16
GARDEN PARTY
On the weekend of the big hunt, I went to Italy to be with Aro, he had continued his seductive phone calls which Edward had continued to help me with and I looked forward to the 'real' thing.
Vicente picked Emma and I up at the airport and took us to our apartment in the castle, he said Aro expected me to shower and change and then Vicente would return to take me to Aro; Emma had already received instructions on how I should dress, she pulled a gown out of my closet and I noticed many more gowns there than before, I showered and dressed with Emma's help and she fixed my hair. The dress was white, Grecian style and the color blended with my skin. I no longer needed to wear contacts because my eyes were a golden brown after I hunted, darkening to ebony just like Edward's. I wore a little makeup to add some color along with a chiffon scarf wound around my neck, the color matching my lipstick.
Emma called Vicente and he took me outside to the castle grounds where there were beautiful gardens, Aro was in one area with a large group of people and I finally saw him. He saw me at the same time and beckoned me to come to him, I ran over throwing my arms around his neck as he bent towards me and kissed him exultantly on his lips.
"So Cara, you can't live without me can you?" he said smiling.
"I'm afraid not Aro, Edward helped me to see that, he's been so good to us because he helped me every night after your phone call to enjoy you and not be embarrassed by my feelings toward you in front of him; he didn't make love to me to proxy you, he made me tell him how I felt when I imagined you inside me; he helped me calm down," I said excitedly.
"Well my dear, I have some people for you to meet and when we go to our room later, you can tell me more about this; it's important for me to know why you're so excited," he said.
I suddenly realized there were others here and I needed to meet them gracefully for Aro's sake because this was going to be part of my new role as Aro's wife.
"I'm sorry Aro," I whispered, I'll behave."
He hugged me and kissed my cheek as he brought me forward to meet his guests.
"This is Isabella Cullen my betrothed, soon to be my wife," he said as he took me around the group.
Sometimes he spoke in English where upon I also spoke in English and sometimes in Spanish to which I could also respond; mostly he spoke in Italian and as I had become very familiar with that language, I was quite fluent. Whenever his guests questioned me in any of the three languages, I could communicate; they were soon aware I was an American, eighteen years old; I had a mother and father in the USA and the Cullen family to whom I was affiliated as I bore their name, included the eminent Doctor Carlisle Cullen. How I had the Cullen name, the guests were not privy to but I'm sure they formed their own views on that subject; it would not be good for them to know I was already happily married to Edward Cullen, most of the guests being unaware we were vampires and that our rules were different.
When Aro told me I was his queen, he was serious, as I soon learned and therefore I was treated as royalty; many of the guests were reporters who would inform the people in Italy about me and possibly the whole world would soon know.
Some of the guests had been amused by my enthusiastic show of affection for Aro even though my conversation had been out of earshot; I was however, able to correct my behavior and prove myself worthy of my new title, Aro nodded his approval to me and in return I gave him my dazzling smile.
Dealing with this new role was difficult for me; I came from being an average American girl to being a beautiful royal person with fine clothes and more abilities than I could have ever have imagined, I was no longer awkward but confident and not allowed to worry or be afraid; this was not a role I wanted but I had no other choice than to accept it. Aro owned me and demanded everything from me I could give; even though I couldn't object to his demands, I now knew I didn't object to his demands and wanted very much to please him, loving his approval at my attempts; he was very good for me and I knew it, as did the Cullen's.
At long last Aro and I were able to retire to our apartment after spending all afternoon in the garden, I suddenly felt exhausted and leaned my head against his chest.
"Cara," he said, "I'm sorry you're so tired, I should have let you go earlier, it was thoughtless of me; you already had a long plane ride my dear."
He helped me undress and lifted me up on the bed; soon he was undressed beside me.
"I believe I omitted to tell you how beautiful you were today, it was refreshing to see you," he said.
"I'm sorry I messed up when we arrived, I only had eyes for you and wanted to tell you so many things," I said.
"Don't worry my dear, the welcome you gave me far outweighed any 'messing up' as you put it," he pulled me to him and kissed me on my lips.
"Why don't you start over with what you wanted to tell me so excitedly," he encouraged.
"I just wanted you to know that I can't live without you any more than I can live without Edward; Edward let me see that," I said.
"What exactly did Edward do to convince you?" he asked.
I explained what Edward had done.
"Edward's a superior man, not only am I indebted to him for sharing you, but now because of him, you love me enough not to want to live without me; I think he and I are compatible too with you as our common goal to please," he said.
"There is something else that I want to discuss with you, Isabella," he said.
"What is it?" I asked.
"I plan to give you a wedding gift, which incidentally, you can't refuse but it is of unusual proportions," he said.
