were suffering déjà vu.
I am… I am beautiful, she heard herself whisper, the words falling from her mouth as if of their own accord. I am not a… a monster…
But her quiet insistence only made the pearls form faster.
I am not a monster! Bella said more adamantly, the declaration growing in pitch and fury as her tail pumped faster, pushing her forward at breakneck speeds. Schools of multicolored fish dashed unnoticed past her blurred eyes; she remained ignorant of the dolphin pod playing in her peripheral vision, of the rainbow coral below her... But her stomach rolled in disgust as rays of sunlight caught on her scales, making them shimmer. I am not a monster…!
"Of course you aren't."
Her heart nearly stopped.
All but skidding to a halt, Bella whirled in a horrified circle, fruitlessly searching for the voice that had startled her. Who's there? she cried, pushing her clouds of billowing mahogany hair away from her face. All around her grew plumes of seaweed and pocketed statues of stone; there were too many hiding places to search subtly… And the voice seemed to come from everywhere. Who's there?! Bella repeated, hands clenched above her chest.
"Only a comrade who wishes to see you smile," the voice sang, apparently unaware of Bella's evident fear. "What saddens you so, little mermaid?"
I… I don't like that I don't know who I'm talking to, Bella hesitated, backing slowly away from… well, she didn't know what. Come out if you wish to speak to me.
A little sigh.
"I would, my friend, but I'm afraid your beauty makes me self-conscious," the unseen speaker lamented, sounding extraordinarily put-out. "I'd much rather stay here, where you cannot look upon me."
Yeah. Sure. Snorting disdainfully, Bella curled her bottom lip in distaste. Please don't lie to me. I know that I'm a monster, she muttered, toying with the fins that blossomed from her hips.
"You?" the orator gasped, genuine disbelief in her voice. "Whatever gave you that idea?"
I… The mermaid faltered, then quickly shook her head— as if trying to dislodge and erase the thoughts from it. It doesn't matter. I am what I am, and nothing will ever change that.
"That's not true."
The voice spoke with such certainty, such confidence, that it made Bella pause; her forehead bunched in curiosity that she could not mask.
What makes you so sure? she asked, torn between exasperation and interest.
"Because I, sweet child, can see the future… and I know what could be."
Bella glowered. That's impossible.
"Says who?"
Mortals, for one.
"Don't mortals also call mermaids impossible?"
The girl paused, her heart fluttering. W—well…
"My friend, you are not a monster," the invisible speaker purred, soft and sweet and so insistent that Bella felt herself wavering. While she still wanted to find her concealed companion, this desire now stemmed from the mermaid's wish to speak more intimately with her, rather than know which direction to run. "In fact, I don't even believe you're a mermaid. When I look at you, I see something… more. I see a human."
Bella's breath left her in a rush, her eyes wide and full of distant longing. R—really…? she gasped… but even as enthusiasm struck her, she felt her dreams drain away, replaced by reality. But… oh, what does it matter? No matter what you see, I'll still never—
"There is a way," the invisible lecturer interrupted, fervor increasing the timbre of her tone. "There is always a way, if you know where and how to look."
It seemed too good to be true.
Bella's voice, already breathless from tears, trembled in her throat. Then how…?
"My dear," the faceless woman cooed, her words saccharine, warm, and affectionate. "Have you ever heard of the sea witch…?"
X
"Bella…?"
That's strange. How does the invisible voice know who I am? Bella thought with a scowl, brow pinching in mystification. …wait. This voice… it's different, somehow. Clearer. Closer.
Bemused by this discovery and wishing to investigate, the mermaid tried to answer, to move toward the lilting sound, but was stopped by the heavy disjointedness of her body; it felt as if gravity was suddenly pulling much harder. Huh? What is this…? Why won't my tail budge?
"Bella…"
As her name was called a second time, the warm blue that had been cradling her faded back into black; after another moment, it turned brilliantly white. A beat later—as if to enhance Bella's bewilderment—the vibrancy faded into a hazy glow, as if the main source of this colorless light lay just beyond her eyelids.
Speaking of… With a groan, Bella finally realized how abnormally warm her front felt. Warm and pink and dry… Reminiscent of the hot summer days she used to spend floating on the surface waves, drinking in the sun. It was a nice, nostalgic feeling, but still somewhat disturbing: hadn't she been deep underwater only minutes ago? And why did her back feel as if it were being rubbed raw— like she was lying on top of something gritty and hard?
Only one way to find out…
Slowly, as if it pained her to do so, Bella gingerly pealed open her thick, salt-encrusted lashes… and immediately hissed, snapping them back shut.
Where am I…?
Someplace bright, that was all she knew. With a dazed toss of her head, Bella lifted a hand to shield her eyes, cautiously squinting in all directions. At first it was difficult to focus her gaze—all of the brightness made her vision black—, but gradually her sight returned: she was able to see just beyond her sheets of hair… then past the endless plains of pebble and sand… then to the steep white cliffs to the north. When she allowed her eyes to drift heavenward, she rediscovered a great blue sky that was almost as wide and deep as her ocean home; in its azure depths, a seagull cried. No, there was no longer any doubt in Bella's mind—she was not drifting through oblivion anymore, nor was she dreaming. Rather, she was squinting against the glare of the sun on the sea, her body a tangled heap on the rocky shore.
"Bella. Are you awake?"
