A/N Bella's dress can be found on my profile. I know, you're all waiting for the next one! I'm considering posting it tonight after work, if you're really anxious :) Thanks for all the love!

Fill Me with Your Poison Chapter 17

A vampire wedding didn't follow a lot of traditions. Edward and Bella spent the night in one another's arms, making love and talking without words. Plans were finalized and refined. All that was left was to carry them out. They gave each other encouragement, their faith in one another unparalleled. They also made their most important vow, to be whole and united when all was said and done.

The one custom that Bella insisted upon observing was that Edward not see her dress until she walked down the aisle. She'd gotten it specifically with him in mind, and she wanted that gift of stunning him speechless when he laid eyes upon her for the first time. Edward couldn't argue with that because he knew seeing her would take his breath away, if he had any to take.

With one final kiss, he bid her goodbye, leaving her to the devices of several of the females in the family. Bella had leaned pretty heavily upon Chelsea since they'd met, even asking her to be her maid of honor in lieu of Jessica and Lauren. Humans weren't invited to the proceedings, for their own comfort. Bella planned to include them in what she considered to be her "real" wedding in LaPush, after all was said and done.

Chelsea had been incredibly flattered when Bella asked her to stand for her and had readily agreed. The bridal party was quite strategic, if a little strange by modern standards. Bella's side would include Sulpicia, as her matron of honor, Chelsea as maid of honor, and Heidi and Gianna as bridesmaids. Edward's side included Aro, as best man, Emmett, Jasper, and James. Marcus was to stand as officiant, and Caius would be assisting, his rightful place being with his brothers.

The inclusion of James in the wedding party was ostensibly to bury old grudges, but in reality, it was strategic. Demetri was going to be in the seats to take on the potential issue of Alec, Jane, and anybody else who thought about moving against them. This was also why Aro and Sulpicia were included, instead of just sitting in as parents of the groom. Edward wanted them within easy reach when things started to happen.

"You seem lost in thought, my son."

Aro's voice shook Edward out of his strategizing, and he gave his father a bright smile.

"I'm just counting the minutes until Bella is officially my wife."

Aro laughed and clapped a hand on his shoulder, listening intently to Edward's thoughts. The groom kept trying different dresses on his bride in his head, each just as beautiful as the last.

"You are besotted. I knew it, of course, but it is quite something to see. I had my doubt that we'd ever have a day like this."

Edward tilted his head, studying his father intently. "Why?"

"Walk with me," Aro suggested, leading Edward into the open courtyard in the center of the castle. Once, it had been Edward's prison, the place where he and the others had been forced to play, hidden away from the world like the vampires they'd one day come to be. In times of introspection, Edward would occasionally wonder if his initial desire to out the vampires was a symbolic step toward the freedom he'd longed for as a child. No longer did he need to hide in a secluded castle and deny who he was. He was Edward Cullen, vampire, and he wasn't ashamed of it. He was only ashamed of how it had come to be and the vampire who had made it so.

"You hated it here."

Edward's head whipped to Aro in surprise. His father hadn't been touching him in that moment, and fear clutched at his heart. Was Aro more powerful than he'd ever let on?

"Did you think I couldn't see your discontent? You were such an expressive child. I didn't have to read you to know that you wanted your family back. You grew to accept this life, to excel in it, but you weren't happy. Not even when I gave in to your request that we expose our true selves to the rest of the world. No, son, you've never been truly happy until Isabella came along."

Edward felt the vise grip on his body relax. "You're right. I never knew something was missing inside of me until Bella walked into the club. She's helped me to appreciate the family that you've given me."

Aro cocked an eyebrow. "How is that?"

"Her mother left when she was just a child." Edward watched Aro for any hint of recognition and got none. "And her father, well, he's an asshole." Aro burst out laughing, which made Edward grin. "To say that he was upset in Bella's choice to change and her mating to me would be an understatement. He's more or less disowned her."

"His loss is our gain. We're more than happy to have Isabella here with us."

"Thank you, Father. It means the world to both of us that she has a place where she's loved and accepted for who she is. I think that's one of the reasons that she's fallen so hard and fast for Volterra. She feels like she belongs here."

"You both do. You needed the time away, time to get perspective and to get over your discontent."

"I wasn't unhappy. I just wasn't complete."

Aro agreed with a nod. "An incomplete, possibly discontented man is a threat. He seeks to fill the hole within in ways that can be detrimental."

Edward steeled himself at Aro's words. "What are you saying, Father?"

"I feared that your ambition was going to get in the way of what we sought to accomplish here. Your gift, your hunger for something different, was a constant worry for me."

"I don't want what you have." At one time, he had, but that was only for the satisfaction of besting Aro. Now he just wanted to be free of him and to free Bella's mother from his clutches.

"I can see that. Finding your mate has satisfied you in ways that I thought you'd sought to fill with power and vengeance."

"You honestly thought I was a threat?" Edward outwardly scoffed at the very idea.

