Author Note : I hope you enjoy this chapter! It's not as dark as Chapter 7, so there are no warnings this time. There is vampire feeding, though. And some Marcus/Bella bonding time! Let me know what you think! The next chapter will have a lot more Bella/Marcus time together, too.
Disclaimer - I don't own Twilight or its characters!
Chapter 8.
Bella looked so peaceful as she slept in his arms. She had been through so much, it made Marcus's heart ache for her.
"Corin, my dear, please leave us." Sulpicia told the guard.
Corin released Bella's shoulder and, with a bow to her queen, left the East wing.
"We need to exterminate those mutts." Caius hissed.
"A few of them helped Bella." Dora told her mate as she touched his knee. "She deserves a say in whether those ones need to be punished."
"Victoria doesn't need any trial." Sulpicia spoke up as she stared at the sleeping human. "She's been proven guilty, you should just kill her, Marcus."
"Perhaps Isabella should have a say in Victoria's punishment." Marcus told them as he ran his finger down his mate's cheek.
"This would be so much easier if I could just read Isabella's mind!" Aro exclaimed.
"Or perhaps Isabella would like to learn the joys of torture with Victoria as her first." Caius said with a cruel grin.
Bella sighed in her sleep, turning her head into Marcus's neck and tucking it under his chin. He in turn tightened his arms around her.
"Maybe I should change her sooner rather than later." Marcus murmured.
"But brother, you were worried before about Isabella's mental health." Aro reminded him.
"What does it matter now if she loses her memories?" Marcus asked them. "I didn't know what she had been through. Waking up with a blank slate could be a blessing to her."
"Bella deserves to decide that, Marcus." Dora said gently.
"I just want her to be happy here." Marcus sighed sadly.
"Then let's make her happy!" Aro exclaimed, beaming as he clapped his hands.
Bella whimpered in her sleep and Marcus hissed at his brother.
"Imbecile." Caius muttered as he stared at Aro.
Aro glared at Caius and opened his mouth with a retort.
"Don't start you two!" Sulpicia ordered them.
The two kings glared at each other but kept their mouths closed for the time being.
"Perhaps you could take her on a date, Marcus?" Dora suggested to him. "And Sulpicia and I could help her get ready."
"Ooooh, perhaps a play!" Aro mentioned. "Do you think she likes those?" He was clueless without using his gift.
"Perhaps." Marcus told them.
"Show her the gardens." Caius told Marcus. "Maybe the sunshine outside will help. She's as pale as us, she could definitely use it." The blonde king would not admit it aloud, but he was worried about the health of his brothers' mate.
"All splendid ideas!" Dora smiled.
"She did not eat much today." Marcus realized with a frown. "Perhaps a light breakfast followed by lunch in the garden? Then maybe a play." He pondered as he stared at his mate's sleeping face.
"That sounds lovely, Marcus." Sulpicia tried reassuring him.
"I think it's time I had a drink." Caius said as he noticed Marcus's eyes being darker than usual. "When was the last time you fed brother?"
"A while ago." Marcus admitted.
With their age, they only had to feed every month and a half. They could stretch it longer if needed though.
"Heidi did arrange for some prisoners to be delivered to us. Shall we see if they have arrived?" Aro asked.
"I don't want to leave her alone." Marcus was firm as he held his mate closer.
"I'm sure Jane would not mind watching over the little queen for a short time." Aro informed his brother.
"She hasn't fed either, not since before we left for Washington." Marcus said.
"Jane!" Cauis called softly.
The short blonde vampire appeared a moment later.
"Yes, Master?" She asked as her eyes strayed to Bella.
Marcus saw her bond strengthen to his mate and could sense her worry for the human from his place on the couch.
"I wanted to inquire on if you'd watch Isabella while we fed tonight?" Marcus asked her kindly. "I won't be gone long."
"Of course, Master Marcus! I do not mind at all." She informed the king. "I can just feed at a later time tonight."
"We'll save you one, dear!" Aro informed her happily as he and Sulpicia stood from the couch. They left the office and then the East wing.
Caius went to follow along but saw Dora lagging behind. "Dora?" He asked.
Athenodora glanced out the office door at the king-sized bed.
"Will that blanket be enough to keep her warm?" She asked Marcus as he rose from the couch with his mate.
"I can get her a thicker quilt!" Jane said and was gone quickly.