Oh yes. Someone was calling her. Curious— and wishing to finally see the face behind the voice—Bella pushed herself onto her elbows, conscious of a lingering pain in her ta—
Her stomach dropped.
Where is my tail?! she tried to scream… but nothing came from her throat at all. Not a gasp, not a squeak. Her hands flew to her throat, visible signs of her incomprehension. Yet that bafflement was not enough to mask the happiness shining in her eyes.
She had no tail. No gills. Where there had once been scales were now smooth planes of flesh: an abdomen, hips, thighs, feet. Fins no longer jutted from her sides; her fingers were free of their sheer webbing. And the parts of her that had always been humanoid had been enhanced: her breasts were fuller, rounder, and free of their seaweed bindings. Her lips, too, were larger, softer, and a color all their own. Her skin was no longer clammy and white: she was still pale, but in a more attractive, alabaster sort of way. Like a porcelain doll.
Like the sea witch.
At the thought of the sea witch, a wave of memories came rushing back—like the ebb and flow of the tide. That's right, Bella gawked, idly massaging her throat. As she did so, she distantly noticed that something had been tied around her neck—a necklace, she supposed—but she was too stunned to pay it any heed. Yes, that's right. I went to see the sea witch. But… wait, why did I go there? I wanted to be human, but…
"Bella? Are you feeling alright?"
That voice. With a jolt, Bella whipped her head to the left, impulsively scrambling in the opposite direction. Once reason had overcome instinct, she was mildly surprised and faintly pleased by the three inches of distance she'd been able to put between herself and the unknown speaker… seeing as how she couldn't make her feet work properly. Wait. I've heard that voice before. But where? I feel like I've just forgotten something important, something right on the tip of my tong— oh my…
As her gaze fell upon the stranger, all other thoughts disappeared.
Beside her, draped nonchalantly over a gigantic sun-bathed bolder, was the most beautiful human girl Bella had ever seen. Petite and perfectly proportioned, her ruffled black hair and wide, ebony eyes contrasted wonderfully with her pallid complexion and rosy cheeks. A gorgeous gown of teal silk had been draped expertly upon her person, threaded and belted with thin ropes of gold. She offered the stunned Bella a blithe smile, her flawless white teeth glittering in the light of dawn.
"Bella. Now, don't you look lovely?" she sang, almost alarmingly winsome. With a grace that Bella had never seen before, the girl rose to her feet, leapt from her perch, and walked comfortably barefoot over the rock-encrusted coast. She paused when she reached her silent comrade, practically looming over her… then sunk to her knees, entirely serene. "I told you I saw a human inside of you."
The finless mermaid blinked blandly; the mysterious young woman beamed. "…though I don't suppose you remember that conversation anymore, do you, my dear?" she chuckled, as if she found entertainment in her companion's ignorance.
Bella chose to ignore than rather baffling question in light of more pressing matters.
Who are you? Though the words remained unheard—lacking even the sound of air passing over her lips— Bella had been unable to resist forming them, scooting another half an inch away from the gorgeous stranger. And where are we? Why am I here? I'm having a hard time remembering… I mean, I know I went to the sea witch, and I know I wanted to be human but—
Her mouth froze mid-vowel when an ice-cold finger gently brushed her lips, the gesture accompanied by a melodious giggle.
"Slow down, child," the girl soothed, shaking her head in amusement. "I can read lips, but not that well. Now, let me see…"
Settling back on her haunches, she ripped off one layer of translucent blue-green taffeta and wrapped it around Bella's shoulders. It didn't really help conceal her body at all, but it lessened the chill of the sea's occasional breezes. "My name, first and foremost, is Alice. I was sent by Edward to keep an eye on you… at least, until he can be here himself."
The attractive young woman—the enigmatic Alice— paused upon seeing the puzzled glitter in Bella's wide chocolate eyes. "Who is Edward?" she vocalized, tilting her head in an endearing sort of way, fingertips pressed lightly to the side of her face. "Why, he's the sea witch, of course. Even he has a name, silly girl. And anyway, as for where we are, well… I can only presume we're somewhere near your love. You'd need to give me the details, but as you can no longer speak and your memory, I'm sure, is just the slightest bit… fuzzy… at the given time, I suppose we'll just have to work this out together, shall we? Oh, don't fret," she soothed, patting Bella's knee in a genial sort of way, undeterred by the terror she saw in the girl's drained face. "We have three whole days to do so—a virtual eternity."
Love? The word rolled around oddly in Bella's mind, familiar in that gnawing, irritating sort of way— an itch in the back of her brain. Oh yes. Yes, there was a reason I wanted to be human. I wanted to show him that we… that I wasn't a monster. His was called…
"Jacob?" Alice chirped, reading the name off of Bella's lips. "Wonderful. We have ourselves a starting place. See, dear? This won't be too terribly tricky—not at all. Why, you'll be celebrating true love's kiss in less than 72 short hours. And then you'll be mortal until your dying breath! Ah—hear that? That would be Jasper coming to pick us up!"
In the distance—over Alice's perpetual perky chatter—came the faint click-clacking of horses' hooves: a sound both sharp and reverberant as it echoed off of unseen cobblestone. Bella assumed there was a road just beyond the jutting cliffs… or perhaps past the sand dunes. Either way, the thought of standing to find out Bella's head spin.
Regrettably, her buried nausea was not shared by others.
