A/N: Sorry for the late update! I got caught up with schoolwork and writing term papers... always fun! As a result, I feel like this chapter is definitely "in the rough". I don't know, I feel like it doesn't transition and flow as smooth as I wanted it to be. Anyways, I am going to spend this week revising my past chapters to six-year-old-ify Bella's perspective as many of the critiques is that she is too rational/intelligent for age. As always, forgive me for any grammatical mistakes and feel free to leave a review to critique my (hopefully not terrible) writing.

(Updated 1/2/17)

Chapter 4: Meeting Aro

The room was dark—and scary. I grabbed Felix's cold hand, and he looked down at me. "Don't worry," he reassured with his deep voice. It always made me feel safe. There were tall windows very high above the ground. Some light came in from the outside, which helped me see. I looked around and saw many strangers that were standing still. They all looked the same—really white skin, strawberry-red eyes, and pretty like Felix and Demetri and Jane. The only difference was the colored clothing. Some had light gray cloaks like Felix's and others were much darker but not as dark as Jane's. Except for one person.

He was wearing a black cloak—the darkest color in the room. He was also sitting down on a large wooden chair, with two empty ones next to him. He greeted us when we entered. "Welcome back, my dear Jane! I see you've brought me Felix and Demetri." His gaze turned to me. "And Isabella! Wonderful!" he sighed in a happy tone. His voice soft and quiet, like a kitten.

I felt scared. Who was he? He didn't seem scary, but how did he know my name? I glanced up at Felix for help, but he was staring at the same man. We stopped when Jane reached the middle of the room. There was a metal circle—a grill or grate?—that covered a hole next to her. I wondered what it was for. It reminded me of a sink—where the water would go.

The stranger stood up and made his way toward us. It didn't seem like he wasn't even walking—he barely moved. "Hello, my dear Isabella," the man said gently, peering down at me with a friendly smile when he stopped in front of me. "I am Aro Volturi."

Aro! He wasn't a scary stranger, he was my relative! "Hello, mister Volturi," I greeted back shyly, blushing. "Please call me Bella." Aro didn't look like a relative. He looked more like Felix and Demetri and Jane. He had very long black hair, the same color as his cloak. His eyes were red, but they were… dusty? It wasn't a bright red, it was cloudy or dirty. His face was also less white than the others. It was… clearer.

"Bella," Aro repeated, his smile growing bigger. "It is a pleasure to finally meet you. And call me Aro as well, there is no need for such formalities."

"It is nice to meet you, too, Aro." I answered back. I couldn't stop smiling. There was something about Aro that I liked. He was nice and polite.

"Bella, I apologize for behaving so rudely, but am I to assume you know of my offer?" His offer? I tried to think—what offer? Oh! He wanted to give me a place in his home! I nodded, remembering. "Good. But be warned, this is not a decision to be taken lightly. There are certain consequences and advantages if you choose to join my family. You can always refuse; if you do, Felix and Demetri will bring you back to Phoenix," he added.

I nodded again and closed my eyes. Did I want to leave behind Mark, Sarah, my home? But… what if I did join Aro's family? Would I be able to see and talk to my new friends Felix and Demetri? Were they a part of Aro's family? I opened my eyes slowly. "Aro?" I asked slowly. "Can I see Felix and Demetri if I join your family?"

"Yes, my dear, you would. Quite often, in fact," assured Aro. I thought about my home again. I suddenly realized that Mommy and Daddy weren't home. Mark had said they were now in a place only for grown-ups. And I couldn't see them anymore. I began to cry. I didn't want to cry, but I couldn't stop it! I just wanted to hug my Mommy and Daddy.

"Bella?" Felix spoke with concern. "What's wrong?" I shook my head. He lowered himself and gently wiped my face with his cloak. It felt soothing. I didn't want to tell him I was thinking of Mommy and Daddy. It would make him sad, too. I rested myself against him, calming down.

"I see she already has you wrapped around her finger, Felix," Aro chuckled after a moment, amused. He was concerned, like Felix, but relaxed when I'd stopped crying.

Felix sighed. "Yes, Master, she has," he grumbled. Why did he call Aro 'master'? Why didn't he say his name?

Mark told me Mommy and Daddy wanted me to be happy, even though they were gone. I knew I wouldn't be happy at home anymore, but I would be happy with Aro and my new friends, Felix and Demetri. I looked up. "Aro?" I asked again. "Can I join your family?"

"Of course, my dear Bella!" he cried. He spoke with so much eagerness that I giggled. He really did want me to be in his family! Aro leaned forward and reached out his hand. He wanted a handshake! I carefully shook his hand. His skin was different from Felix's. It had the same hardness, yet it also felt weaker. More… fragile. It was also much colder.

