Matters of the Heart
C9: Time for Truths
Standard Disclaimer: I don't own any of the recognizable characters.
Bella's POV
When we walked in I was shocked at what I saw. The Throne Room was brightly lit and while decorated to exude power, it also felt inviting. The three Queens sat on ornate thrones, but what was more surprising were the small tables next to them where their phones lay.
What surprised me more was both Jasper and Emmett standing among the guard in their robes, which on Emmett looked almost silly and I couldn't help but smile at them, getting one in return from both of them.
Esme noticed my bewildered look and smiled at me. "You seem surprised love. Did you expect torches and dark drapes?"
"Kind of, yes. I sure as hell didn't expect this." I said softly.
She smiled and squeezed my side. "Most humans don't love, even if it's usually the last thing they see."
"Ah Esme, it's good to see you again my dear, and with your mates too. I have to commend you for everything you have done. I know it was far from an easy thing we asked you to do." The Queen in the middle throne said with a bright smile as she stood and made her way over to us.
Esme smiled at her. "Thank you my Queen Sulpicia. It was difficult at times but I knew it would eventually right itself as wrongs often tend to do, and I will admit that it gave a lot of satisfaction reminding him exactly why he was in the situation he was in."
The Queens smiled and took her hand. "The pain you've suffered, I can feel it even without the aid of Jasper's gift." She said before reaching for mine.
"Queen Sulpicia has a gift akin to Edward's. She can see every thought you've ever had with one touch, but unlike him, she knows the meaning of and respects ones privacy." Esme explained with a soft smile.
I smiled at her and offered my hand, which the Queen took with a kind smile. "I've heard a lot about you, young one. Esme told me that you managed to block Edward's gift and it intrigued me." She said before her eyes fluttered closed.
"You're an enigma young one. I can see everything while Edward couldn't." She said after a minute.
I smiled at her. "Our theory is that it has to do with my gift, and I'll admit that I've become more and more curious about what that gift might be."
Sulpicia smiled kindly at me. "We made sure to invite our old friend for exactly that goal, dear one. We thought it prudent to first put Edward on trial. I am sure there are at least a few things you want to say to him before his death."
"Indeed I do, thank you for granting me that opportunity." I said honestly.
Sulpicia merely smiled as she continued to take everyone's hand, except for Alice and after she had seen everything, one of the other Queens came toward us. "If I may interrupt here love, their bond sings to me. May I take a closer look?"
Sulpicia smiled and nodded. "Of course love." She said as she released Rosalie's hand before stepping aside.
The raven-haired woman smiled at us. "Good morning Isabella. I'm Didyme. My gift allows me to see bonds in people and yours is singing to me like no other has done before. It's one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen, and yet it remains incomplete. It's wondrous to witness. Thank you for sharing."
I blushed a little as Esme pulled me into her and Alice, while Rosalie and Victoria came to stand next to us. "I felt the same thing, my Queen. The first time we were together it almost exploded in a rivulet of color." Esme said with a soft smile.
Didyme smiled at that. "I can only concur with that observation, my dear Esme, and you don't have to worry. Heidi will be back soon. She's fishing at the moment."
"I figured as much my Queen, and we don't mind waiting. We have many years together after all." Esme said with a soft smile.
Didyme smiled at that as Sulpicia came to stand next to her. "That you will, but I have to ask, did you set a date for Isabella to be turned already?" Sulpicia asked as she looked to Alice.
Alice smiled and gave my hand a squeeze. "I've seen her be a vampire as soon as a week after we're home, but we haven't set a date just yet. I am sure it will not take longer than six months."
Sulpicia smiled at her. "Sometimes I wish I could look inside your mind, young Alice. It would make a lot of things easier."
Alice smiled at her. "I know, but I am afraid that would drive you insane, my Queen. My visions have been numerous over the years."
"I am well aware of that dear, and I am happy that you always tell me everything I want to know. It speaks highly to your character." Sulpicia said kindly.
"Sulpicia, we are stalling the trial at this point. There will be plenty of time to get to know Esme's mates after the boy is tried and killed." The final Queen said a bit irritated from the throne on the right.
Sulpicia smiled at that. "Of course Athenodora. We'll get him out of the dungeons and judged immediately. Emmett, Demetri could you get our prisoner out of his cell and bring him here?"
The two nodded and bowed before taking off. "While they are fetching Edward, we need you to stand to the side. We need the center for the trial, short as it may be."
We nodded and stood off to the side, with both Esme and Victoria behind me while Alice and Rosalie stood beside me, all four of them touching me in one way or another. "Remember love, no matter what happens, we're here and he can't hurt you ever again. Just say what you want to say to him." Rosalie said softly as she gave my hand a squeeze.