"It is by identifying potential threats that I manage to remain in power, son. There are few vampires that I've ever discounted as a potential threat. Heavy is the head that wears the crown."

Edward managed not to roll his eyes at Aro's elevating himself to a kinglike status; after all, the man did sit on a throne when conducting formal business.

"At one time, I did envy your power and your position," Edward told him, giving Aro the validation he wanted. "I couldn't fathom wanting anything else, perhaps because this"-he gestured around the courtyard-"was all I knew. But going out into the world, interacting with humans, running the club, being a part of such a gigantic change for our kind, gave me a bigger perspective. And then Bella came along, and I had everything that I could possibly want."

Edward touched his father's arm, showing him his sincerity. "I don't envy your position. The constant fear, the need for guards and protection…it suits you. It wouldn't suit me, not any longer. I want to be able to show Bella the world without fear that someone would usurp my position while I was gone. Or worse, attack either one of us. She is my greatest strength and my greatest weakness, and I couldn't be without her."

"Marcus is right; you do have a far more unique bond than even most mated pairs. I love your mother beyond words, perhaps to the point of madness. But I would go on without her. I believe you when you say that you couldn't without Bella."

"I could not."

"And you know, by telling me this…"

"That I only increase your hold over me? That I give you the power to destroy me by destroying her? Yes, but you already knew this without me telling you. Perhaps by acknowledging it, I can lay any remaining fears you may have to rest. I won't risk her. I can't."

His words rang true, and Aro patted him reassuringly. "She'll be safe here, with all of us. It's a shame that she has the same talent as you do, although having two mind readers in the fold hardly hurts us. What did Eleazar have to say about her?"

Edward furrowed his brow. "Haven't you spoken to him? He saw the same things in her that he saw in me, of course. He was surprised by how perfectly matched we were."

Aro smiled indulgently. "Like Marcus is."

"Yes. Eleazar said that he had a lead on a true talent and was off to investigate. I assumed it was for you, although perhaps he wanted to see if the talent was real before he got in touch with you."

"I haven't heard from him." Aro frowned. "Neither have Carmen, Kate, Tanya, or Irina. Did he say, or think, what this talent was? Perhaps something happened."

Edward shook his head. "He didn't. He took off shortly after meeting with us. He didn't even say in what direction he was headed, but I know he wasn't positive if the talent was real or not. Perhaps he's somewhere with no cell reception."

"It's possible. God knows Zafrina lives in the jungle, for some unfathomable reason. I'm surprised she came to the wedding."

"Everybody seems to have shown up," Edward observed wryly.

Aro laughed. "Your wedding is a reason to celebrate! They want to pay respects to me and my eldest son." He patted Edward's back. "Come. Let's socialize some before the big event. There are people here who haven't seen you in years."

Aro sounded rather reproachful when he said that, so Edward grinned. "They'll see a lot more of me from here on out."

"I'm so glad to hear that, son."

Xoxoxoxoxoxo

"You make me want to get married. Wow!"

Bella laughed as she turned away from the full-length mirror, her dress swirling lightly with her movement. She knew she'd never been more beautiful. She'd selected this dress with her mate in mind. He kept telling her she could be the queen of the world, if she so desired, and she'd decided to play with that a bit. In her mind, queen-like dresses were lacy and old-looking and really not her, so she'd gone it a step better. For what was more powerful than a queen but a goddess?

Her dress was a long white column of chiffon, with a strapless sweetheart neckline with a sash that wrapped around one side of her neck and attached to her bust with a flower. The top was ruched with a high waistband that made Bella's waist look tiny. The back was corseted, and the dress was light and airy. Bella looked every inch like Aphrodite, the Goddess of Love, or Helen of Troy, whose face had launched a thousand ships. She was stunning.

Her hair was a mass of curls pinned around her face, a few hanging down but primarily swept back so the dress could be the star. Her make-up was light, just a little darkening around the eye to make her look a little dramatic.

"I think Edward will approve," Bella murmured, swirling her dress again. She loved it. She wanted to go dancing on the beach in this dress. Perhaps after…

Chelsea ushered Bella back into the chair and began weaving some pretty little white flowers into her hair. "You're gorgeous. Edward is going to swallow his tongue."

Bella laughed lightly. "He'd better not. I'm rather attached to it." The girls rang out in peals of laughter at her dirty comment.

"Damn, you're well matched," Heidi told her when she was able to stop laughing. The gorgeous woman really found herself liking Bella. She was excited to have a new female around. Especially one who had a sense of humor. Too many of the old matrons in Volterra were boring and lifeless in her book.

"We think so," Bella said with a soft smile. "He's everything I never knew I wanted. He came into my life when I was ready for a change, and well, here I am. Everything has changed for the better."

"You are a very lucky girl," Sulpicia intoned, looking down at her soon-to-be daughter-in-law with a critical eye. "Edward could have had any woman in the world, and he selected you." Her tone indicated that she found Bella lacking. She felt free to share her opinion now that her son wasn't around to get angry with her for mistreating his mate.

