9
THE BALL
Saturday soon came, the ball was that evening. Aro wanted me to look perfect and so he employed someone to work on my hair and nails.
Emma gave me a massage after I had showered and left me in the hands of the beauticians. One was a man and so Emma wrapped me in a towel as I had no underwear, robe etc. The man whose name was Gino, looked at me in surprise, I had by this time learned enough Italian to understand he was amazed by my looks. He seemed to enjoy working on my hair which was very long below my hips with no split ends and very shiny. He seemed to take forever to finish but in the end my hair was beautiful and my nails perfect. Emma helped me into the gown Aro had chosen for me; it was again off the shoulder with a fitted bodice of satin and lace. The skirt was straight satin but chiffon hung loosely over the satin. The satin was a dark cherry red and the chiffon was a lighter shade of the same color. I was admiring the gown on me when Aro came to see how I looked; he was very pleased and kissed me tenderly. He had brought a diamond necklace with dark red rubies inlaid between the diamonds for me to wear; the necklace matched perfectly with the dress and had some matching dangling earrings to match also.
"The necklace is yours my dear and I want no complaints," he warned.
Next he opened a tiny box which contained a dainty ring with a sapphire in the center of a circle of diamonds. He placed it on the fourth finger of my right hand without ceremony.
"The sapphire is your birth stone and now you are betrothed to me," he said smiling. He kissed me so as not to disturb my hair or makeup.
He was already attired in a black tuxedo with trim to match my dress, his black hair hanging straight to his shoulders. He whisked me off to a huge ballroom full of people and as he pulled me into the room, I recognized some of the business executives, including Senor Salazar whose eyes followed me. Men and women crowded around us wanting to find out who I was but Aro said they would find out in good time.
Carlisle came up to me, I think you become more beautiful each day," he said smiling.
Senor Salazar came up to us and then asked me in Spanish if I would dance with him, I wasn't sure that Aro would allow it so I looked around for him but he wasn't there.
Carlisle said, "Go ahead, Aro will grab you if he doesn't approve."
As I danced Senor Salazar asked me questions about myself in Spanish. I gave him very little information because Aro hadn't wanted me to talk to anyone; I'd had strict instructions and didn't want to anger Aro for the second time so I was polite but spoke little. When the dance ended Senor Salazar brought me back to Aro and Carlisle.
Aro smiled at me, "You dance well Cara and your Spanish is very good too."
I hugged him and he bent his head to kiss me.
"I don't mind who you dance with here because I can dance all night with you in our room," he added, "However let me make this announcement and it will stop the clamoring for you."
He took me over to the stage where the band was playing and soon the music ceased.
"I have an announcement to make," Aro said loudly and everyone became silent.
"I would like everyone to meet my betrothed, Isabella Cullen, she has agreed to be my bride and we will marry in the spring."
After that was much clapping and many congratulations offered to both of us., the difference in age was apparent but none made any comment regarding that, there were women who looked at me as if they didn't approve of me; I smiled at them knowing he had picked me and nothing they could say would make me feel bad.
He wanted me to say something then and I said in Italian, "I love you Aro and I'm honored to be your bride."
He pulled me to him and whispered, "You honor me by speaking to me in my native tongue in front of all these people without a flaw, and you are the most gracious woman I have ever known."
He kissed me passionately and that night after the ball he was more passionate with me than he ever had been and my body tingled with his passion.
"Aro if you don't continue to be this passionate with me from now on I will be extremely disappointed," I said.
"I can be more passionate than this," he said and caused me to cry out louder and louder as his passion was unrelenting and more and more intense.
"Do you want me to ease up?" he said as I screamed.
"Aro please I don't want you to stop," I begged, "I want this."
Then I in turn became passionate with him until he cried out.
"Do you want me to stop?" I asked.
"You're giving me great pleasure," he said breathlessly, "This is very good, and you are becoming a woman."
In the morning we lay together quietly, finally exhausted from our passionate night as Emma came in.
"How was the ball," she asked.
"The ball was mediocre compared to the night," Aro said smiling at me.
He made love to me again and would have again if Emma hadn't pulled me off him.
