AN: I'd like to thank the people who added the story- and me- to their Favorites & Alert list. I meant to upload this chapter last week but I decided to wait at least a week.

I present Chapter 17, enjoy.

0~O~0

Vile Beauty

Chapter 17: The Original Fall

0~O~0

I collapsed onto my bed and let out a deep sigh. The club had proven to be of minimal interest and had only provided some slight entertainment.

Heidi and Chelsea had begun to flirt with a human the moment we arrived and then they drank his blood shortly before we left. I had simply looked on, not interested in observing their disturbing ways and had gone back inside to observe the humans for a while longer until Heidi came to look for me.

I was pulled from my musing by a knock on my door.

"Who is it?"

"Alec."

"Come in," I replied. Not bothering to sit up on my bed as he came in. From the corner of my eye I saw that he was wearing a dark grey suit that matched his cloak perfectly.

"I hope I am not disturbing you Bella, but the masters request that you join them in the throne room. They have some unexpected guests." I turned my head to look his way.

"Who are they?"

"A coven of animal drinkers."

"I'll be there shortly. You are dismissed." He bowed his head slightly and left the room quietly, closing the doors in his wake.

I made my way towards my closet and took off my cloak from its hook before I slipped into it and pulled the hood up to my head. I ascended several flights of stairs and slipped through the opening that lead to the throne room.

I noticed that several members of the guard were already present, on the second floor of the throne room. That which some might refer to as the 'observing balcony'. I walked past them and descended down the elaborate staircase, knowing that they had not yet sensed me because I was using my shield in its entity. I could feel the flickering 'light' of those I had already taken under the protection of my mental shield.

I sat on my chair and crossed my legs before gently touching Marcus' hand to make him aware of my presence. He turned his gaze to Aro before he himself turned to meet his gaze. Then he smiled at the animal drinkers in that way which was peculiar to him.

"Carlisle, my dear friend, I know that your visit is not entirely social. Therefore I ask you to tell me the true reason of your visit."

"My friend, my family and I wish to speak to one of the members of your guard."

"Who?" Aro asked, feigning ignorance. In my opinion, ignorance did not suit anyone with his cunning.

"Bella."

"My dear friend, I must tell you that you have come all this way for naught."

"Why is that?"

"Bella is not a member of the guard," he began. "She is our good friend and ally. The only instructions she receives from my brothers, our wives and myself are of what missions she has next and even then we are subject to her will." He leaned back on his white marble throne and intertwined his fingers.

"Aro, we are not asking that you order her to do anything-."

"My friend, she will not speak to you or your family any other way."

"Will she not even speak to me?" The one who spoke was a companion of the animal drinkers. I could tell that this was the first time he had spoken because he seemed reluctant to do so.

"Nickolas, you may be her brother, but I doubt she will even speak with you." Many of the animal drinkers became very still at Aro's unnecessarily soft words.

"Any why not?" He persisted stubbornly.

"You have the gall to ask?" I removed my shield along with my disguise and stared at him pointedly.

"Bella-"

"You never did understand the risk I took in keeping you alive."

"What risk? There was never any threat!"

"Mary Alice Cullen née Brandon, by default, was a threat to your life for simply being turned at the inopportune time of your birth. I left her, a newborn vampire, alone without giving her any guidance other than her first vision. That in itself was a punishable crime because I am her creator."

"It never came to that. No one lost their life over this."

"My father did." Nickolas gave me a reproachful look.

"He was my father too."

"He may have fathered you, but you are not his son." I paused. "Had he simply displayed more control when he meet your mother he might perhaps still be alive."

"That has nothing to do with his final moments."

"You're wrong, it has everything to do with his demise; because when it came time for me to choose between whose live I should save, I choose yours- knowing that would be what he would have asked me to do." He stared at me, clearly surprised with what I had just revealed to him, as were the others present. I gave him a bitter smile, "my fall from grace began the moment that I let him die. I can see clearly now that I made the wrong choice."

I silently stood from my chair and began to walk away when I felt a sudden rush of air move past me. I turned to see Demetri push Nickolas down onto the floor and baring his teeth as he held him by his throat. All three male Cullen children made a move to help him, but Felix, Jane and Santiago stood in their way. Alec stood behind me, ready to use his power if the situation –or I- demanded it.

I looked into his enraged eyes and spoke. "That was foolish of you." I turned around and walked up the staircase, when I reached the other members of the guard on the second floor-I snapped my fingers. I heard several of the guards return to their previous positions.

Before I slipped into the opening, I heard Demetri tell Nicholas to never try anything as stupid as attacking me or he was going to kill him himself.

Published: June 7, 2013

AN: The title of the chapter "The Original Fall" refers to Bella's original- or rather the origin- of her 'fall from grace'. Having to deliberately choose to save her brother instead of her father made her feel not only an enormous amount of guilt but also anger, disappointment and regret when he left her. When he betrayed her that way he brought her to the brink of insanity, but in the end it was someone else who pushed her off the edge. Since then Bella hasn't been able to- nor wanted to- climb back that abyss.

Just out of curiosity; how many are hopping she'll be able to climb back? Why or why not?

Until next time,

Med.