Alec, Jane and I stood by the side door to the throne room a few days later, the day the Cullens arrived.
I sighed as I heard the heavy doors of the throne room open: they were here. Alec wrapped an arm around my waist in comfort and Jane took my hand in a sisterly grip. I smiled as I remembered soon she would be my sister-in-law.
"Carlisle, dear friend, welcome!" I heard my father's voice call out, exuberant as always.
"Aro, how are you?" my Uncle Carlisle's voice drifted to me and I smiled to hear that it sounded exactly the same as always and the sense of calmness I felt as it washed over me.
"I'm fine, yourself?" Father replied, cheerful as always.
"As good as can be expected," Uncle Carlisle said before greeting my other uncles. "Caius, Marcus."
"Carlisle," Uncle Caius said as always his voice was practically a growl.
"Welcome, Carlisle," Uncle Marcus' voice spoke.
"Where is your family?" my father then asked after a few seconds of silence.
I shifted uncomfortably, a human habit, I hated not knowing what was going on. Jane sent me a calming look and a soft smile while Alec squeezed my waist, silently telling me to calm down.
"You're so impatient,"' he muttered so low I barely heard it.
"Thanks," I smiled, kissing his cheek, before glancing back at the door.
We heard the doors open again and listened as Esme and the rest of the Cullens filed in to stand behind Uncle Carlisle. I could hear the rustle of fabric and the family's soft breathes; they were all here, even him. At least I knew they were all here so I wouldn't get an unpleasant shock when I looked over, I thought feeling grateful I had vampire hearing.
"Esme, Alice, Jasper, Rosalie, Emmett and Edward," Father said and I could hear the smile in his voice. Alec tensed at the name Edward.
I smiled slightly but was also a little irritated. I knew, despite his trying to keep it from me, that he thought I would go back to Edward but I also knew that he tensed due to what Edward had done to me.
"I love you," I reminded him, so low that even Jane wouldn't be able to hear.
"Carlisle,"' Father was still speaking. "Do you remember the little girl that used to run around here?"
"Of course," Uncle Carlisle replied and I could almost picture his face softening with his tone. "How could I forget?"
Alec and Jane let go of me as we knew we would have to enter soon. Jane and Alec were my guards and in front of the Cullens as they were guests, we would have to walk in as such not as family.
"And yet you didn't recognise her when she came to Forks," my father now said.
What is he doing? I thought, sharing a look with Alec.
"Bella...is Izzy?" I heard my Uncle ask, my father must have nodded as Uncle said, "Oh, she's going to kill me."
Jane, Alec and I shared an amused look.
"Carlisle?" Esme soft, sweet voice asked and I felt myself smile again. "What is he talking about?"
"Why don't you see for yourself," Uncle Caius spoke now before unnecessarily raising his voice slightly, "Isabella, get in here."
Alec squeezed me hand, letting it fall from his grasp as I stepped toward the doors which had just opened for us to step through. Alec and Jane followed a few steps behind on either side of me.
I heard several people gasp as I came into view, looking like a proper princess. I had a light blue high-low dress on with a sweetheart neckline and a high waistline. A beaded design sparkles from the waistline while layers of chiffon fall gracefully in delicate ruffles to create the high low skirt from mini to floor length. My tiara was also situated upon my wavy hair, it was mainly tiny flowers set in silver and is embellished in a mixture of crystals. However, I wasn't just dressing up for their arrival as the Volturi princess I am expected to dress as such.
I ignored the Cullens and walked straight to my throne, Alec and Jane standing behind it. Both of my Uncles in the Volturi were still in the thrones while Father was stood up in a position to be talking to Uncle Carlisle who stood a few steps in front of him family. All the Cullens were staring at me in shock, even my Uncle, so I uncomfortably directed my gaze to Uncle Marcus who sat at my side. He rolled his eyes discreetly but looked distinctly proud: he always found people's reactions to my looks and personality amusing as well as pleasing.
"Izzy, sweetheart?" Uncle Carlisle questioned, my gaze went to him slightly coldly although I could feel it softening with the use of my nickname and the term of endearment. "You're not too happy with me, are you?"
"State the obvious, Uncle,"' I said though I was smiling slightly.
I hadn't seen him in over 20 years - it was nice to know he was safe. He always had a way with me that no one else did: being able to calm me down with only a few words although that usually wasn't necessary since his presence calmed me so much anyway – he was safe to me, something stable that I could always count on no matter what.
My use of the word 'Uncle' seemed to calm him slightly and make him smile, I suppose the Cullens didn't really call him 'Dad' so I was the only who used a family term with him.
"In my defence," he said softly, his eyes sparkling. "You were human with a terrible fashion sense."