Marcus made his way to the bed where Athenodora pulled back the blankets for him. He laid Bella down gently, pulling the blanket to her chin. Athenodora stepped back into Caius's chest. The blonde king kissed her temple, and began to lead her away from his brother's room.
Jane returned quickly with a beautiful embroidered blanket. It was quite thick and very soft. Marcus watched as she placed it over Bella and then tucked it around the human. She was a very good friend to his mate.
"I will return shortly." Marcus informed her as she walked into his office and returned with a book.
"OK, Master." She told him as she sat in his desk chair, opening the book and beginning to read.
Marcus left his room and began his journey to the throne room. The Volturi had a system set up for their feedings. There were so many of them, they couldn't very well go around Volterra draining people. Instead, they had it set up to pay wardens to "transfer" some of their worst offenders. They were then transported to the underground Volturi garage. Then they were led through tunnels to the throne room. When they had been drained, the vampires moved the grate in the floor, throwing the bodies down to a secure room. They would then be incinerated and never found.
When they weren't paying off wardens, Heidi would use the internet. Luring terrible people to Volturi by any means necessary. Whether she pretended to be in the sex trade or the drug trade didn't matter, as long as they had humans to feed on from outside of Italy.
Marcus knew other covens portrayed them as evil bloodthirsty monsters. But they only fed on the scum of the earth if possible. And they only killed a vampire when a law had been broken.
Besides, you can't judge a book by its cover. The Cullen's were portrayed as saints and only fed from animals. Yet, they wanted to be human so badly they ignored their basic instincts. They left a vengeful vampire running around who made an army. That army had begun to get antsy, it would have murdered towns by the hundreds if they hadn't stepped in.
Marcus heard the sound of several heartbeats as he shoved the heavy throne room door open. Men in orange jumpsuits stood around still chained up. His brothers and their mates already sat upon their thrones. The guard stood along the walls, minus Jane, of course, who watched over his mate. Felix and Demetri were also absent as they were on night guard duty.
"Ah brother, let us begin!" Aro said as Marcus closed the door.
Screams rang out as vampires pounced forward, grabbing the humans. Marcus grabbed the first human he could, sinking his teeth into their neck and draining every drop of blood they had. He let the human drop to the floor without a care and stepped over the male as he took a seat upon his throne. Aro joined him soon after.
"How are you doing, brother?" The raven-haired king asked.
Aro could have just read Marcus's mind, but now that his brother was more lively, he'd much rather hear him talk.
"I can't stop thinking about her." Marcus murmured. "And I'm not sure how to move forward from here. All my instincts scream to change her now."
"Perhaps you should discuss this with Isabella? Has anyone really asked when she'd like to be turned?" Aro questioned.
"There's not been a good time." Marcus said. "Though Gianna is set to be changed soon. I can't have Isabella walking around human with a newborn around." He sighed.
"Would you like Sulpicia and I to bring it up to her tomorrow when we help her get ready for your date?" Dora asked as she took a seat on Caius's throne.
Sulpicia perched herself on Aro's lap and turned to Marcus. "Yes, we could see her feelings on the subject if you'd like?"
"Perhaps that would work. I don't want to upset her or make her feel pressured. She had needed time earlier when I told her about our bond. I don't want her to think I'm forcing her to change." Marcus murmured.
"Have you decided to steal my throne, fair maiden?" A giddy Caius, full from feeding, teased his mate as he walked towards her.
"Well, how dare you!" Dora returned his teasing. "Fore I am a queen, not just some maiden. And this is my throne now." The ashy blonde sat up straight, squaring her shoulders.
Dora squealed wildly as Caius swooped her up from the throne and flung her over his shoulder. "I shall show you what we do to throne thiefs around here!" The blonde king exclaimed as he ran off with his giggling mate to their wing of the castle.
Sulpicia giggled at the pair's antics. She, however, hissed out a moan when Aro nipped her neck with a love bite. Aro grinned as he saw his wife's thoughts and decided it was time for them to retire to their bedroom too. He nudged Sulpicia off his lap and stood. Sulpicia grabbed his hand and began to lead him to their wing, hips swaying seductively.
"You'll talk to Isabella tomorrow?" Marcus called out.
"Of course!" Sulpicia tossed over her shoulder before she and Aro were gone.
Marcus sighed as he watched the guards clean up the bodies, noticing one human male stood in the corner unmoving. Alec was subduing the man with his gift so that his sister could still feed.
