Chapter 5: A childhood friend. (Sam and Bella)
Switzerland, Bella age 10, Sam age 11
A child's quiet laughter echoed throughout the chilled-filled morning. They were going to be in trouble when their guard found them but to the child, it was worth it.
The smell of chocolate and bread was too enticing to resist. With quiet feet and a hungry belly, the little girl walked into the bakery.
" ah miss Volturi! Sneaking out again I propose?" the owner of the shop asked in Swedish.
Isabella now fluent in 6 different languages smiled and said " I can't resist your chocolate bread Mr. Johansson and by the time I get to you in the afternoon it will be all gone. " Isabella pouted
Mr Johansson shook his head
"It's not safe for little girls to sneak out. Especially a Volturi. I'll give you the bread but you must go straight home. Is that clear?"
" Yes sir!"
"Good girl!"
Isabella skipped happily as she ate the sticky bread.
She only got to have it once a year when her family came to vacation at their cottage in Switzerland.
Over the past four years, she got good at sneaking away from her family and her bodyguards. Isabella hated being cooped up. She wanted to go outside! She wanted to play! But there was never anyone her age or human to play with.
Her family did their best but it would never compare to having a friend her age.
The only other human she interacted with was Bianca ànd when she did get the rare chance to interact with humans, they thought she was weird and often made fun of her for not having an arm.
Isabella shook those dark thoughts away and went back to eating her bread
However, she was so distracted she didn't see the person coming her way.
At least not until she hit the ground.
"watch where you're going!" A dark voice growled.
Isabella sneered at the person.
"it was an accident! You don't have to be rude about it!" she told them as she stood up and dusted herself off.
Of course with only one hand, she had dropped the chocolate bread, but the box simply flipped upside down, instead of falling out.
"Who do you think you are!" the person growled. It didn't sound human.
This time Isabella turned around to face her bully. But she was surprised to find a boy who looked to be about her age. Maybe a little older. He had long black hair that was braided. He also wore a brown poncho with orange and red geometric shapes on them. A strange symbol she had never seen before stitched unto it. His eyes were bright yellow.
"I'm Isabella, nice to meet ya." She greeted as she put the box back on the ground and stuck out her hand for him to shake.
The boy sneered at her at first, but then he noticed her arm or lack thereof. The yellow in his eyes dimmed a little.
" Samuel." He greeted her. " I didn't mean to knock you down."
"It's alright, I should have been paying attention. Are you going to shake my hand or not? It's rude to leave someone hanging."
Samuel's eyes widened and he cocked his head at her. After a minute, he took his hand in hers and both children gasped.
An electric current went through them, making the hair on their arms stand up.
Before either could question it, A growl sounded from Samuel's stomach.
Isabella laughed and said "Are you hungry? Cause I am. Want some of my chocolate bread?"
When she opened the box, Samuel couldn't help but drool.
"uh, sure."
She shoved the box into his hands.
"you can have it. come on, let's go to the café! Mr. Johansson will feed us!"
Ten minutes later, with a promise to return home safely, Isabella and Samuel found themselves sitting under a tree, their feet in the cold river eating warm bread and hot cocoa.
"Where are you from?" Isabella asked him curiously.
"none of your business." Samuel sneered as he ate his bread.
"you are really mean," Isabella told him.
Samuel shrugged and said, "That's cause im supposed to be."
"Who told you that?"
"my dad. I'm going to be in charge one day. I have to be mean."
Isabella scrunched her nose.
"being mean only makes people afraid of you."
"Are you afraid of me?"
"nope. I think you're just grouchy.
The two children looked at each other before they both burst out into laughter.
"Hey, your eyes are yellow again. I think it's kind of cool. It's better than red eyes."
Samuel looked at Isbaella in surprise.
"You like my eyes? wait? You've seen red eyes before? where? Where are the red eyes?"
Isabella was quick to cover her mouth with her hand.
"I'm sorry I said too much."