"Come now, Bella! I thought you wanted to get away from the ocean," Alice encouraged, grabbing the girl's hands and giving them a valiant yank. It was a gesture that Bella would have resisted if she could, but she had no control over this new body and couldn't manage to pull away. As if she were some sort of doll, Alice hefted her to her feet…
At which point Bella immediately suffered a belly-churning head rush, the ground swimming beneath her as her legs wobbled like jelly. Before she could even act surprised, the newly-turned human passed out cold.
X
"Get away from me!"
The rock hit the side of her face with a sickening thud; wide eyed, Bella touched the growing welt with trembling fingers.
Jacob, she tried to speak—but it was pointless to use her voice above the sea: the bell-sweet sound for which she had been named had been replaced by the screech of a banshee. Jacob, please—what are you doing?!
Another rock. This time it connected with her temple. The world spun; a thick green liquid oozed from beneath her hair. And as she teetered dangerously on the edge of consciousness, webbed fingers clenched around the beach sand to keep steady, she saw—as if in a dream—her Jacob move to draw an arrow from the quiver on his back.
"Stay back, you monster!" he snarled, dark eyes narrowed and tan skin pasty from terror and disgust. His intricately carved bow creaked as he stretched its string taut; his fine velvet clothes rustled ominously. Beside him, a growling German Sheppard bared its fangs and barked.
Monster…? Bella's bottom lip trembled, her mind reeling. But Jacob, she whimpered, the sound a grating squeak on the land. Her arms lifted as if to hold him. I'm your f—
An arrow grazed her cheek, a stinging wake-up call.
"Leave, you disgusting creature!"
He means to kill me. Terrified as the danger of her position finally sank in, Bella did her best to flee: flopping pathetically, clawing at the shore with her hands, wriggling away inch by inch as a volley of arrows bared down upon her.
Jacob, please—!
"GO! Monster!"
The tide swelled; her body vanished beneath a blanket of foam.
Bella swam for her life.
X
"Bella. It's time to wake up."
She did not need telling twice.
Struck by a bizarre feeling of alertness, Bella's round eyes snapped open… though her forehead instantly crumpled in mild disorientation. How odd: she was moving—she could feel herself rock to and fro as if caught in the tide—and yet she was sitting still. Her body felt warm and clean. The sun had been dimmed, and the world around her smelt unusually sweet. What was going on now?
Straightening in place—for she seemed to have flopped over against… was that a wall?— Bella's inquisitive gaze flit back and forth so fast that she nearly strained her eyes; it took a moment for her to comprehend her current situation.
A carriage…? she mouthed soundlessly, amusement pulling on the corners of her lips as she relished the weirdness of the eccentric pink sphere she currently inhabited. The walls were cushioned with ripples and waves of pale, iridescent silk; the seat beneath her was velvet and adorned in a simple pattern of ornamental buttons. To her left and right were two rectangular windows bedecked in sheer orange drapes, and beyond the drapes was a view that took her breath away.
Forests. Valleys. Boulders and grass. Strange purple flowers and blossoming groves; conifers and leaves of every shade of green. All the elements of earth that Bella had never seen but dreamed about seemed to mix and mesh in the world beyond the glass as the carriage made its upward climb—scaling the mountain that overlooked the seaside kingdom.
Delighted, Bella pressed a hand against the window, never wanting to look away…
But was distracted by the color of her arm. Why was it…?
Oh. Sleeves. I'm wearing… clothes. Taken aback, Bella blinked down at her queer new body, filled with an innocent wonder. Now, instead of cracked pearls, weeds, and sand, she was adorned in an airy gown of sea-green taffeta. A corset of foam-white and gold looped around her middle; it was decorated with baby blue beads and seashells. On her feet—I have feet!—were slippers of the same pastel shade, and on her throat a velvet choker from which an aquamarine dangled.
"We took the liberty of dressing you. I thought it'd be best if we didn't present you naked to the prince."
Startled from her thoughts, Bella looked up and across the carriage: in a seat similar to her own, there sat two others. One was Alice, suddenly clad in a tight robe of lilac silk; she giggled and beamed in her amiable way, wiggling two fingers as if in greeting. The other, however, was unfamiliar—a scarred young man with fair hair… though his eyes were just as dark as Alice's, and he wore a matching tunic of the same color.
And he was equally as beautiful.
"We should be at the palace in a moment or two," the man spoke again. Dimly, Bella recalled Alice mentioning someone named Jasper—this must be him. "Are you ready to be reunited with your Jacob?"
Jacob…?
For some unknown reason, the mention of the prince's name made Bella's insides knot up; why that was, however, she could not figure out. Jacob is my friend, she mused decisively, a little put-out by her sudden panic. He'd never do anything to hurt me.
Even as she thought the words, a rush of calm swept through her; she smiled and nodded at her entourage.
"Wonderful," Alice sang, leaning forward to clasp Bella's hands in her own. "Now, I feel we should let you in on one or two of the details of your visit. You are here under the guise of a princess— and we are both your servants and interpreters. You will stay for three days, along with a host of other young ladies all vying to be Jacob's bride."
What? Bella's back straightened in alarm. Others? Why—
"Your Jacob is having a 3-day-long festival," Jasper interrupted, and as he spoke Bella found herself feeling pacified and appeased… despite the toneless drawl in which he'd uttered his retort. "All to find a queen. Do not worry, this is actually quite serendipitous. It will be much easier for you to get your kiss if he's already looking for one."