"Master Aro, you know you have a busy day today," she said.
"This is where my busy day is," he said, "Can't you see I'm aroused."
He pulled me into the shower and we continued, the shower seemed to increase the passion and I screamed while Emma tutted.
"Don't you hurt that child Sir," she said.
"This is no child she's arousing me as a woman, don't judge me unless you see what she's doing to me; I didn't even teach her this, she learned herself," he cried out in pleasure now.
"I give up on the two of you," she was exasperated but continued to flit around cleaning and tidying up.
Aro finally left but I was still aroused and it took quite a bit of dancing around before I finally calmed down.
"I'm sorry Emma, I said, "He was very passionate with me and I suddenly knew how to be passionate with him."
"You're still a child no matter what he says; you're just fulfilling a woman's role," she said softly as she hugged me and stroked my hair.
The weeks continued and my knowledge increased substantially. My Italian improved along with my piano and I became ahead of schedule with my school work. The way I moved as a vampire was much improved and Aro cautioned me not to try to disappear from him unless he knew what I was about to do.
"If I find you anywhere but where I expect you to be, I will be angry enough to beat you, this I promise you," he said sternly, wagging his finger at me.
Sometimes he let me drive his car and I was soon driving like a vampire, my piano with his tutorage had improved drastically to the extent I could play a simple duet with Aro without messing up, my love making had improved but I found myself missing Edward more and more and I would feel depressed after my nights with Aro; in the mornings Emma would hug me as if I was her child.
"Emma I love Aro and he makes me feel good but I miss Edward more than I can stand."
One morning Aro took me in his arms.
"Isabella you have been very attentive to me and have not tried to avoid our love making even though I suspect, in fact I know, you're homesick," I nodded looking miserable.
"I'm sorry Aro; I miss Edward in the worse way. I promise I won't give you less than what you want from me because you've been very good to me, I owe you my love so if you intend me to stay longer, I won't object," I said.
"I won't have you miserable and if you come back to me with just as much longing, I'll let you go for now."
I jumped up and kissed him so that he made love to me again and when I had calmed down he continued, "You have exactly one week before you meet your parents…," I interrupted him.
"Oh no!" I exclaimed, I'm not prepared for that now, how can I face my mother now I've been making love to you, she'll see it in my face," I was suddenly terrified.
Aro shook me, then holding my face in his hands, he spoke to me angrily.
"Are you ashamed you made love to me?" he asked.
"No of course not," I replied.
"Then why are you afraid of anything your mother will suspect?" he asked angrily.
I realized then that even if my mother were to know I slept with two men, it was my choice and it wasn't wrong in my eyes or Aro's or Edward's. I loved them both and nothing else mattered; my vampire family approved of me and I was happy.
"You're right, Aro, I know my mother may never find out that I sleep with two wonderful men but she will see the love I have for both of you shining from my eyes, if she were to find out, I wouldn't be ashamed to tell her what I'm doing, I know I can't tell her but suddenly I want her to know, how can that be? I think I'm just ashamed to have to keep it from her. I want the whole world to know I have both of you; can I tell her in a dream my love?"
"Does she dream as you do?" he asked now smiling.
"Probably," I said, "I think that's where my dreaming came from."
"Ok then you and Edward go to her while she sleeps and confess your love for both of us; leave a picture of me in her mind, in the morning when you see her and she looks at you strangely, smile at her and nod your head. You will know she knows and if she smiles back at you and nods her head it will mean she approves, neither of you will have to say anything," Aro instructed.
"What if she doesn't approve?" I asked.
"You will have told her and she will know, that's enough for you not to be ashamed isn't it?
"Yes and when I E-mail her?" I asked.
"She will lead you in what to answer, she will probably relate her dream but not ask you to confirm it, she will ask if you could love two men and then you must answer truthfully, not that you could but you do." he said.
I was content with this because I knew I could do this, she would know who taught me Italian and improved my piano playing etc. and she would know that Edward approved of my other love.
"We will tell her I spent time in Italy recuperating and I met you and you taught me so many things; then she will find out in her dream how much I love you and when she E-mails me I will confirm it," I was so happy now and relieved my mother would soon know.