I smiled and nodded at her, too nervous to give her the kiss I wanted to give her right now.
Alice's POV
While we waited for Edward to be brought in I couldn't help but glance at Bella, who while nervous seemed to be okay with what was about to happen, and honestly I couldn't blame her. What Edward had done to her was despicable and to see him meet his end today was something long overdue, because we all knew that Bella deserved and needed that closure.
Bella seemed to notice and gave me a smile, although she kept quiet as we heard Edward shouting in the halls as he was dragged over here, and judging by Bella's reactions she noticed it too, because her grin just kept widening, and I had to give her hand a squeeze to help her compose herself.
She merely gave me a smile as she schooled her features just seconds before Edward was dragged in, quite literally.
To say he looked disheveled would be an understatement, but what surprised me more were his red eyes, although given the fact that he had been here for at least a month, it would be expected. It would be dangerous if he got too hungry and she knew he would have no issue in feeding from a human.
When he caught sight of us he snarled and fought against the grip Emmett and Demetri had on him. "What are you doing between them Bella. Come here at once." He said with a snarl.
"Quiet boy. There is no need for you to speak. The only ones required to speak are young Bella and my wife." Athenodora said with an even more vicious snarl.
He growled at her. "I will do no such thing. She is mine and she will do as she is told. So come here before I come and get you."
"Felix, could you relieve him of his lower jaw please. His voice is grating on my last nerve already." Sulpicia said as she strode forward once again.
Felix did just that, removing Edward's lower jaw with a quick tear of grinding metal. "Much better. I believe you wanted to say a few words to him Isabella?"
Bella nodded and I felt her take a deep breath before she stepped forward. "You tried to take everything from me Edward, and you almost succeeded too. I was so happy when I met your family, because for the first time I had the feeling I belonged somewhere, but what did you do? You isolated me even from them all because you didn't want to part with your personal heroine baggie, as you've so often called me. I am here to tell you that you haven't broken me, I am not yours. Never was and never will be. I am right where I belong and I will sleep better tonight knowing that you are just ashes, probably carried away on the rainbow you've denied yourself for a hundred years."
He could only glare at her as he was forced to his knees, and it took everything in me not to giggle at that little zinger at the end of her speech, and a quick glance to Rose told me she had the same problem.
"Very well said Isabella. I don't think anyone could have said it better. Edward Cullen, for your blatant disregard of a mating bond, your continued disrespect for our rules and the sheer entitlement you've shown while you were here and therefor disrespecting us and everything we stand for, we in our capacity as Queens of the Volturi sentence you to death. I would ask if you would have any last words, but I think you've said enough over the last month. Demetri, relieve him of his head please." Sulpicia said with a bored expression, which we knew was a ruse for Edward.
Demetri did just that before he a lighter at the now slumped down body and then presenting his head to Sulpicia, who placed it in a brazier behind her throne. "Now that he is dealt with, I think it's best if you show Bella the Castle a little. Heidi should be back soon and I doubt you would want her to witness such a mass feeding."
All four of us looked at her. "Is that okay love?" I asked softly.
She nodded and smiled at me. "Yeah, I don't think my stomach is ready for that just yet."
"Then we will meet back here in an hour. By that time we should have cleaned everything up, and I have a feeling that Eleazar and our daughters should have arrived as well." Sulpicia said kindly.
Bella nodded at her. "I think my mates can find some way to entertain me for an hour I think. Esme told me there was a sizable library and there are few things I love more than lose myself in a book."
Sulpicia smiled and nodded as we were dismissed, and since Bella already had expressed wanting to go to the library, that was our first stop while we heard someone give a tour of the Castle.
"That's Heidi, she likes to give people a sense of security before she leads them to the Throne Room. It makes the blood taste sweeter, which is something we should probably talk about at some point, because at some point our animal diet is not going to be sustainable." Esme said softly as we walked through the halls.
Bella smiled at her. "I'm okay with anything you want to do, although I will admit I would like to try and spare innocent people."
"That speaks for itself love. There are plenty of people we can feed on in the Forks area, and once we decide to move, we'll choose a spot where the asshole level is plenty too." Esme said with a soft smile.
Bella giggled a little at that. "I don't think I have ever heard you curse, baby."
Esme smiled and pressed a kiss to her cheek as she opened the doors to the library, which got a gasp from Bella. "I'm not one to curse love. It was not how I was raised. I honestly don't think curse words really existed in my day."
Bella only nodded as she stepped into the library properly, looking around with wide eyes, which we unanimously agreed was absolutely adorable.