"Besides, we doubt any other princess has magic on her side," Alice winked.
As if some imperceptible force had been cued by her words, the carriage came to an immediate stop. Alice tittered with excitement as Jasper rose and unlatched a hidden door, allowing a playful, salty wind to waft into the carriage.
"Come now," Alice chirped to Bella, again pulling at her hands. For a moment, Bella was afraid that this action would (for some reason or another) cause her to lose consciousness once more… but to her surprise and delight, she merely careened forward, propelled by her own desire to stand.
She wasn't very good at it; it was only Jasper's lightening reflexes that saved her from meeting the cobblestone street face to face. Thankfully, to any onlooker it would appear that Bella had intentionally been swept, bridal style, into the arms of her servant.
Nevertheless, her face turned scarlet.
"Don't you mind, Bella. It takes humans years to learn to walk properly," Alice said encouragingly, patting her arm in a sympathetic sort of way. Bella wished she had the ability to snap back at the young woman, but knew better than to try: her throat had begun to hurt whenever she attempted to speak, as if reminding her of the deal she had made.
That, and she'd been distracted by her other senses.
Never before had she beheld so many colors, so much movement, so much brightness. They had stepped from the carriage into a world unlike anything Bella had ever seen— her wonder resonated inside her bosom like an explosion of nerves after sensory deprivation. Above her lay the wide, periwinkle sky, the horizon rimmed with trees and the distant ocean-line… Below her was an intricate web of burgundy stone and mortar, like a puzzle made of rock. The puzzle piece on which she, Alice, Jasper, and a plethora of others stood was part of an enormous circle, a gigantic ring. After it looped around a fountain, the path snaked forward— forming a set of stairs that seemed to stretch into the atmosphere. There, in the vibrant blue heavens, it met a large white cloud—no, not a cloud, an elaborate marble palace that shone pure-white against the sky and sea.
Such beautiful colors…
That was just the beginning; around her there blossomed all the shades of the rainbow and more: color that she had never seen, or dreamed of, or even dared to imagine. They were painted on carriages of each shape and model, threaded into dresses of every size and design. The colors moved and danced in Bella's vision as their wearers glided to and fro, in and out of sight. But even when she could not see them, she could hear them. There was so much sound in this foreign world! Horses clip-clopped and whinnied; the breeze rustled leaves and fabric; women and men sang and chatted in individual, unique voices that created both dissonance and harmony as they made their merry ways; the elaborate fountain—shaped in the form of an unclothed woman with an overflowing urn— burbled and splashed at the center of the cul-de-sac, its streaming waters creating prisms in the afternoon sunlight.
"You think this is nice?" Jasper snorted, rolling his eyes at Bella's awe. "Just wait until you see the inside of the palace."
The thought of something—anything—being grander than this picturesque scene filled Bella with both feelings of excitement and irritation; while she wanted desperately to see more, she also felt as if the young man had spoken blasphemy.
But trying to put such thoughts into words was unnecessary and ultimately useless, and so Bella merely shrugged, content in watching the world go by as Jasper carried her forward: across the stone path, around the streaming fountain, up the countless stairs…
His arms rocked; her mind wandered…
X
"Hey there!"
Bella started, jaw dropping as her head snapped towards the voice. He—he had spoken to her. For all her years of watching him, of sighing after him, of wishing he would notice… he had spoken to her.
Upon her rock just off the shore, Bella's face flamed; she wrapped the slimy tarp she'd fished from a sunken ship more closely to her body, hiding all but her face behind the fabric and the boulder on which she sat.
"Hey," Jacob called again, beaming at her with a wave of his hand. He'd grown so much in the years since their last encounter; he was 19 now, and so very much a man. "I see you over there—you always sit there when you decide to visit. Will you let me see your face this time, or will you choose to remain a pretty mystery?"
Her blush darkened…and despite herself, she felt her fingers loosen just the slightest bit on the corners of her make-shift cloak. Before she'd realized what had happened, the hood drooped around her face; a halo of chestnut locks peeped out from beneath the coarse cloth.
"Oh…" As Jacob blinked twice in rapid succession, his lanky body stumbled backward half a pace. His booted feet disturbed the rocky shore, leaving footprints and little mountains of sand. "Pardon me, miss, I feel I have unintentionally insulted you. You are a beautiful mystery."
Flustered, Bella ducked away… but continued to watch him from beneath her long lashes.
"Won't you speak to me today?" the prince shouted, playful and sweet. "Or will you always just watch me from that rock?"
Bella giggled—a sound lost in the breaking of waves upon the coast—then tossed her head in vague answer, her heart pounding loudly in her ears.
"Fine then," Jacob pouted, though the effect was lost when he grinned. "I shall simply have to hope that, next time, you choose to grace me with conversation. Until then, my mystifying maiden."
He bowed politely, then spun around and ran into the distance, his yipping dog at his heels.
Alone on her boulder, Bella thought she might burst with joy.
Next time, she privately swore to herself, delighting in the aftermath of their first true exchange—in this miraculous turn of events. Fighting off a fit of glee, she tossed the now-obsolete tarp to the heavens, arching gracefully into her ocean home. Next time I will swim closer. Next time I will speak to him.
Next time he will love me.
X
Her daydream vanished like a bubble burst.