Bella just smiled as she looked into Sulpicia's wild eyes. "Yes, he could have. I count my blessings every day that it was me. I'm lucky that he had the foresight to convince Aro that vampires belonged in the light and made his way to Seattle, to me. Fate stepped in."

Sulpicia sniffed and fussed with her now-perfect green gown. She'd chosen the color because it matched Edward's eyes when he was a child and because it looked beautiful with her auburn hair. It fit perfectly, skimming over her body like a glove.

"We make our own fate," she told Bella.

"Perhaps. Edward certainly made his when he chose to leave here and come to Seattle." Bella couldn't stop herself from flinging that little barb at the woman.

Sure enough, it hit home. Sulpicia winced at the memory of Edward leaving. She'd been bereft for a long time over it.

"Surely you believe in fate, though," Bella continued, as if she hadn't just slapped at her almost pseudo mother-in-law. "What is mating, other than fate? You meet a perfect stranger, and in an instant, they become your entire world."

Bella couldn't help but think of her mother, to wish that she'd been given a real opportunity to find hers, instead of just being bound to Phillip without her consent. It helped her feel better that the two women she planned to punish for it were in the room with her as she got ready for her wedding. She was going to be willingly bound to Edward forever, and then she'd free her mother from her false bonds. Hopefully they'd both have wonderful new beginnings.

"Aro and I were together before we were vampires," Sulpicia told her. "We chose one another as humans."

"That's wonderful," Bella responded. "He was your soul mate always. It's quite romantic, don't you think?"

"We fit. Romance fades in time, especially when you're alive for eternity. But if you're suited and you support one another's needs and desires, it is enough."

Bella didn't really agree with that. She knew her Edward. He would romance her always. And she would want him until the day she died. But his needs and desires, she understood. She supported them, as he supported hers. They'd melded together to fit perfectly for this day. The fact that their needs tied in and would be dealt with after their wedding only served to reassure Bella that she and Edward were indeed fated. Together, they would take down those who had imprisoned him and her mother. It didn't get better than that.

"Are you okay?" Chelsea asked, smoothing a loose curl behind Bella's right ear. "You seem strange."

Bella focused on the pretty woman, seeing the look of worry on her face. She could see that the bonds coming off of her were moving, as if her allegiance was shifting. Except, of course, for her bond to Edward. That was as strong and true as it had been from the first moment Bella saw it when she'd absorbed Chelsea's power. The strong red ribbon fascinated her, but now was not the time.

Is Sulpicia causing a problem, making Bella second guess her loyalty to Aro? I'll have to work my magic before the ceremony.

Bella concentrated on the bonds that appeared to be fraying, strengthening her resolve. She wouldn't think of the plan any longer. She focused on her desire to make Edward proud and to be a good daughter to his parents. The bonds solidified in front of her and Chelsea's eyes, satisfying them both.

"I'm fine." Bella lowered her voice, even though Sulpicia could still hear her. "I fear she doesn't like me very much."

Gianna laughed. "Don't worry, Bella. She wouldn't like anybody that took her Edward away. It's nothing personal. She just wanted to be number one in his eyes, and now that he's mated, that can't happen."

"I understand," Bella hastened to assure them. "It's hard for any mother to let their child go, although in this case, she's kind of getting him back since we've decided to return here after our honeymoon."

"I don't have a problem with my son mating," Sulpicia informed them. "I just wish he would have taken more time to find the perfect woman."

Gianna rolled her eyes. "Bella is his perfect woman. She's his mate, after all. There's only one for each of us."

"Perhaps. Nobody's ever tried to see if they had another, have they?" Sulpicia asked. "Everyone just settles for the one that comes along first."

"That's an interesting theory," Bella said, thinking of Emmett. She'd like to believe that if Rose never returned to him, perhaps Emmett could find his mate in someone else. She very much wanted that to be true. "Have you ever heard of anyone finding a new mate after losing their first?"

"No," Sulpicia told her. "Most vampires don't survive the loss of their mate. Those who do turn into someone like Marcus, morose and disinterested in the world around them." Her disgust for her brother-in-law was quite clear.

"I can't blame him. I don't think I could go on if something were to happen to Edward."

Sulpicia's head snapped toward Bella, her glare hot enough to melt a glacier. "Nothing will ever happen to Edward."

Damn right, Bella thought. Not as long as I'm alive.

"Of course not," Bella agreed. "I'd never let anyone hurt him."

"Nor would I," Sulpicia informed her snottily. I'd kill you in a heartbeat if you ever hurt him.

"Good," Bella said with a sweet smile. "I'm glad Edward has fierce women like us on his side. How could he go wrong?"

"Indeed," Heidi agreed. "Now, what do you say we get you to your mate? I want to see Edward lose his shit when the boys lay eyes on you. This wedding could be a bloodbath."

Bella laughed loudly. If you only knew! "He'll behave."

For now.