Bella's POV
When we walked back into the Throne Room a little over an hour later I was a bit surprised to see three blondes stand next to the thrones. "Ah Isabella, welcome back. I trust your foray to our library was satisfactory?" Sulpicia asked with a kind smile.
I blushed and nodded. "Yes my Queen. It was amazing to witness such an immense library. I've never seen anything like it before."
Sulpicia smiled at that. "Yes, we've heard that a lot over the last centuries, you are the first human we've allowed entry in over three hundred years, but I think we should introduce you to a few people. The three women now standing beside us are our daughters. Next to me is Tanya, next to Didyme is Irina and next to Athenodora is Kate."
The blondes smiled kindly at me. "Hello Bella. As our mother said, I'm Tanya Denali and these are my sisters Kate and Irina. It is good to meet you."
I smiled at her. "It's good to meet you too. I've heard quite a bit about you and your sisters. You usually live in Alaska, right?"
"Indeed we do. It is better for everyone, mostly because we are very much like our mothers and that sometimes leads to arguments." Tanya said kindly.
I smiled at that. "I can imagine that happening. Alpha personalities usually don't mix, especially when it's family."
Both Sulpicia and Tanya smiled at that. "It seems that everything Esme told me was true. You've really thrown yourself into learning everything you can about our world." Sulpicia said with a kind smile.
"I knew that everything Edward told me was a lie, and Alice and Rosalie confirmed that very early on. Once Edward was out of the picture after my accident, I vowed to myself that I would go into my change as informed as I possibly could, especially after I was almost turned beforehand. So far my mates have been nothing but open and honest with me and answered every single one of my questions, besides the one pertaining to my gift." I said honestly.
"Ah yes, your gift. Another reason we are here today. Eleazar, could you come forward please?" Sulpicia asked kindly.
A man clearly from Spanish descent nodded and stepped forward. "That is Eleazar love. He can detect gifts in both vampires and humans." Esme said softly.
The man gave me a friendly smile as he focused on me, which made me blush a little bit, still not used to being the center of attention with anyone who was not one of my four mates. "Remarkable. I've never seen anything like this. It appears she is a Soul Seer, my Queen. The ability to see the truth of one's intentions in their hearts."
The three Queens looked a bit shocked at this. "It seems you were meant to be a vampire young one. A Soul Seer is one of the most rare gifts in our world. In our three thousand years we've only known one other, who was in a similar relationship to you. You are meant to do great things." Didyme said with a kind smile.
I blushed a little at that as my four mates gave either my shoulders or hands a squeeze. "I will try not to disappoint, my Queen."
"I doubt you ever could Isabella. We look forward to see what your future holds." Athenodora said with a kind expression, albeit a bit stern.
I nodded and smiled at her. "I think for now that concludes the official part of this visit. Let's spend a little time in reconnecting a little and also getting to know Isabella a bit better, and I believe there is someone who desperately wants to meet you." Didyme said kindly.
We all smiled at her as a beautiful brunette stepped forward, her being the only one of the Guard who wasn't wearing a robe, but rather a very tight dress that clung to her figure, and I could honestly say that she could rival Rosalie in terms of beauty. She just oozed sexuality and I am pretty sure every vampire in the room could smell what effect she had on me. More surprisingly though was how Victoria seemed to be buzzing with excitement behind me.
Esme's voice snapped me out of my stare. "Heidi. It's so good to see you again. I've missed you so much."
Heidi smiled and gave her a hug. "Hey Esme, it's good to see you again too. It's been too long."
Esme smiled at her. "We have a lot to talk about Heidi."
"Yes, I believe we do. I was also hoping you could explain these things I felt ever since I saw your Coven walk in." Heidi said softly.
Esme nodded and smiled at her. "Of course I can, and I will as soon as the six of us are allowed to talk in private. This concerns us all after all." Heidi nodded and took a spot beside Esme and I just couldn't help but turn around and give her a smile.
She smiled back at me a bit unsure before we once again turned our attention to the Queens. "I think that we can be a bit more flexible with protocol for once. It's not like we'll have to say goodbye after today. Take all the time you need to talk to each other." Didyme said with a soft smile.
We all nodded and once again made our way out of the Throne Room after which Esme led us to an office type room close to the kitchens. "Before we talk about everything, I think it would be prudent to get Bella some lunch first. I can understand that you're a bit hungry."
I shook my head at her. "Not really, breakfast was plenty to last me until dinner. You made a bit more than you usually do."
Esme merely smiled at me as everyone took a seat, and it was little surprise that Esme pulled me into her lap.
Esme's POV
I could see that Heidi was nervous about what would be revealed. "Before we explain what is going on, there is something I have to know. Have the Queens at any point before our arrival talked to you about us?"