And yet, for a moment, Bella thought she must be in a bubble still. The world around her had developed an opalescent sheen—everything glittering and shimmering as if made of diamond or pearl. Above her, hung in rows that seemed to vanish in the distance, were crystalline chandeliers fashioned from gemstones and glass; the forty-foot walls to her left and right were alive with stain-glass mosaics, their picture-stories interrupted only by marble doorways that lead to halls and chambers dripping with luxury. Countless Grecian pillars lined those distant foyers, as well as the foyer in which Jasper, Bella, and Alice currently stood, surrounded on all sides by doormen and guards.
"Yes. It's all quite breathtaking, isn't it?" Alice commented, albeit indifferently, but was cut from further comment by the sound of footsteps. Someone—or many someones—was parading down the two intricate staircases that stood before them. For a moment, Bella simply marveled in the way the mirrored structures twisted down from the upper story, their steps swathed in red velvet that spilled across the floor and out the open doors. They were simply gorgeous…
But then, from of the shadows, a tall, dark man emerged— emerged as if out of a dream: dressed in gold and crisp white linen, dark hair bound in a neat ponytail at his nape, his face lean and body toned and oh, all thoughts of architecture were blown from Bella's mind as he began descending the stairs.
He looks like Jacob, Bella thought dreamily, her face flushing fuchsia as she gaped at the man from Jasper's arms. At least, he looks like Jacob will in a few years… last I saw him, he was only 15…
"Greetings," a man spoke—a man who was not the Jacob-look-alike, so Bella paid him no mind; she only had eyes for the gentleman with the thin circlet. "You are here for the festival, I presume…?"
"We are here escorting our lady, Princess Isabella," Alice replied, her voice distant in Bella's ears. Still, she couldn't help but watch the pixie of a girl dance forward and fall into the most elegant of curtsies, addressing the paunchy servant who'd spoken. "As you can see, our mistress has been a little under the weather, lately—she has lost her voice and most of the strength in her legs. However, she is a wonderful, kind woman who dearly loves this kingdom… and your Prince Jacob."
His name is Jacob, too? Bella mused, delighted—ignorant of the near-feral grin that Alice shot Jasper. How ironic!
"Hmmm." The man who was not the prince droned, clearly bored. "How smashing. Now, Princess Isabella… I believe we will put you in the third room in the East wing, the one with the garden view. It's a smidgen small, but it's all we have at this point… and you don't seem to have any other servants with you, so it will do."
The middle-aged butler looked to Bella for her approval; Bella continued smiling blissfully at Jacob. The prince returned the gesture graciously, but he did look slightly uncomfortable.
"I'm sure it will not be a problem, sir," Jasper grunted, giving Bella a small shake to wake her from her fantasies. She blinked once, realized she was gawking, then curled away with a face as red as the setting sun. "Now, I believe our mistress would like something to eat? She has suffered an incredibly long journey."
"Of course," the manservant drawled, no longer even looking at the small group. Rather, his nose was buried in a folder full of papers, as if making notes to himself. "The other girls had the chance to dine with Master Jacob earlier this evening; I suppose it's only fair to give Princess Isabella the same opportunity. Master Jacob?"
For a full minute, Jacob did not move. Rather, he continued to stare at Bella, eyes narrowed slightly in mild uncertainly. He seemed to be mulling over something entirely unpleasant… or, at least, he was—until his butler cleared his throat rather with a meaningful cough.
"Huh? Oh. Oh, yes." Looking faintly sheepish, Jacob automatically stepped forward and offered an arm.
After a pause, things seemed to click in his mind. He shifted his weight and offered both.
Jasper snorted. "Here you are, then," he said, a half-smirk playing on his lips as he dumped Bella into the prince's embrace. "She doesn't say much, but feel free to ask her yes or no questions."
"…is she conscious?" Jacob queried after a moment, faintly disturbed by the glassy-eyed stare that had crept onto the quiet girl's face, draining it of all life.
"Oh, she does that from time to time," Alice assured lightly, waving a flippant hand. Not that Jacob noticed; his eyes were trained on Bella, his expression seemingly torn between concern and antipathy. "It helps her… clear her mind. Just tap her shoulder or call her name—she snaps out of it easily enough."
"I see."
"Well, then," Alice trilled, her smile suddenly devious as she curled an arm through Jasper's, pulling him close to her side, "we'll be in our mistress' chamber. Please let us know when you need us to escort her back. Oh—"
She lingered for a moment before turning down the hall, offering an exuberate wink. "And have fun, your highness."
X
She wasn't really sure why she continued to watch him— he wasn't exceptionally exciting or unusual. Nor was he uncommonly smart or interesting. And yet, there was a light in the eyes of that 6 year old boy… a life that Bella had not seen for many years.
I wish I could play with him, too, she thought longingly, watching him scamper across the beach with his puppy. He barked out laughter when the small dog brought him a driftwood stick, the giggles morphing into playful growls when the puppy refused to surrender it. Then he smiled, and its brightness put the sun to shame. And maybe see where he lives. Perhaps there are others there who would play with us, as well. We could all have fun together.
Sighing, Bella slowly pulled her peaking head back into the cold green sea. It was senseless to think such things…
Without a dog or friend to play with, she instead sang a song to pass the time:
The sea awoke at midnight from its sleep
And round the pebbly beaches far and wide
I heard the first wave of the rising tide…
X
"You know, they say if you're caught in a stare, it means your brain needs a rest."