"Heidi!" Marcus called.
The beautiful vampire appeared before him immediately, an arc of blood on her shirt that must have sprayed from her victim's neck.
"Yes, Master?" She asked.
"Isabella only had one meal today. Please get her some breakfast arranged for 8AM sharp tomorrow." Marcus told her.
"Of course Master." Heidi bowed and went back to helping with the cleanup.
"Alec!" Marcus got the vampires' attention. "I'm going to relieve Jane, she'll be here to feed soon." He informed him.
Alec gave his king a nod and watched as he left the throne room.
Marcus journeyed back to his room. Jane was right where he left her and Bella was still curled up sleeping peacefully.
"Any problems, Jane?" He asked.
"None at all, Master. I think today really wore her down." Jane murmured.
Marcus nodded in acknowledgment at Jane's words. "Thank you for guarding her, Jane. Now go feed." He ordered.
"It was no problem, Master." Jane said as she smiled at Bella and then left.
Marcus made sure Bella was still covered up so she wouldn't get cold, before he retired to his office to get some research done that he and his brothers had begun recently.
Bella stretched as she woke up the next morning. She sighed as her joints popped and cracked, releasing the tension in them from not moving much that night. She felt the sun on her face and opened her eyes to see the stained-glass windows cast brilliant shades of blue across her body. She could smell eggs somewhere in the room and her stomach growled loudly.
"Good morning, Isabella." Marcus murmured as he walked through the office doorway.
Bella blushed as she saw him. "Did you stay all night?" She questioned.
"I left for a short time, but Jane stayed to watch over you. She's quite taken with you." Marcus informed Bella.
"I like Jane." Bella smiled as she told him.
Her stomach rumbled loudly again. "I had breakfast delivered for you, Cara. Would you like to eat now?" Marcus asked her.
(Translation- Dear)
Bella nodded and slid out of the comfy bed. As the blanket fell from her body, her arms went up to cover her shoulders and neck where some of her scars lay. She blushed, embarrassed and self-conscious, ducking her head. She felt a breeze flow in front of her and then cold hands on her cheeks.
"Don't cover yourself up from me, Cara." Marcus murmured to her as he stared into her brown eyes. "You are estremamente bella, extremely beautiful." He translated for her. "Your scars could never take away from that." He said with a purr as he stepped closer to her.
Bella stared into his very bright ruby eyes. His hands made her skin burn where they touched as he ran them over her chin, gently on her neck, and down her shoulders where he carefully pushed her own arms out of the way, baring her scars to him.
"I've never felt very beautiful." She whispered to him.
Marcus ran his hands down to Bella's waist, pulling her body towards him and letting every part of it mold to his own. He leaned down so close that she could almost feel his lips on her ear as he spoke.
"I'm going to make you feel beautiful everyday for the rest of my immortal life, Isabella." His tongue rolled over the syllables of her name just right, she felt heat rush through her.
Her body was humming with electricity everywhere they touched. As Marcus pulled his head back from her ear, Bella found herself staring at his lips. Marcus tucked some hair behind her ear and she leaned forward towards him, she just wanted one little taste of his lips.
Her stomach once again growled, reminding her of why she had gotten out of bed to begin with. Bella cursed her body for being hungry at a time like this. But then she blushed when she realized how forward she was being with Marcus. She didn't even want to kiss Edward within the first couple of days she knew him, but here she was pressing her body against Marcus, wanting to climb up him practically. How mortifying.
Marcus chuckled at his human mate. "Your food is in my office, Isabella." His lips curved as he purred her name again. "I thought perhaps you'd like to eat by the fire today."
Bella didn't know whether she wanted to kiss those sinful lips now or slap them for invoking such strong feelings in her so soon. She settled on just breakfast instead.
"Yeah, that sounds great!" She said, holding her head high and marching by Marcus to go into his office.
The vampire king was amused by her antics and followed behind her. Her food sat on the coffee table by the couches.
Bella looked at the stuffed omelet with melty cheese and what looked like peppers and ham falling out of it. There was also a bowl of fruit and some toast with jam spread across it. Coffee and orange juice sat on the tray as refreshments.
"It looks so good!" Bella said as she inhaled the scent of food.
"I'll let Heidi know you like her food choices." Marcus told her. "She arranged your food today.
