3
The Trial
"Bring me your murderer." The judge said, playing with his cane as the door opened, two vampire guards escorted Edward inside, wearing no cuffs and putting up no resistance.
"Young.", the judge's long black hair nearly glowed in the light as he observed the boy standing before the table, staring back at him.
"Edward Cullen." The judge smiled, "I've heard the charges against you. Now let me hear your side."
"I was defending Bella Swann.", Edward began, firmly convinced he would find justice and win his freedom, "James hunted her and was killing her when I got there. I HAD to kill him."
"This Bella Swann", he looked around him, "I will hear her testimony, where is she?"
Edward looked nervously at Carlisle.
Carlisle spoke up here, "Bella Swann is human. She is not allowed here in this court."
"Human?", the judge frowned, looking at Edward in slight distaste now.
"Yes.", he admitted, reading the judge's thoughts, finding disgust and anger already.
"You destroyed a stronger member of your race, decreased our number, and risked exposing us for…a human?" the judge's voice was cold now.
"I love her!", he almost shouted, feeling Carlisle's hand on his shoulder, silently warning him to calm himself.
Victoria and a few others present laughed at the naïve vampire in their midst. Edward only returned angry eyes back at them.
"Never raise your voice to a judge of the court, boy." The judge warned without emotion, "It might be the last mistake you ever make."
Carlisle gave Edward a little shove on the arm. Edward's jaw flexed slightly as he looked down and said, "I'm sorry…your honor. I meant no disrespect."
"She is a pet of yours?" the judge tried to understand.
Edward's eyes went hard, squinting, looking up into the judge's black-red eyes, about to say something harsh. Carlisle leapt in, trying to save Edward from himself.
"Your honor.", Carlisle cut off whatever harsh words Edward might respond with, "The fault is mine. I have taken Edward in as my own son, and taught him a different type of lifestyle. I have taught all my children to live among humans and not to harm them. They are very human in emotion because of my teachings. Bella is very special to Edward. He loves her and protected her life. I was with him at the time, I helped him kill James. I take full responsibility for him and what he did."
"No Carlisle!", Edward shouted, grabbing his father's arm, shoving him back, saying to the judge, "I killed James alone. Carlisle got there after it was done. Whatever happens, it is me alone who will pay for it."
"Let me get this right." The judge rubbed his forehead, "Edward killed James for hunting and almost killing a human?"
"Yes." Edward answered honestly.
"Hello, Mr. Cullen?" the judge mocked, "Humans are our food! That happens everyday! It's like killing a human for eating a hamburger."
A frightened look glinted slightly in Edward's eyes for a second. He was not going to be walking away from this. He could read the judge's mind. The judge was already trying to choose his fate, decided.
"Just because this particular human is your pet doesn't excuse what you've done." The judge sounded a bit sorry to condemn a young vampire like this. But the law is the law.
Victoria smiled brightly at Edward's stare. She took a picture of Edward's face close up, hearing Laurent chuckle beside her. She was truly enjoying this.
"The usual sentence for this is 10 years in a coffin, bound with silver…starvation. When the 10 years are up, you'd be nothing but bones and leather. It drives most vampires insane."
Edward's eyes dropped to the table top, his mind filled with Bella. For a moment, he pictured it, locked in a box too small to move in, dying of thirst, screaming and clawing at the coffin an inch from his nose as his body slowly decomposed. And all the while, Bella and his family would have to live on everyday, knowing he was suffering every moment. It would destroy them all, as well as himself. What would happen to Bella?
He heard Carlisle behind him, trying to stop this again.
"Your honor, please.", Carlisle begged, "He knew no better, he believed he was doing good. He's only a boy, please ! It's my fault. I beg you, please don't harm my son for my mistakes. I will take Edward's place."
"Shut up, Carlisle." Edward was getting angry at his father now, "This is my sentence."
"Silence." The judge sighed, not liking this any more than Carlisle did.
"Perhaps your maker is right, Mr. Cullen." The judge said in a low voice, "He has taught you incorrectly. You don't live as a vampire should. You need to be schooled in the proper ways."
"It's not wrong." Edward defended Carlisle, "I like living the way I do. It's –"
"It's human.", the judge finished, "You value your human pet more than you do your own kind. You admire them too much. You regard them as equal to yourself. You need re-education."
"Your records show that you've never been a maker, is that right?" the judge asked curiously.
"Yes." Edward answered, squinting his eyes a bit.
"Well, I'm feeling very creative and generous today." The judge looked at Edward, "How long was James with you, Victoria Spears?"