Jacob? At the sound of the low, sonorous voice, Bella's lashes fluttered rapidly, clearing the memory from her eyes. But she was instantly disappointed when she glanced across the cherry wood table and realized no, it wasn't Jacob: it was young man of perhaps 25, handsome and bemused and all together familiar, though she was sure she'd never seen him before. How strange…
"So? Is that it, then?" The young man asked—and Bella remembered vaguely that though he wasn't her Jacob, his name was Jacob, too. "Is your mind tired?"
Tired? Why should my mind be tired? Bella mused noiselessly, a touch of annoyance darkening her thoughts. My world has only been flipped inside out and upside down in the course of a day…
But she could not say that to him— both literally and figuratively. Instead, she nodded once, cheeks pink and gaze demurely downcast.
Jacob offered a faint smile. "If it helps," he added gently, "I'm feeling a tad brain-dead myself. I've been talking to people all day… generally very noisy, catty people." He paused, tilting his head in deliberation. "You know, I think this is the first time I've heard quiet all day. It's actually rather nice. Er—not that your lost voice is a good thing," he amended swiftly, looking embarrassed.
Bella shrugged. There was little else she could do.
And so the conversation ended as quickly as it'd started. Self-conscious, Bella chose to pick at the clam chowder in her china bowl, casting sidelong glances out the long, latticed windows. Beyond the glass, the radiant sunset reflected off of the endless ocean; the vivid beams of wine and gold cast the room in a stunning array of highlights and shadows, staining the ivory place mats crimson and orange and turning the crystal goblets into glittering sculptures of ice.
"…you know," Jacob began again after a minute, pulling Bella back from another bout of daydreams, "you look slightly… familiar. Like a woman I knew long ago."
Unwillingly intrigued, Bella slanted her stare towards the insecure prince.
"When I was but a toddler, my father took me out to sea," Jacob whispered, his eyes, too, turning towards the majestic ocean that twinkled in the distance, serene and tranquil in the twilight. "It was my first time on the water… and I loved it. I remember the thrill I felt to this day…"
His gaze softened, dreamy with memories… but almost immediately hardened, his hands clenching around his golden soup spoon. "But before we could make it back to port that night, the ocean's cheerful mood turned sour. A storm appeared as if from nowhere, rocking our ship like a toy in a tub… we capsized."
Captivated now, Bella watched the young man's dark skin turn a slight shade of green; he pulled a weary hand down his face, sucking in a deep breath.
"I was only three at the time, I couldn't swim. I remember floundering in the water desperately, trying to stay afloat—but it was no use. I slipped under, and the world turned black… but only for a moment."
Abruptly, as if only just remembering that this was the past, Jacob straightened in his chair, cleared the hazy of reminiscence from his voice, and refocused his eyes upon Bella. She stared steadily back, unflinching. "I was rescued. A servant grabbed me and swam me to my father's life raft, seeking safety for us both. But there was only room for one on the boat, and the strain had been too much for her. I watched, helpless, as the young woman who'd saved me sank beneath the waves, her half-lidded eyes blank and her hair swirling around her still body…"
He shuddered, fingers pressed to his mouth. "Since that day I admit I am afraid of the sea," he confessed silently, wearing an expression that was both dejected and full of shame. "I like to look at it, and I like to walk along the shore… but the water and its creatures terrify me. You never know what horrors lay in the heart of the deep."
With a final, valiant effort, his voice wavered… then fell silent. And Bella knew— knew that even if she could speak—she would be unable to do so, now. He simply looked too humiliated and scared, like a small child suffering an enormous punishment. What could she say when faced with that?
Nothing. There was nothing anyone could say. But perhaps…
Tentatively, as if half-afraid that he might bite, the girl lowered her spoon and reached across the table— resting her tiny hand upon the trembling fist of the prince.
And Jacob, though startled, looked at her… and grinned.
"…thank you for listening," he whispered, fingers visibly loosening as he lifted his free hand to pat her arm. "I know it isn't very flattering, being compared to a dead servant girl. In fact, it was incredibly rude of me to bring it up in the first place. Allow me to make it up to you—may I escort you to your chambers?"
Though she was unable to audibly answer, Bella's returning smile was so dazzling that it needed no words to supplement it.
X
She was tired, so tired, and the sea was so very, very warm.
Half-conscious, delirious, and limbs like lead, she sunk deeper and deeper into the darkness, thoughts of Jacob swirling through her mind like a poison.
Her eyes flickered to a close…
"The sea awoke at midnight from its sleep,
And round the pebbly beaches far and wide…"
X
"…I heard the first wave of the rising tide..."
Rush onward with uninterrupted sweep
Her eyes opened to now-familiar darkness. And for a moment, Bella thought that she was dreaming still—lost amidst the rushing of the waves, rocked in the arms of the ocean she knew. But slowly and surely, her vision sharpened, and she became aware of the bright silver moonbeams leaking from her window…
And of the drifting melody from far below.
I know that voice, Bella realized—not for the first time that day—, as she sat up straight in her feather bed. With difficulty, she pulled herself to the edge of the mattress and swung her feet over, allowing them to drop to the floor like twin weights.
"A voice out of the silence of the deep,
A sound mysteriously multiplied
As of a cataract from the mountain's side
Or roar of winds upon the wooded steep."