"Uncle Carlisle!" I yelped shocked, giving him a playfully betrayed look as he laughed slightly and Esme put a hand to her mouth to hide her smile.
"Bella!" Alice had finally wrapped her head around everything and leaped forward to hug me.
Alec and Jane both copied her movements and Alice fell back towards Jasper looking extremely hurt. I raised a hand at Jane and Alec before standing up, I knew Alec was fighting all his instincts letting me walk across there on my own but did he really think one of the Cullens would just try and kill me; the worse that could happen was Emmett greeting me in his usual way. They had never harmed me physically only emotionally.
I walked past my father and Uncle, placing a hand on my father's arm and kissing my Uncle's cheek to show him I wasn't too angry. I walked past Esme, my hand drifting over her arm as I passed until I got to Alice.
"It's Isabella, sorry about Jane and Alec," I smiled at her causing her to look less hurt when she realised I hadn't given them any instructions; I shot a cheeky smile over my shoulder at the two mentioned people. 'They're just a little overprotective - Alec especially.'
"Men are overprotective fools, aren't they?"' Alice said and I laughed in agreement.
"Hey!" both Jasper and Alec said in time.
"Sorry, love," Alice and I both replied before we laughed again.
Several of the Cullens facial expression changed as their eyebrows rose up their foreheads and their mouths dropped at my affectionate term when speaking to Alec while the others, mainly my uncle and Esme, kept their soft smiles. However, his eyebrows had lowered in the centre instead of rising with Jasper's
"I'm sorry," Alice said, looking at me mournfully as I turned my attention back to her.
"Don't be,"' I smiled wrapping her in a hug which she returned happily … and tightly. "This is my home, it's my family."
I smiled kindly at Jasper before turning back toward my immediate family. I was nearly back to my Father and Uncle Carlisle when someone tall picked me up and sung me around joyfully. Whoever it was put me down before Alec could get too annoyed and/or worried and as I looked up a realised that it was, unsurprisingly, Emmett. I swayed slightly cursing myself inwardly for still being able to get dizzy.
"Gee thanks, Emmett," I laughed putting a hand to my head and squeezing my eyes shut. I felt an arm wrap around my waist to stop me from falling and from the scent I knew it was Alec.
Emmett laughed his usually bellowing laugh causing me to open my eyes, his eyes were fixed on Alec's arm around me but there wasn't a negative emotion in his friendly eyes. It surprised me. They seemed happy that I was happy - I had expect a sense of betrayal at the very least.
"I missed you, Be-Isabella," Emmett said, ruffling my hair fondly.
"You too," I said although I was scowling at him while I fixed my hair and tiara.
I saw Alec's free hand come up to my face so I must have missed a bit, Emmett smiled at us before sending his wife a stern (odd for Emmett) but encouraging look which I saw from the corner of my eye was also being giving to her by Esme.
"Isabella?" Rosalie said, softly stepping toward me and drawing level with Emmett. She watched me and Alec carefully as though she expect me to tell Alec to snap her neck. "I'm really sorry that I didn't get to know you when you were dating Edward and I feel terrible for that but - it may not have seemed like it but - I do love you and I did then too … I just thought I could scare you away from life as a vampire because it isn't ideal - of course, that's all rubbish now since you're already a vampire ... look I - I'm just sorry and I hope you can forgive me."
Most of the Cullen along with myself looked at Rosalie in shock but Emmett was looking proudly at his wife.
"Of course, Rosalie," I smiled as soon as I caught my wits (which of course was only a few seconds), causing some people, including Rosalie, to look at me in shock as well. Alec blanched for a second but then shook his head slightly as though reminding himself who he was dealing with.
"Thank you," Rosalie breathed.
I smiled at her and turned away to focus on the final person in this family that I had to speak to – I would talk to the others later when we had more time. Edward didn't look at us as I dragged Alec with me over to him but when we were stood in front of him he looked straight into my eyes, coldly questioning what I wanted with a raised eyebrow.
"Thank you," the words were out of my lips after 20 years and now they just hung in the air between us.
After a few minutes of no one saying anything Alec started to lead my back toward my throne and Jane but as soon as our backs were turned Edward spoke.
"What for?" he asked.
"For leaving me," I said turning back around. "It made me realise maybe it was time to come home, make sure I hadn't done too much damage by leaving. I couldn't be happier that I did come back."
I was speaking to Edward but I was looking over my shoulder I spoke my last few word, at Alec, at Jane, at my father and my uncles: my family.
"If that's something you can thank Edward for," Alec smiled at me before turning to Edward. "I couldn't be more grateful to you."
Jane shot forward to stand on my other side, "thank you."
"It was not my pleasure," Edward muttered.