"Twenty years, your honor." She answered with no emotion.
"You deprived Ms. Spears of her mate" the judge began, looking into Edward's nervous eyes, "So, you shall take his place."
"What?!" Edward looked at Victoria, his eyes like knives.
"Edward Cullen, you are hereby sentenced to 20 years as pupil to Victoria Spears. You will do every single thing she tells you to, you will learn the ways of the vampire. You will learn to make newborn vampires and you will feed from humans from now on."
"WAIT!" Edward shouted, slamming his hands to the table, leaning towards the judge, "I'll take the coffin for the 10 years instead. Give me that sentence. I'll go willingly."
"Edward, NO!", Carlisle tried to pull his son back, but Edward shoved him away.
"Please, your honor?", Edward made eye contact with him again.
"I've given my decision, boy." The judge wrote in his log book, ignoring Edward, "I'm giving you the lighter sentence. Be grateful. Ms. Spears is a beautiful vampire, it's not such a cruel punishment. Guards you will give Edward over to Victoria now please. He belongs to her now. Thank you."
"I won't go!", he shouted back at the judge, "I'd rather DIE than go with her."
"Don't be difficult, Mr. Cullen.", the judge warned, "If you give Victoria Spears any trouble, if you refuse to take your sentence like a man and a vampire, then you still owe her a life. Give her your pet."
"Bella?", Edward asked, his face turned to pure hate.
"Do you own any other pets?" the judge asked.
"She's not a pet." Edward tried to explain, but instead sighed, "I don't own anyone. There's just me."
"Then you will go with her and stop making a fuss." The judge dismissed Edward, waving a hand, finished with this case, "If you run, my men will retrieve your human pet and give her to Victoria in your place. So I suggest you do your time well and give no trouble."
Edward swallowed, looking at Victoria's pleased face. In defeat, he said, "I won't run."
"Wonderful." The judge looked bored, "Have a nice day, learn all you can, and goodbye Edward Cullen. Dismissed."
And just like that, Edward's life was over, at least in his mind at the time. 20 years…Bella, he cried in his brain, Oh God Bella, I'm sorry. He could picture Carlisle coming back to his house, telling Bella this news. His whole body ached inside. The coffin was looking better and better to him.
"Edward.", Carlisle tried to embrace his son but the guards began to cuff Edward's wrists behind him, silver cuffs coated with venom, impossible for Edward to break out of.
"Carlisle." Edward looked afraid, "Please take care of Bella. And tell her I'm so sorry. Tell her I love her, I'll always love her."
"I will.", Carlisle reached through the guards and managed to touch Edward's face lovingly, looking as scared as his son, "I'm sorry, Edward, I'm sorry."
Edward wanted to tell him it wasn't Carlisle's fault, and that he was glad they lived the way they did. It was much better than the life he had when he'd left the house and fed off humans for so long. He wanted to tell him how much he appreciated being chosen by him and for letting him be his son, and for giving him such a large and loving family.
But he didn't get a chance to tell him all those things. The guards yanked him up and shoved him out another door, away from Carlisle. The door closed and he was now in an empty room. Victoria entered in a minute later to collect her property.
"So, this is mine?" she came closer to Edward, seeing his hands were still cuffed behind his back. She laughed, amused at the rage in the young boy's eyes.
"I am not yours!" Edward shouted, not moving as she walked around behind him, getting a closer look.
"Let me see you." She smiled more, touching his back with her long fingernails, feeling him over his clothes as he growled low in his chest, warning her.
"MMM" she sounded pleased, laying her chest on his back as her hands touched his covered pecks and down to his abs, Edward's eyes clenching closed as the guards held him still.
"You are very chiseled and strong to the touch, I'll give you that." she stated, moving her hands down his legs, "Very nice to look at, too. But so young, so inexperienced. So stupid. You're no James – yet.."
"THANK GOD for that!" Edward roared, wanting her hands off his body now.
"But I will teach you, Edward." Victoria grabbed his hair in the back of his head and yanked his head back to her lips as she whispered into his ear, "I will teach you…everything. Blood…the hunt…power….sex. You'll learn to like me. You will love me."
"You know I hate you.", he snarled with cruelty, "If I could vomit now, I would. Just let me do the coffin thing, I'll suffer more that way. Let me do that."
"No." she cooed, deciding, "I think James would like this more. I get to punish you now for the next 20 years. This is perfect."
See next chapter
Leave a review and let me know if you like Edward's punishment.
Love
WinndSinger
PS A couple of the judge's lines are borrowed loosely from a trueblood episode. The rest is all my wicked creation.