Propelling herself with her arms and balancing with difficultly, Bella forced herself onto her near-useless legs; her knees wobbled, but she held steady. Clutching anything within her grasp to remain upright, Bella made her sluggish way to the beckoning window and its ethereal puddles of starlight.
I know that voice, she thought again, more certainly as the cobwebs of fantasy fled her mind, leaving her perfectly coherent and cognizant. Her hand hit the cold glass of her window; she peered down into the moonlit garden.
Her eyes widened.
"So comes to us at times, from the unknown
And inaccessible solitudes of being—!
The rushing of the sea-tides of the soul…"
As quickly as her feet could carry her, Bella started for the door—almost dragging her legs behind her as she all but swung herself from railing to wall, column to doorway, sliding down whatever steps she came across. And still, the song seemed to echo through the halls, leading her through the night…
"And inspirations, that we deem our own,
Are some divine foreshadowing and foreseeing…"
Tree to bush; fence to fountain. Bella collapsed in exhaustion, panting heavily, as she reached the moonlit garden—an otherworldly paradise under the sparkling heavenly bodies. Its steep hills, flattened into step-like layers, were each decorated with trellises of white roses, and surrounded by pale lilacs in bloom. Strategically placed fountains gurgled shimmering spouts of water into the star-strewn sky, their droplets falling on islands of water lilies and patches of moonflowers, sweet and alive in the night.
But of all the beauties in the garden, he was the most beautiful of all: stock still, hair glistening, his long lithe legs encased in black leather pants and his toned chest barely hidden by an open, billowy shirt of white linen. Around his throat hung a glossed conch shell on a brown cord; on his face he wore a dangerous smile.
The sea witch...
"…of things beyond our reason or control."
As the final notes faded into the night, swallowed by the sound of the sea, Edward's green eyes glittered, their depths as dark as the ocean itself. "Hello, Bella," he then purred, kneeling before her with a sensual grace, taking her hand in his own. He breathed a kiss upon its back, still grinning. "I trust your day went well?"
A pause, as if he waited for a response. When she offered none, he arched a genial eyebrow, pulling her to her feet and leading her carefully to the nearest fountain.
"No answer?" he said after a moment, sounding faintly offended as he carefully eased the girl onto the smooth lip of stone, her hand still placed delicately upon his own. "Really, Bella, that's awfully rude. You should always speak when spoken to."
Bella offered him a flat stare. Still, out of habit, she formed an answer with her lips, perfectly aware that it was a wasted endeavor.
"Oh please. And how do you expect me to answer when you've stolen my—"
She froze. Edward, busy lowering himself beside her, was unable to muffle a soft chortle.
"Wait… what? My voice—I have a… a human voice and I—!"
"Not for long, you don't," the sea witch corrected cordially, leaning back on his hands as he crossed his lean legs. "But when I'm around, yes. I rather like conversation, and through trial and error have found muteness to be a rather permanent stopper of it. Besides," he added lazily, flicking his necklace—which appeared to be softly aglow— with a casual finger, "what's the point in owning your voice if I don't ever get to hear it?"
"Oh…" Bella deflated, slouching a bit in disappointment as she laced her fingers together on her lap. "Well… still… I suppose getting to use it now is… is better than nothing at all…"
Edward's smile widened as he lifted a hand to trail indolently up and down her spine; he watched her with pointed intensity as she gazed out over the ebony sea, a hidden hunger in his eyes. "That's the spirit. That's the optimism I like to hear, love. Now— I believe I asked you a question. Have you been having fun here on land?"
"I—! Um…" Bella—who had opened her mouth eagerly, ready to share any news at all— paused just as suddenly… then blinked, as if she'd lost her train of thought. Her temple scrunched. "I… I don't know," she admitted after a minute, her voice strained and distracted.
"Don't know?" Edward repeated faintly, seemingly surprised. "How do you not know?"
"It's… strange," Bella scowled, lips pursed as she tugged at her braided hair. A gentle wind, smelling of lilacs and sea-salt, rustled her cotton nightdress and swirled around her bare feet. "The longer I'm here, the harder it is for me to remember why I'm here in the first place. I remember going to see you… I wanted to be human for someone. And that's all I know. Now I'm involved in a contest to win the prince's hand in marriage… and I feel as if I want to win. Yet, when your song woke me from my sleep—even before I knew it was you!—I was filled with a strange desire to… to see you, though I wasn't sure why."
"Hmm," Edward hummed, and tucked a stray brown curl behind Bella's ear in a musing sort of way. "That is bizarre, dear heart. Perhaps it is your subconscious speaking?"
"My subconscious?" Blinking blankly, Bella cast the sea witch an incredulous stare. "What on earth do you mean by that?"
"Think for a bit, sweet one," he retorted, his words silken as he slid closer, wrapping one arm around her shoulders and using his free hand to tilt her chin towards him. She did not resist the embrace. "You're trying to marry a man who hated you—who called you a monster, who tried to kill you in cold blood. You claim to love him, and have willingly changed yourself for him… but if he truly loved you in return, wouldn't he have accepted you the way you were?"
"…what are you talking about?"
Mildly disgusted, Bella pulled away enough to pierce the sea witch with a skeptically stare, her pretty face pinched with annoyance. "I said I'm in the running for his hand, not that I want it," she snorted, shaking her head in disbelief. "Really, I only just met this man today. Why would I want to marry him?"