"Queen Didyme told me last week that it wouldn't be long before I would find my eternal happiness. I figured I would find my mate in one of you, but I have a feeling this is about something more." Heidi said softly.
I smiled at her. "Indeed it does. You know my gift and its similarity to Queen Didyme's. When we met Bella I knew immediately what we would share would be something special, namely a dynamic mating bond, but even then I knew that our it wasn't yet complete. Alice received a vision of you being our missing piece, and now that I can see both your reaction and bonds, I know it is true. How we proceed is entirely up to you, but know that if you want to embrace this as we have, you will have to come with us to America."
Heidi smiled at me. "That certainly explains why I am experiencing these feelings, and of course I would come with you all to America, if you would have me of course. I would hate to assume things."
Bella smiled sweetly at her. "Thanks to Alice we knew you were going to be a part of our dynamic and Esme of course told us a lot about you, but what truly seals this for me, is that my heart tells you that you will be an amazing addition to our Coven of love."
"I'll be honest and say that I've known one other member of your Coven even longer than I have known Esme, or didn't you tell them Victoria?" Heidi asked with a smile.
"I told them I knew you. My past is still a bit of a sore point for me as most of you well know. Heidi was a part of the Coven that my sister was also a part of, the Coven who turned me and were subsequently killed because of our Coven Leader's arrogance." Victoria said softly.
"We know love, I'm sure we would all like to get to know Heidi by her own words anyway." Bella said with a soft smile.
Heidi smiled at that. "I'll gladly tell you all everything you want to know. My life is an open book."
I smiled at her. "Come and sit closer Heidi, we won't bite, and it will make you feel more at peace too."
Heidi smiled and seemed to contemplate on where to sit, and I decided to make it easy for her by scooting over so she too could sit next to Bella, and apparently over lover had the same idea as she patted the seat.
That apparently was good enough for Heidi as she sat down next to the brunette. "I know you won't bite Esme, you've never been that snappy." Heidi said with a grin.
"Oh trust me that I can be. We've been having some issues with shifters that live close to our home and I think with you there we'll be able to make our point more firmly. I've snapped plenty at them over the last eighty years." I said with a soft smile.
Heidi smiled at that. "I'll gladly help you all make them see sense, difficult as it may be. Shifters can be quite dense after all. I've also never been to America, so I do want to know what it is like to live there."
"That depends on who you ask, but overall there are plenty of opportunities for those willing to look for them. We of course have plenty of funds available and we all like to dabble in our own hobbies. I do think however once Bella is turned we'll be called upon frequently to help her sate her newborn hormones." I said with a smile.
Bella blushed a little at that. "Well, you have all said that I've turned into minx over the last few weeks, so I don't see that changing any time soon."
Heidi smiled at that, suddenly much more interested in participating in the conversation. "And here I was expecting a blushing human who wouldn't dare to talk about anything related to sex."
"She's also in for just about anything, so I foresee a lot of fun nights in our future." Alice said with a soft smile to Bella.
"As long as it doesn't involve bondage or extreme forms of role play, I'm game to try everything at least once. As long as we can actually talk about it first." Bella said with a similar smile.
Her smile was infectious because soon all of us were smiling at her. "There is one other thing you should know Heidi. Since Bella is still human when we will complete our bond, she will be the center of our world until such time she will be turned, which I don't think will be too long after we return."
"I figured as much, because even now I feel this insane urge to protect and care for her, while my usual method is something quite different. I'm more used to getting my kicks and then draining my prey, but I don't get that with Bella at all." Heidi said softly.
"It's the same for all of us. When I first met Bella I was still with this sadistic asshole that wanted to kill her, and I did nothing to help her then. I will always feel guilty about the fact that I let her get hurt." Victoria said softly.
Bella smiled and gave Victoria's hand a squeeze. "It's okay love, you did nothing wrong. Your fear of James was more than valid. There is no reason for you to feel guilty. Other than killing him on that field it was inevitable that he would make me his latest game. In the end the joke was on him because it would be his last."
Victoria smiled at her as she took Bella's hand. "That is certainly true, but that won't stop me from doing everything to make it up to you."
Bella just smiled at her. "I must say that this family dynamic is very interesting to see. I can't wait to see what it is like to be a part of it."
I smiled at her. "It can be whatever you want it to be Heidi, there will never be any pressure, and knowing you like I do, I think you'll fit in perfectly."
Heidi smiled at me. "While it will be difficult to see you as a lover after everything we've shared over the centuries, I can only agree with you."
"You'll be a perfect fit Heidi, not just in our family, but as our mate as well. We'll be happy forever, especially when Bella is turned." Alice said with an almost giddy smile.
Bella of course blushed a little at that, but I know she was looking forward to the future as much as we were.
