Chapter Forty Eight.

Bella

I said goodbye to Jasper and the others at the hotel, with a last lingering kiss goodbye I turned my back and walked to the main square. The entrance to the Volturi Stronghold was through the door at the base of the Clock Tower there and I blinked when I walked into the dimly lit reception area from the sunny square. Behind a desk sat a pretty human who greeted me asking my business. By her attitude it was plain she thought I was a tourist who had stumbled in here by mistake.

"Can I help you?"

I smiled at her brightly,

"I certainly hope so. I'm here to meet someone"

Her smile brightened,

"Are you sure you are in the right building? Perhaps I can be of assistance, who were you hoping to meet?"

Now I dropped the bomb,

"My father, Aro Volturi. Could you tell him its his daughter, Isabella Swan."

Her face went white and her hands shook as she asked me to wait, waving to a comfortable seating area. I smiled brightly once more and went to sit, flicking through the magazines laid out although I didn't understand a word of the Italian.

I didn't wait very long before double doors swung open and a young woman came out looking at the receptionist who directed over to where I was sitting.

"Miss Swan?"

"Yes"

I got up slowly looking her over.

She had a hard face although it could have been pretty if she smiled.

"I'm Jane. We were expecting a call to pick you up"

"Oh I thought I'd surprise my father. I hope that's OK?"

She nodded curtly and ushered me through a set of ornate doors behind which lay a long blank stone corridor, very 50's horror. I half expected Christopher Lee or Vincent Price to loom out of the darkness but the corridor was empty besides us. As we walked along I realised that I was the only one making a noise, Jane was as silent as a ghost.

At the end of this corridor was an elevator the doors of which slid open silently and we stepped in. The doors closed and we went up a few floors before stopping. The corridor beyond the doors now was more comfortable with richly coloured rugs scattered along its length and oil paintings adorning the walls. Just to annoy my escort I stopped to look at a few of them. Some were portraits while others showed historical battles or pastoral scenes. When we eventually got to the end of this corridor two guards waited to open the huge oaken doors for us and I knew I was about to meet my biological father at last.

The room was huge and circular, lit by huge chandeliers at night and a great glass dome during the day. There were seating areas scattered around the chamber and at the far end a kind of dais with three very plain wooden chairs. These were empty and I looked as a man with long glossy black hair turned and approached us with a beaming smile on his narrow lipped face. As with all vampires he had very pale skin but his looked very fragile as if he were very old although the face was that of a middle aged man. He extended his hands in welcome and spoke,

"Isabella, at last we meet. I've waited a long time to greet you."

"Hello Aro, or should I call you father?"

He smiled,

"Aro will be fine. I hear anger in your voice my daughter, and I'm sure you have many questions for me but first let me introduce you to my brothers"

He motioned with his hand and two more vampires came forward,

"This is Marcus",

A very tall, angular vampire with a tragic expression nodded sombrely.

"And this is Caius"

He was also tall and slightly younger looking but his face showed nothing but anger as he inclined his head in greeting.

I just stood and looked, letting the silence hang in the air between us.

Aro

She was indeed my daughter, standing tall and unbowed by her surroundings and out waiting us. I smiled and held out my hand. She looked at it then stepped forward to place hers in mine. I closed my eyes and waited, it would be fascinating to see her thoughts from birth to meeting me today. But I saw nothing, her mind was closed to my gift and I smiled.

"So Isabella, you hide your thoughts from me? Not very kind."

"Oh I'm not kind father. I think I get my nature from you."

Feisty too? How refreshing!

"Well I think we should take our conversation to somewhere more comfortable and in the meantime perhaps Jane would make sure that your room is prepared, you will be staying tonight my dear?"

It wasn't a question but she didn't attempt to answer. Jane nodded and smiled but I saw the glare she shot Bella before leaving and concealed a smile. So my daughters were enemies all ready, due no doubt to the disappointment I had shown when Isabella escaped before.

Bella

Aro wanted to play games, as if my freedom were of no consequence. He hadn't thought about the fact that I wasn't a fragile little human and I owed him for Renee's suffering. I wondered if Aro ever gave her a thought or if he was even aware I might. We walked together with his brothers through a smaller door into a much smaller chamber with cushioned seats placed around a fire. My father noticed my look at the log fire,

"We thought you might find the room a little cool as a human. I want you to be comfortable Isabella."

"Its Bella" I said shortly.

He raised an eyebrow,

"Really? I was under the impression your mother had called you Isabella."

"No, you did that. Renee and I always agreed on Bella. Its the name I answer to, not Isabella."

I was drawing my first line in the sand and waited for his reaction. He shrugged,

"Very well, Bella. I want you to be comfortable here and while you are still human you need warmth and food. Gianna will be bringing you a selection of snacks and coffee in a few minutes."

"I'm not hungry but thank you for the thought. I realize its quite an honour to be shown consideration by you"

Caius stifled a smile at that but Aro looked affronted.

"Please Bella, I don't know what you have heard about me but I hope I am always thoughtful of others."

"You didn't consider my mother though did you?"

Aro

Bella wanted to start with a fight, not totally unexpected.

"I'm not sure what you are referring to Bella."

"After you got my mother pregnant you left her to have your daughter, suffer and die."

"Your mother's illness was unfortunate but not wholly my fault. She decided to run and try to hide you from me, your rightful father. If she had stayed I may have been able to help her with her illness."

"Really? How many of your children's mothers did you help Aro?"

"That is immaterial. What is important is that you are here now, ready to live with us and help us in our work of keeping the secret."

I shook my head,

"No one said anything about staying or helping you. I may not want to"

Aro grimaced,

"You may not have a choice Bella. You are after all human and as such you have already broken our most fundamental law, keep the secret from the humans. Of course you would never be punished for what you know but neither could you go back and after all what do you have to go back to?"