Before Samuel could ask another question, both children jumped when a voice sounded in the distance.
"ISABELLA MARIE VOLTURI!"
Isabella jumped up., handing her half-eaten bread to Samuel.
"uh oh! That is my full name. im in deep trouble. See ya later Samuel! Nice to meet you! maybe we can meet back here tomorrow! Bye!"
Samuel stared after the strange girl as she ran into the distance.
….
"Isabella! Do you have any idea how worried everyone was when they realized you were gone? You can't keep sneaking out, master caius will surely put you over his knee and whoop you."
"But Uncle James I'm too old for whoopings." Isabella pouted.
A laugh sounded from above as a woman's fire-red hair jumped down from a tree.
"oh my goodness James, I swear the men in this coven underestimate our little warrior."
"Aunt Vicky!" Isabella greeted as she ran into her arms.
"Hello, my little warrior. I swear you get bigger every time I see you!" Victoria greeted as she swung the girl into her arms.
"That's because im eating all the vegetables Mama sculpia is making me eat. She makes me eat roasted Brussels sprouts with a sweet chili sauce. But then Papa Aro complains that the Brussels sprouts make me fart."
"to be fair your farts are deadly." James joked.
"yeah, but it's not as bad when mama didyme makes me eat broccoli. But I like Papa Marcus's mushroom and onion stirfry the best. It's really good. Mmm, food."
Victoria laughed as she swung the little girl onto her back.
"come on little warrior, let's get you some food."
…
Isabella was greeted by a very angry Papa Caius when Victoria put her down. He was wearing a silk black robe and his hair was rumpled.
"Young lady you have five seconds to explain to us why you were not in your bed this morning and why you almost made Mama Athenadora cry when she didn't find you in your bed this morning."
Hearing his angry voice, her other parents came into the room. all of them had looks of displeasure and worry on thier face. Papa Marcus squatted down to her eye level. His frame practically hovered over her. That was her favorite thing about her Papa Marcus, he made her feel protected. Especially when he carried her right before bed.
"figlia mia, eravamo molto spaventati per la tua sicurezza. non avevamo idea di dove fossi." (my daughter, we were very frightened for your safety. we had no idea where you were)
Isabella hung her head in shame and embarrassment. The tips of her ears turned red when she finally admitted to why she snuck out.
"Sono sgattaiolato fuori perché tutti voi stavate trascorrendo il vostro um... momento da adulti e non volevo interrompervi. per non parlare del fatto che era davvero rumoroso. voglio dire, c'erano molti ruggiti in corso..." (i snuck out because you all were having your um..adult time and I didnt want to interrupt. not to mention it was really loud. i mean their was a lot of roaring going on...)
Everyone around Isabella froze. It was just last year when the family sat down and explained where babies came from. It was brought up because Isabella had walked in on one of the guards having a very wild romp in the library. Caius, Marcus, and Aro were very quick to behead the lower-ranking guard for his drastic behavior. Every last member of the Volturi knew of Isabella's existence and were all sworn to protect her. NOT become careless in their sexual proclivities. And yet here they were being lost in their own passions while their daughter slept. Horror and shame ran through the kings and queens' bodies, at being heard by their child.
However, a snort and laughter broke them out of the shock. Victoria buried her face in James's shoulder as she laughed.
"that's why she was up! because you guys were roaring in passion! Aha! Wait until Alistair hears this!"
It was only because James, Alistiar, and Victoria were one of their top guards, that Victoria was allowed to poke fun at the kings and Queens. Anyone else would have gotten their tongue ripped out.
Instead of giving them a minute to recuperate, Victoria swung Isabella back on her back and said "Come on little warrior, how about a veggie omelet with extra cheese? Let's let your parents get dressed."
"Victoria I want your report about your mission on my desk by this afternoon!" Caius ordered.
"Whatever you say, master. but you might want to tighten your belt, we can see your loins."
It was then Caius looked down, and one could indeed see his… ahem, loins.
If vampires could blush Caius surely would be.