"What could you possibly give me that I don't already have?" I said.
"A child," he said simply.
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"I will give you a child, my child," he said.
"You have a child to give me?" I couldn't comprehend.
"So far as I know, a vampire woman cannot produce a child but a human woman can produce my child," he stated.
"I'm no longer human," I said, still not comprehending.
"I will have sex with a human woman, one who I have already chosen and who has consented to bear my child, this child will be half human and half vampire and it is my intention to give this child to you to raise." He said.
"What if the human woman wants the child?" I asked astounded.
"The woman will not survive the pregnancy, she will die," he said.
I started to say something but thought better of it and instead said,
"Why would any woman consent to bearing a child, if she knows it would kill her?" I asked.
"This woman is not any woman and as a matter of fact she's your age and very much like you; this is one of the reasons I chose her, I wanted my child to resemble you as much as possible and I have been searching several months, this woman also thinks like you and I believe you will enjoy meeting her and getting to know her," he said.
"Wait up!" I exclaimed, "I'm going to meet her?"
"Yes, you and she are going to share my bed," he said.
"You're not serious are you, please say you're not?" I asked.
"I have never been more serious, Cara," he said, the plan is for you and she to share every moment of the pregnancy from the conception until the child is born; at that moment the child will be yours, actually her pregnancy will not last as long as a human pregnancy and so to keep up appearances, your pregnancy will start before hers. Carlisle has invoked the use of computer chips to simulate the pregnancy and of course there will be padding; with both these things you will look and feel pregnant."
"Why will this girl die?" I asked.
"The child will be too strong for her and in the end, it will rip itself out of her, the only possible way she could survive is if she became one of us," he said.
"This is horrible for her, why will you force me to allow this to happen to her for my sake?" I asked.
"This is her choice and you will soon find out why; you will accept it I promise you," he said, do you love me enough to trust me when I say, I wouldn't deliberately kill a human to provide you with a child unless this was well thought out and approved by the parties involved; you're not involved in the decision except as I have already specified," he spoke with finality.
"Does Edward know this?" I asked.
"Yes of course, he will be involved in the care of the child as one of your husbands, he said.
"He's ok with this?" I asked.
I couldn't believe my unselfish husband would approve of this.
"Yes and so are the rest of the Cullen's, Carlisle will assist with the pregnancy and deliver the child," Aro said.
I knew this was ok if Carlisle approved because he would never go against his beliefs.
"Ok I accept," I said, "I trust you and I won't question you any further; I love you Aro and I believe your motives to be honorable, if it were possible for me to be truly pregnant with your child, I would be proud to do so; this is a gift I won't refuse and I'm overwhelmed."
Very good Cara, I want the child to be conceived on our wedding night and so I will let her know you accept; you will then meet her and spend time to get to know her," he said.
"How can you be sure the child will be conceived on our wedding night?" I asked.
"I can't be sure but we'll work on it diligently on that night, we'll find out very soon if we are successful and if not we will try again until it happens. I don't think there will be a problem though, I think one night will be sufficient my dear," he said.
I snuggled myself into him and we kissed.
"Do I get the 'real' thing now or are you going to make me imagine?" I asked.
He pulled my hand over to him and placed it so I could touch the real thing meaning for me to help which I did willingly and soon it was where I wanted it, inside me; I sighed with pleasure.
"Are you happy now, Isabella?" he asked.
"You know I am," I said and we made love.
The rest of the weekend, I had to deal with the wedding planners under Aro's watchful eye and everything started to fall into place. I still couldn't believe that I Bella Cullen had to go through another wedding to another man. This man who I truly loved wanted me to have his name, be his queen and be a mother to his child. It occurred to me why Alice had told me I would be happy and Edward would be proud.
When I returned home I was blissfully happy with Edward as we talked about the baby which was going to be ours.
"I can't believe I'm going to be a mother, Edward," I exulted. "This baby is going to have two fathers, at least two sets of grandparents and some loving aunts and uncles, he or she will never want for anything."
"Unfortunately you have to get married first, Bella," Edward grinned.
"Well I have no choice in the matter, just as I didn't with you; the worst part is it's bigger, Aro had me meet people this last weekend including reporters. They will be making a big deal about this wedding especially that I'm such a young bride and he's an old man comparatively speaking, I don't suppose I need to worry about my parents finding out about my impending marriage, if they do I hope someone can figure out a good explanation; my mother has just accepted the fact I have two lovers but two marriages, I don't think so," I said.
"There you go worrying again, don't you suppose things are bound to happen whether you worry about them or not and if they do happen we'll deal with them; stop worrying young lady, there are enough people who love you and will take care of you," he said.
"I suppose you're right," I said.
"I am right love and you know it," Edward said.