She turned fully to continue—
But cut herself off when she caught sight of the blithe beam upon his lips, and the devious glimmer in his captivating emerald eyes.
"Of course," Edward murmured, his voice barely a whisper on the winds as he smoothed cool fingers down her cheek. "How silly of me to even suggest such a thing. I did not mean to insult your virtue."
"Hm. Darn right…" Bella murmured, though she was beginning to sound unfocused—her vision growing cloudy the longer she stared up into his dizzyingly beautiful features. It was a fairly disturbing sensation, to feel yourself drift off even as you tried to rouse your consciousness back to life… but try as she may, she couldn't keep the waves of pure exhaustion at bay.
Lulling to the side as if in mid-swoon, Bella collapsed against Edward—strangely comforted by the feeling of his fingers in her hair, of his shoulder beneath her cheek, of his song in her ears…
"The sea awoke at midnight from its sleep
And round the pebbly beaches far and wide
I heard the first wave of the rising tide
Rush onward with uninterrupted sweep…"
X
"Master…"
Twin voices—one lilting soprano, one husky tenor—breathed the title with such devotion that one didn't need to see them in order to know that they were on the ground, groveling before their lord.
Oblivious, their master continued lazily caressing the angel who slept beside him, watching with unbridled delight as she breathed in, breathed out; breathed in, breathed out… and the gemstone adorning her throat began to burn.
Faintly at first, then brightening in intensity, the aquamarine's pale blue glow seemed to pulse and swirl: as if the jewel were sucking in some secret, unknown fuel source.
Bella's lashes fluttered, she exhaled one last time…
And the stone, with a final burst of fire, popped once, twice— then shorted-out. Yet, deep in its clouded center, a smoldering ember of the original blaze seemed to survive… trapped in the periwinkle prison forever.
"Midnight," Edward hissed, eyes dancing with the remnants of the gem's radiance, "and the end of day one." With airy confidence, his fingers glided down Bella's round cheek, smoothed across the planes of her long neck, dipped between the valley of her breasts…
And snapped the aquamarine from its delicate cord.
"That means the memories of your past are mine, Bella dear," the sea witch purred, laughter in his voice as he lifted the girl into his arms, cradling her slumbering body like a doll. "To have, to hold, to erase. And I'm afraid you cannot love a person who you cannot remember."
A dark chuckle oozed from his throat; as if in afterthought, he tossed his head to the left.
"Alice. Jasper."
"Master," the voices murmured a second time, appearing from the garden's gloom with their hands upon their hearts. "How can we serve you?"
Edward didn't even bother glancing towards them; it was enough to know that they kneeled behind him. "Jasper," he barked, giving his princess one last squeeze, "take my precious little lamb back to her room— make sure her sleep remains this deep and keep her calm tomorrow. Things are about to get a bit more disorientating, I'm afraid. Alice, be a dear and create a fashionable use for this."
A small object cut through the air with a hissed whizzing sound; Alice snatched it deftly between two fingers. In her palm lay a polished token of yellow topaz, cut into a pentagon similar to the aquamarine.
Both servants bowed their heads, one with a gem in their hands and the other with Bella. "As you wish, master."
They faded back into the darkness.
Edward stood alone.
"Two more days…" he said to himself, the words nearly inaudible over the rushing of the tide. Then he smiled, waved a hand over his necklace, and watched—his pleasure virtually tangible— as an iridescent curl of smoke rose from the shell's opening, curling and twisting around his body. He flourished his fingers more insistently; the smoke grew thicker, stronger, coiling and swirling through the air… and as it did so, a faint sound began to grow louder: a woman's bell-sweet voice, singing a haunting lullaby.
"A voice out of the silence of the deep
A sound mysteriously multiplied
As of a cataract from the mountain's side,
Or roar of winds upon a wooded steep…"
The sea witch sighed serenely, eyes half-lidded with longing… and as he made his leisured way into the cloudless spring night, his voice could be heard harmonizing with the girl's: the words ever-echoing even after he'd been engulfed by shadows.
"The rushing of the sea-tides of the soul;
And inspirations that we deem our own,
Are some divine foreshadowing and foreseeing
Of things beyond our reason or control."
XXX
If anyone's interested, I have a crap-tastic version of Edward and Bella's song that I've recorded; I can upload it and post a download link on my bio-page. So, uh, yeah… you know, let me know if you guys would like to hear it. (And don't worry, I'm not insulted if you don't.)
PS. After so many years of writing, I can't believe I've been reduced to saying this again, but c'mon guys—please, I'm begging: review. I know that ff-dot-net has made it incredibly easy to just favorite a story or author or whatnot without ever once telling the author about it via review, and I'm sure that a lot of you feel that doing that is acknowledgement enough. But (if you'll permit me to be selfish) it's not, really. There's no comparison to the excitement an author gets when reading a review, especially for a story they're proud of— even if it's just a brief 'yo, this chapter didn't blow' sort of note. Getting automated alerts telling me that someone liked my story enough to favorite it but not enough to tell me why sorta gives me mixed feelings. I'm thankful you guys are favoriting me and my stuff—truly, I am!—but please, for my sake and for the sake of all of the other hardworking authors on ff-dot-net, don't forget to drop us a line once in a while. We'd really appreciate it. And to those of who have reviewed—particularly those readers who have stuck with me so long that I recognize their names— you guys rock my world. I mean that.
Thank you and goodnight. (…or day. Whenever you happen to read this.)