The big ball chapter, starts off getting ready for the ball and then goes straight to where Bella, Angela, and Jessica meet the royal covens of vampires besides Diana's. Good sparks between everyone, at least until they realize the girls are still humans.
I don't own Twilight.
Enjoy!
The next afternoon, 6:32 p.m.:
Bella's P.O.V.:
Tonight was the night of the ball, and I was more a nervous wreck than I had been for prom. Diana was teaching us how to walk, talk, and behave like proper ladies; now the manners I could get down, but the walking in the large heels was tough. I had been trying to walk in them since this morning and I was still clumsy; but Jess and Ange had it down easily.
"Ow!" I just hit my foot on the board of my bed, for the fifth time today! These shoes were murder!
"Bella?" I heard Diana's voice on the other side of my door. "Are you alright?"
"Not really no!" I called back and she stepped inside. I could see she was already dressed for the ball, donning a midnight blue gown with billowing sleeves complimented with silver lining, and her hair was up in a French braided bun style; her jewelry was simple, just a chain of her coven crest and silver earring, the only thing not simple being her silver tiara sparkling with sapphires.
"Tut tut, what am I gonna do with you girl?" she came over and pushed me onto the bed taking the shoes off. "Here." She handed me two inch heel red shoes. "Those work?"
"As long as I don't trip over my own two feet." I tried them on and they felt really comfortable.
"Those are my old ball shoes, I assumed they would work better for you." I nodded and handed her the high heels. "Now then, the ball is in an hour and you need to get ready." She opened the conjoined door and called Jess and Ange to the room. "Alright girls let's get you ready." She went back to the door and Clarinda and another vampire woman appeared with large dress bags in hand and makeup kits from what I could see.
"This is everything milady." They set everything down but hung up the dress bags. Clarinda had her hair down in curls like the other girl but she wore a maroon ball dress and the other had on a gold dress.
"Alright girls, these are your dresses but first we're going to do your hair and makeup. I will do Bella, Clarinda will do Angela, and Deidre will do Jessica."
"Wow…" we all said. Diana grabbed a case and dumped its contents on the bed.
"Battle stations ladies." Clarinda took a dress bag and a case then pulled Angela out of the room, and Deidre did the same with Jessica and Diana sat me in front of the vanity.
"I don't know about this Diana." She just smiled.
"Oh don't worry dear, I'm going to turn you from a natural beauty to a royal beauty." She pulled out some concealer and eye makeup. "Just relax and let me work."
"Yes milady." She snickered and started applying the makeup. Diana wasn't like Alice that much, but when it came to primping she could be. So far she didn't care how I dressed in the castle as long as it was appropriate around everyone, but on a night like this I kind of expected her to be hard at work.
"Ok, now where's that liner?" she pulled out some brown eyeliner.
"No black?" she shook her head.
"You're fair-skinned Bella, lighter colors look better on you than dark." I just nodded and let her continue. "For a vampire I can be ready in seconds, and I'm already dressed so fixing you up is very fun."
"Like mother-daughter fun?" Diana was now like a second mom to me, just like Esme had been but…not anymore.
"Exactly. Now Bella do you remember the manners I taught you?" I nodded. "Good, I wouldn't want you embarrassing yourself."
"I'd be more afraid of embarrassing you." She just laughed.
"You could never embarrass me, if anyone leers at you I'll knock them into place. Now just remember when you enter just walk gracefully down the stairs with Jessica and Angela and then just mingle with the guests."
"I know…but it'll be tough in a room full of vampires."
"No dear, I have powerful incents all over the ballroom, your smell won't bother anyone. That and I made sure they fed before coming here." I took a sigh of relief.
"Great." Soon she finished putting on the concealer and eye makeup, and then moved to the blush and lipstick.
"Light rose, for such beautiful skin." I felt myself blushing, and then she pulled out the lipstick. "Nice shade of red, to match your dress and highlight your hair." She put it on me, let me smack my lips to even out the color and then turned my chair around to show my face.
"Wow." I couldn't believe how beautiful I looked, it was almost…too good to be true. Even Alice never made me look so pretty.
"Like it?" I smiled at her.
"I love it."
"Good, because now comes the hair." She took out a curling iron and some hairspray. She worked her way from the back up to the front, and then pulled some of my curls into a small bun while letting some drape over my shoulders. "Now that's beautiful." I had to agree, she did an excellent job. "Now for…the dress!" she ran over to the bag and pulled out a knee-length red dress with a V-neck lining, made of pure silk and satin from what I could see.