I rolled my eyes both at my fiancé and his sister but also at Edward's response before I spun around to stand next to my father while Alec and Jane went back to my throne and hovered by it. Father gestured to me as he spoke.
"You've all met Isabella before," he said, "but this my daughter - Isabella Maria Volturi, the Princess of Vampires. She's been exploring the world for a little while... we had a fight."
My eyebrow's rose - my father didn't usually say this bit of information. The Cullens glanced at each other and I laughed internally. They were probably trying to figure out what the fight was about.
I glanced awkwardly around at them beginning to feel guilty for lying to them and feeling out of place. I always did when my father started introducing me simply because it seemed like he wanted to put a hand on my shoulder or something but couldn't because of his agreement with me not to read my thoughts. I placed a hand on his arm, letting him know I wanted to speak.
"I am terribly sorry that you all got caught in the middle of this," I said glancing around the Cullens, "you're good people who don't deserve to be lied to and for that I'm sorry but everything I felt' (I looked a Jasper) 'was real. I never lied about other than who I was."
I looked at all their faces and it seemed I was forgiven for my lies.
"Now Uncle I feel I should catch you up" I said as I turned around and stretching a hand out to Alec as well as sending a look to Jane. They both came forward Alec taking my hand and Jane just standing beside me. "You remember Alec? We're now engaged."
My Uncle Carlisle's eyebrows rose and I glanced away - I suppose I should have given him a call when it happened.
"Hi," Alec smiled at the family despite his dislike for most of them he was being polite for my sake.
"And, as most of you know, his twin, Jane -" I continued causing Jane's face to drop and he face to rear back from me slightly.
"Is that all I am to you, Isabella?" she questioned, her English accent adorned with annoyance which was just enforced further by her use of my full name. "Just your fiancé's twin sister!"
"Let me finish," I laughed putting an arm around her shoulder to calm her before turning back to the Cullens, 'she's my best friend.'
Alec smiled at us. I knew how happy it made him the me and Jane got on so well and love each other - he had said to me once that he didn't think he could bare it if we didn't. I returned his smile.
"I can't believe your Aro's daughter,"' Jasper chuckled, shaking his head slightly in disbelief.
I raised and lowered my eyebrows at him quickly before making a funny face at him causing him, Alice, Emmett and Rosalie to laugh while my father, who had chuckled at Jasper's words, frowned over Jane's head at me.
"Izzy, remember who you are,"' he scolded me for acting so un-princess-like although I knew he was messing with me; he could be so childish sometimes it was ridiculous.
"Yes Father," I said curtsying in a slightly playful way. "Sorry Father."
He smiled at me, winked and I giggled before he looked at Jane.
"I believe Demetri needs your help with something, dear," he said causing Alec and I to exchange glances wondering what was going on but I smiled as well, it stilled pleased me how much my father had welcome Jane and Alec properly into the family – making the core coven, although Jane and Alec were still part of the guard, a coven of seven.
"Of course, Master," Jane said, leaving the room through the main doors but I frowned slightly at how she didn't call him Aro, though she may after the actual wedding.
"Why don't you two get out of the Castle, and don't worry about you duties they can wait," Father spoke to us before he said to Alec teasingly. "I don't want my daughter to be neglected because her father is giving her fiancé too much work."
Alec's handsome face broke into a grin and I smiled softly at my father.
"Thank you, Father," I kissed his cheek before I turned to the Cullens, hugging my Uncle as tightly as I could before I stepped back to address them all. "It's lovely to see you again, I'll give you a tour when I get back since you haven't been here before and things have changed. This bit includes you, Uncles, Father" (I felt rather than saw the rest of my family's gazes on my back) "have a nice evening."
"Goodbye," Alec grinned as he laced out fingers together and led me out of the hall.
The look on his face made me giggle before I turned to wave at the people in the throne room. As we rounded the corner I heard my Uncle Carlisle say, "is that really wise?"
"Uncle Carlisle!" I yelled remembering how often I had yelled the same thing when he lived here but I knew he was more thinking what would happen if you said that to Emmett and Rosalie.
"Sorry, sweetheart," he called back over the laughter of our family.
I smiled up at Alec to see that he was already looking at me. He made us stop walking and pulled me into him, placing his lips of my own. We stood in the corridor for a while just kissing and relishing in each other's presence with no distractions
"Isabella, get out of this castle!" I heard my Uncle Marcus shout with a slight chuckle.
Alec and I broke apart laughing before we run human speed down the corridor pausing every now and then to kiss.
I know Isabella forgave the Cullens really quickly but I mentioned that she wasn't too angry with them plus she's a forgiving person so it wouldn't take long for her to forget her grudge.
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