"I'll have to thank her." Bella said as she sat down and had a sip of the coffee.
She sat the cup back down and sighed.
"What's wrong, Mia Bella?" Marcus asked as he sat down across from her, putting a binder down on the table in front of him.
Bella blushed. "I completely lost it last night. I screamed at Heidi and Corin when they were just trying to help me clothes shop." She murmured.
"It's truly fine, Cara." Marcus reassured her. "They understand completely. Corin even stayed to help you through all the information you told us last night." Marcus reminded her. "They don't hold anything against you."
"I'd still like to apologize to them when I see them again." Bella looked at Marcus as she spoke.
"You'll probably see them later in the day." Marcus informed her. "Sulpicia and Dora would like to visit you soon though, after you eat."
"It's kind of odd." Bella said. "Queens of the vampire world wanting to spend time with me." Bella laughed lightly.
"Well, Mia Bella, you'll be one of those queens one day, if you'll have me as your king." Marcus gazed at her with mesmerizing ruby eyes. "But I thought today we could spend some time together after they leave you. I'd like to take you on a date later tonight. But there are a few things to show you around the castle first." Marcus smiled at her. "Would you allow me to take you on a date, Isabella?" There was that sinful voice again caressing her name.
Bella took a deep breath as she fought the urge to move closer to him. "I'd love to Marcus. But what things do you want to show me?" She asked as she cut into her omelet, the orange cheese spreading out onto her plate in a gooey mess.
She moaned as she took a bite, it had been a very long time since she'd had one of these, and this omelet was cooked to perfection.
Marcus swallowed when Bella moaned as he clenched his hands into fist on the couch cushion to keep from reaching across the table for his mate. That noise had been absolutely sinful. Her eating an omelet had officially become more erotic than that strawberry had. He loved the sound that fell from her lips and wanted to tell Heidi to get her the same breakfast tomorrow, so he could hear it again.
Marcus mentally berated himself. He was thousands of years old. He should have better control over himself! Oh, but the things he wanted to show her now! No Marcus, it's too soon for that! He told himself.
Marcus cleared his throat before he spoke. "It's a surprise, Mia Bella. You'll have to wait and see!"
Bella was curious as to Marcus's behavior. Since when did vampires have to clear their throats? She couldn't be the cause of that behavior, could she? Was she affecting the vampire just as much as he did her?
Her eyes twinkled as she asked him. "What if I don't like surprises?"
The vampire's eyes lit up amused. "If you don't like my surprises today, Amore mio, then I promise to never try surprising you again!" He proclaimed.
(Translation - My love)
"I'll hold you to that!" Bella laughed as she finished up her food. "What's that binder for?" She asked.
"Oh, it's research!" Marcus informed her as he slid it her way. "We recently caught word that a male vampire named, Joham, may have to be dealt with soon. It turns out he's been experimenting on creating a human vampire hybrid by impregnating human women." Marcus said as he watched Bella flip through the pages.
The book had Joham's name and last whereabouts along with a few other names.
"Who's Nahual? And Maysun?" She asked hesitantly.
"It's his children. " Marcus told her.
"You mean he succeeded!?" Bella was appalled.
"Unfortunately, yes. We are trying to find the whereabouts of all his children now too. These hybrids could pose a risk when they're born with their bloodlust. It's why we outlawed immortal children. Well, that and why on earth would someone want an infant who never grew old and yet had the strength to kill a grown vampire." Marcus shook his head.
"Do you normally bring all the lawbreaking vampires to Volterra to punish?" Bella was curious.
"It depends. We brought Victoria because of the circumstances. But we have executed vampires on their own land before." Marcus said.
Bella nodded and then glanced around his office, her eyes landing on his books behind his desk.
"Are those all for research?" She questioned, as her eyesight was not good enough to see the titles from her spot.
"Some are!" Marcus told her. "But some are just books I like to read. I have some first editions."
"I always loved reading." Bella informed him.
"Do you have a favorite book?" He was curious.
"I always favored Wuthering Heights!" She exclaimed and Marcus lit up at learning something about her.
A knock on the door interrupted them and Marcus frowned.
"Come in!" Marcus called.
Athenodora and Sulpicia entered the room, the former carrying a bag.
"Hello Bella!" Dora beamed at the human.
"Yes, good morning, Bella and Marcus." Sulpicia greeted them both as she neared the couch.
"Good morning." Bella nervously replied.