"Wow, it's nice."
"Try it on." She handed it to me and I pulled the dress up from my feet. It fit nicely, not too tight or loose, and it did show off my figure, making me look not-so-skinny. When I turned back to Diana she had her hands on her mouth and her eyes looked happy.
"How do I look?" I was nervous to ask, and she walked slowly to me.
"Beautiful, it's perfect." She sounded like a proud mom, and I hugged her.
"Thank you for this milady."
"You're welcome, but we're not done yet." She went back to the kit and pulled out two boxes, the first revealed a necklace with a rose pendant and matching ruby earrings. "You can borrow these, ok?"
"Thanks." I put it on, and after I finished she opened the second box and it revealed a gold tiara. "What…?"
"You are my descendant Bella, so by my name that makes you a princess; and every princess should wear a crown. But don't worry I also let Jessica and Angela wear tiaras as well."
"Diana…I don't…I don't know what to say…" she smiled and placed the tiara on my head.
"You don't have to say anything sweetheart, just wear it with pride and grace. You are from this day on, Princess Isabella, my one last human descendant." I looked back at the mirror, and I felt my confidence boost dramatically.
I could do this.
"Oh dear we'd best be going, the guests will be arriving shortly." She quickly moved me into the hall, and then knocked on the doors of Ange and Jess's rooms. They came out and we all gasped at our appearances. Jessica had on a pretty, long magenta gown with her hair similar to mine, and Angela had on a light lavender gown about the same length as mine, but strapless, and her hair was half up and down with curls cascading down her back; and they both had on tiaras but silver.
"We…look…amazing!" Jessica squealed.
"You're all princesses tonight, now follow me." Clarinda and Deidre stayed behind us as Diana led us back towards the big ball room. We were met by Galen and Joseph.
"They've all arrived milady."
"Excellent, go on out there." Galen bowed and left through the large doors, but they stayed open slightly enough for us to hear. "Presenting her Royal Highness, queen of all vampires and mother of the immortals, Lady Diana!" a loud applause was heard and she turned to us quickly.
"Wait here." She gracefully made her way out, and I could see her looking past a balcony before the doors shut again. "Welcome everyone; welcome one and all to the lovely city of Rome on this fine evening. It pleases me to see you were all able to make it, and I thank you for attending this magnificent ball my coven and I have put together." I heard applause. "Now, before we begin I would like to share with you a little discovery of mine from a few days ago. You are all familiar with the story of how I first came to be your queen, and I'm sure that some of you remember that before I became an immortal I did bore a child, a son to be correct. Well from the line of my son my human family has grown, but I have had no contact with them until now; I have discovered that I have a descendant living today, and by my line she is royalty." I heard some murmurs.
"Excited Bella?" Jess whispered to me.
"Jessica shhh." Clarinda.
"Sorry."
"As it turns out my descendant knows of our kind, but sadly she was abandoned by those whom she grew to consider a second family. Due to the close watch of one of my spies I was able to find out which coven revealed themselves and didn't follow through with our laws; but more of that later. Fret not though I have every intention of changing her, but for now she shall remain human along with her two friends I had brought along. I expect you to treat her with the utmost respect, and welcome her into our world. Therefore it is with great pleasure that I present my last, living human descendant Princess Isabella Marie Swan, and her two friends, Lady Jessica Kaitlin Stanley, and Lady Angela Suzan Weber, to you." The doors opened and we slowly walked towards Diana, but then turned and we walked towards the stairs, and slowly made our way down while the guests clapped.
Jessica and Angela trailed along slowly behind me, while I carefully trailed behind Lady Diana until she reached her throne and sat down. I noticed one other seat beside hers, and I sat in it while Jessica and Ange stood for the time being.
"Now then everyone, please enjoy yourselves and if you have any concerns feel free to address the guards." Everyone bowed to her and it wasn't long before I saw three men approach us, one with long, crimpy black hair and red eyes, another with sandy blonde hair and red eyes, and a large one with dark brown hair and red eyes; each of them wore a golden V pendant, so I assumed they were with the Volturi.
"Your majesty." The long-haired one bowed and kissed Diana's hand, and the other two did the same.