I watched Aro's face become confused, then full of wonder. He stared at me, which made me feel nervous. What did I do? I only shook his hand. "How bizarre," Aro murmured to himself. His face was both shocked and interested. "Jane?"

Jane took a step towards him. "Yes, Master?" she answered immediately.

"She appears to be immune to my gift. I'm curious if she's immune to yours," he explained to her. There were loud gasps that came from the people all around the room, startling me. Even Felix gasped. Why did they do that? And what did Aro mean by 'gift'? Did he mean a present?

Jane nodded. She then turned and smiled at me. She looked very pretty. I waited patiently for something to happen. What was she trying to do? Aro began laughing cheerfully after a few seconds. However, Jane did not look happy. She stared at me with the same expression she had at Gianna. It was frightening. I whimpered and grabbed Felix's hand harder and hid behind him. I didn't know what I did to make Jane angry!

"Jane," I heard Aro say, his was voice flat and low. It changed so much from the happy tone he had before. I peeked from Felix's leg. I recognized the look Aro was giving her—disapproval. Jane lowered her head.

"Forgive me, master," she responded quietly. Jane sounded different when she spoke. She didn't have the direct tone I remembered. It was strange to hear her speak without it.

"Don't apologize to me, apologize to Bella," suggested Aro, gesturing to me.

Jane walked slowly to where I was. "Forgive me, Bella," she pleaded softly. Her red eyes were sad and… remorseful? It felt like this wasn't Jane. And I didn't like it.

I stepped around Felix and walked up to her. "It's okay," I whispered. Her eyes came upward from the ground, looking at me. I didn't know why she was so upset, but I wanted her to be happy again. Even though she would sometimes scare me, I still wanted to be her friend. Jane gave me a small smile before she turned and quickly strode out of the room. Another person followed her. I didn't know who it was, but they had the same colored clothing as Jane's.

"Bella," Aro called out. He was still smiling, but he looked more… careful? Unsure? "I suppose now would be an appropriate time to inform you. We harbor an extremely powerful secret. It is against the law for a human to discover this secret, but because you part of the royal family, you are allowed to know. I'm sure you have noticed abnormalities about us?" he asked slowly. I nodded, remembering the things I'd noticed. Aro, Felix, Demetri, Jane—all of them had red eyes, which I had never seen before. Everyone here was very pretty, had pale skin, and always walked like they were dancing for some reason. They seemed different, but Mommy always said that being different was okay. "You see, Bella, we are not human. We are vampires." His eyes scrutinized me, waiting.

I blinked. Vampires? But… they weren't real. Mommy had once dressed up like one for halloween, and she wanted to be like 'Dracula'. Daddy also told me scary stories about them. Vampires would be burn in the sun, they slept during the day in coffins, they had fangs, and they… drank blood. They couldn't be real. Daddy said so. But a part of me said they were. Why would Felix and Demetri have red eyes? Why did they look the same? I decided to just ask. "Is that why your eyes are red?"

"Yes, my dear," Aro replied calmly.

"Do you burn in the sun?" I inquired next. Aro shook his head. "Do you sleep in coffins?" He shook his head again. He had an amused expression on his face.

"Bella, most of your human stories regarding vampires are simply incorrect. We are much stronger and unburdened than what we are portrayed to be," he clarified. I still felt nervous. Were they really vampires? I was starting to believe that maybe he was telling the truth. Would they want to hurt me?

"Will you drink my blood?" I asked, looking up at him.

I heard Felix make a noise that sounded like he was choking on food. Aro laughed his soft laugh. "No, my dear Bella, no one here will. Our guard will serve to protect you as well."

They wouldn't hurt me. But I already knew that—Felix had held me whenever I cried, and Aro had wanted me to join his family. Did it matter if they were vampires? I smiled to myself. I was okay with them being vampires. Felix and Demetri were still my friends.

"Now, if you will allow me, I would like to confer upon you the title 'Princess of the Volturi'. You are my last living human descendent, and I thought it appropriate that you become a princess," Aro explained slowly.

I was shocked. 'Princess of the Volturi'? Was he really making me a princess? Was he king of the vampires? I quickly realized that Aro was still waiting for an answer. "Okay," I whispered, my voice shaky. I really was going to be a princess. I always wanted to be like one in the movies I watched with Mommy and Daddy. Aro smiled again and, to my surprise, leaned down and hugged me gently.

"Welcome to the family, Princess Bella," he murmured softly into my ear.