"We brought you an assortment of clothes today!" Dora told her. "For today and later tonight. You can pick whatever you'd like to wear though."
"Yes, and whatever you don't like you can just leave in the bag." Sulpicia told her gently. "Marcus, we're starting girl time. You can go." She shooed the vampire king away.
"Pardon me, Sulpicia! But I do believe this is my room." Marcus told the Queen. "Dismissing me like a simple peasant man." He teased his brother's wife.
"Do you really want to look at clothes with us, Marcus?" Dora batted her eyes at the male. "We probably have some things we could fit you into." She told him.
Bella giggled at the appalled look on Marcus's face.
"Will you be OK with these two for a while, Cara? I do have some things to prepare for our day together." Marcus didn't want to leave Bella alone if she wasn't ready yet for him to go.
Bella glanced at the two women. Sulpicia rolled her eyes at Marcus while Dora smiled at Bella.
"Yeah, I'll be fine." She told Marcus. "You should probably get out of here before they have you in heels and a dress." Bella teased him.
"We can find one that'll fit you, Marcus! Don't doubt us." Sulpicia told him with one thin eyebrow raised as Dora laughed.
"Ok, ok, I'll go." He told the women. "I will see you soon, Isabella." He grinned sinfully at his mate as she blushed.
Marcus sped from the room, leaving them alone.
"How was your breakfast today, dear?" Sulpicia asked as she took a seat on the couch.
"It was very good!" Bella praised.
Dora, obviously tired of waiting, pushed the bag Bella's way. "You should go through these!" She told the human happily. "Heidi mentioned you liked flat shoes, so we got you a pair of those. And there are also a few dresses in there, some sweaters, and some pants if you'd want to wear those instead." Dora was bubbly today. "Oh, we also put some stuff for your hair in there too."
"Give the girl a chance, Dora." Sulpicia calmed her sister.
"Sorry, Bella." Dora would be blushing if she could. "I'm just so excited to have you here." The ashy blonde said.
"No, it's OK, really." Bella told her as she reached in the bag.
There were some stretchy form-fitting pants in a couple of different colors inside and a long sleeveless flowy top with a matching sweater. There were also a few other tops. A few sundresses. And a couple of evening gowns. There were two pairs of flat shows. One was a simple black pair, while the other, also black but sparkly, had straps that crisscrossed over the foot and up the ankle.
"You should wear one of the gowns later tonight." Sulpicia adviced her. "It will help you blend in where you're going."
"And where's that?" Bella asked nonchalantly.
"Bella!" Dora exclaimed playfully. "You wouldn't be trying to make us ruin the surprise would you?" She asked.
"Marcus told us not to tell you anything." Sulpicia informed the human with a smile.
"You can't blame me for trying." Bella laughed. "I've never been one for dresses much." She frowned as she held a sundress in her hands. "Alice always wanted me to wear them."
"Then perhaps some pants and a top!" Dora suggested, holding up some.
Bella studied them and finally decided on a black pair of pants and a long sleeved pink sweater dress with the plain black shoes. She went into her still bare and empty closet to try on the new clothes. As she changed and looked at her reflection, she noticed that this outfit covered all her scares thankfully. The sweater dress fit just right and accented what little curves she had. She put the black shoes on and walked around, noticing they fit perfectly.
"Bella!" Dora called through the door. "Would you like me to help with your hair?"
Bella opened the closet door. "Sure!" She smiled at the ashy blonde queen.
"Here, sit at your desk. That way you can see what I'm doing." Dora pointed to the white vanity desk with the mirror that sat in her large walk-in closet.
Bella took a seat on the blue velvet bench. It was very comfy. She closed her eyes as Athenodora ran a brush through her long brown hair, getting all the tangles out.
"Bella!" Sulpicia flitted into the room holding two evening gowns. "Do you know which one of these you may want to wear later?" She inquired.
Bella bit her lip as she studied them. One was black silk and looked so smooth to the touch. It was long sleeved with a V-neck and a long slit from the floor up the leg. It had a strapless back that ended in a V with a black ribbon going across the middle of the back.
The other was red with short sleeves that made a straight line across the chest, they then came down the bust in a crisscross style. It fell to the floor but would be short enough to wear flats. It was shorter in the front, falling at the ankles. There was a beaded design on the bodice. They were both very beautiful, but neither would hide her scars all the way. Bella rubbed a bite mark on her neck and Dora noticed.