"Hello Marcus, Felix, Demetri." She turned to me and the others. "Girls these are members of the Volturi, Marcus, one of the three leaders." She pointed to the long haired man. "And these are Demetri and Felix, part of their main guard." Angela and Jessica curtsied but I just nodded.
"A pleasure." I couldn't take my eyes away from the man named Marcus, he was handsome, and something about him just felt right, to be near him. Right when I thought I could spend all my time staring at him, some music started playing, and Marcus looked directly at me.
"May I have this dance Princess Isabella?" he held out his hand and I suddenly remembered Diana's advice on dancing with the vampires.
"Always say yes when a man asks you to dance, it's common courtesy among royals." That was one of the main rules, so how could I decline?
"Of course." I took his hand and he led me from the throne. Jessica and Angela gave me thumbs up and Marcus led me to the middle of the floor into the mob of vampires. One of his hands took mine and another was on my waist, and my free hand went to his shoulder.
"It's a pleasure to meet you Princess." His voice was deep, but almost smooth.
"And a…pleasure to meet you as well sir." He chuckled.
"You can just call me Marcus Princess."
"If so then you may call me Bella, at least when we're not around Lady Diana." His smile returned, and I noticed how sweet it was. We danced around, and then I noticed something in the crowd, Angela and Jessica dancing with Demetri and Felix; and they looked happy.
"It seems your friends have grown fond of my brother's guards." I laughed, they looked like they were having fun.
"You have brothers?" I remembered the three leaders, but they were related?
"Not biologically no, but I consider them my brothers."
"Aro and Caius."
"That's correct, tell me has Lady Diana been teaching you about our world?" I nodded. "How much do you know?"
"She told me of her own story, and how she helped form the Volturi, plus the fact that only the royal covens know of her existence but they all respect her."
"Very good." He was intelligent, beautiful, and…just being here, dancing with him, felt much better than I had felt when I danced with Edward at Prom. It felt like, like I was walking on air, and there wasn't anyone else around, just us and the music. "Isabella?"
"Hmm…oh sorry I just, spaced out for a minute." He chuckled and twirled me as the music changed. I glanced over at Diana, and she winked at me. Now I knew she was up to something.
"Would you like to stop?" my feet were starting to hurt, but I didn't want to be rude.
"If it's alright." He pulled me away from the dance floor and let me sit in a chair. "I'm sorry we stopped."
"It's fine, you're still human so compared to us vampires you tire out easily." That had to be a joke, but I just gave a smile.
"Marcus, there you are!" I turned and saw two other men with blonde women come our way. One man had onion white skin with shoulder-length jet-black hair, and the other the same length but with blonde hair. "Greetings princess." They bowed to me.
"Hello."
"Princess Isabella, these are my brothers and their mates, Aro and his wife Sulpicia, and Caius and his wife Athenodora." I nodded at them.
"It's a pleasure to meet all of you." They smiled at me.
"You are most definitely Lady Diana's descendant." The woman named Sulpicia said. "You have her beauty and her grace."
"Thank you."
"Princess Isabella, we are very sorry you had to go through such hard times after that coven abandoned you." Aro.
"Thank you, but to be perfectly honest it wasn't hard. I had my two friends to help me." I pointed to Jessica and Angela, both with their partners laughing and dancing still. "And they seem to be infatuated with your guards." Aro laughed.
"Indeed so, when they first saw your friends I believe they had…what's the saying…hearts in their eyes?"
"Stars in their eyes darling." Sulpicia kissed Aro's cheek. "You must forgive my husband, he's not quite caught up with modern times." I chuckled.
"I would agree though, those girls are rather interested in Felix and Demetri." Marcus.
"Princess Isabella." I turned and saw Galen. "Lady Diana wishes to speak with you."
"Thank you Galen." I stood up. "Excuse me." following Galen back to Diana's throne she motioned me to come closer.
"How are you so far?"
"It's great, Marcus was a complete gentleman." She smiled.
"I'm glad, and I can see how happy the girls are."
"This is becoming a great night Lady Diana."
"Wonderful." I felt like I could return, but then a thought came into my head. If Diana could see destinies, then did Marcus have something to do with it?
"Milady, um…is Marcus by any chance…" she nodded.
"He's your true mate."
Next one brings out a little alone time with Bella and Marcus, and a little more intrigue on what's going on with Jessica and Angela.
Feel free to tell me what you think!
R&R please!
Later!