"We have some cover-ups too for the dresses!" She exclaimed as she was suddenly gone and then back in the blink of an eye.
There were two cover-ups. One was a black chiffon shawl with sparkles that shined throughout that would drape around her shoulders and button at her neck. The other was a red silk cover-up scarf that would drape over her shoulders and around her elbows.
"That black shawl would match those strappy flats." She noticed. "And I like the beads on the red dress." Bella informed the queens.
"Ah, the red one it is!" Sulpicia said happily as she hung it from a hanger in Bella's closet, draping the black sparkly shawl over it.
"You should keep the black dress too, Bella. You may want to wear it after your change." Dora suggested while nonchalantly mentioning her turning into a vampire as she braided some pieces of Bella's hair quickly.
Bella shrugged in a noncommittal way at her advice for the black dress, she didn't think she'd ever be able to pull that dress off.
Sulpicia hung the 2nd dress in her closet along with the red scarf shawl. "Have you given any thought as to when you'd like to be changed, Bella?" She asked the human.
Bella stared in the mirror at herself as Dora put some of her hair into a half up, half down hairstyle. There were some intricate braids added in and Dora had used some hair mousse to curl the long ends. A few pieces hung down, framing her face and landing around her neck.
"I'm not sure." Bella murmured. "Marcus hasn't asked to change me yet." She furrowed her eyebrows. "Edward didn't want me to be a vampire, he even stopped the change. Maybe Marcus is beginning to feel the same way." She said quietly.
"No! Marcus doesn't feel that way at all, Bella." Dora exclaimed as she made eye contact with the human through the mirror. "He just wants you to be ready for it."
"He also worried your memories would be suppressed, or you'd lose them all together. That was before, well, before we knew everything." Sulpicia said sadly.
"Marcus would never change you against your will. And he wouldn't push you to change." Dora informed Bella.
"You should talk to him about this on your date." Sulpicia suggested. "Are you almost done with her hair?" She changed the subject.
"Yes! I just put the finishing touches." Dora smiled as she admired her work. "If you'd like, I can help you with it again a bit later when you change into the evening gown?" She asked.
"It looks great!" Bella praised the vampire. "Thanks so much. And I'd like that." She smiled at the ashy blonde.
Sulpicia tilted her head as if listening for something. Her eyes met Bella's brown ones, and she gave the human a kind smile.
"Marcus is waiting for you in the hallway, he didn't want to enter yet if you weren't ready." Sulpicia said as she brushed her curly brown hair off her shoulder.
Bella took a deep breath as she prepared to see the handsome king again. She hoped she could control herself better. She really didn't want to embarrass herself again by practically throwing herself at the man.
"I'm ready." She decided as she stood and made her way to the bedroom door.
The two queens followed her out, wanting to see Marcus's reaction to Bella. The human grabbed the handle, and after taking a moment to settle her nerves, she opened the door. She gazed at the handsome vampire before her.
Marcus wore a navy shirt with the long sleeves rolled up a bit and black pants. His hair fell around his shoulders, and his red eyes twinkled as he took her in.
"Isabella," He smiled at her. "you look absolutely gorgeous!" He proclaimed as he ran his eyes down her pink sweater dress that hugged her luscious curves and the black pants that showcased her lean legs leading to dainty black shoes.
Bella blushed and ducked her head. Marcus placed a hand under her chin, tilting her head back up. His hand made her skin tingle and she bit her lip.
"You look handsome today." She told him.
Marcus beamed at her. A chorus of awes was heard behind Bella and Marcus glanced over her head to the two queens. Dora held a hand to her heart as she watched the two and Sulpicia was smiling at them.
"Thank you for keeping Bella busy this morning." He thanked them. "It gave me time to get her surprises ready!"
"Suprises as in plural?" Bella asked hesitantly.
Sulpicia laughed. "She did try to get answers out of us, but we remained strong, so she doesn't know anything." She informed Marcus.
Bella huffed and Marcus smiled at her. He held out his arm to her.
"Shall we, Mia Bella?" He asked.
"Thank you for helping me get ready." She told the two queens as she looped her arm through Marcus's.
"It was our pleasure!" Dora exclaimed happily.
"We hope you enjoy your day, Bella." Sulpicia told her.
Bella smiled and waved at them as Marcus led her away. They walked at her pace down the long hallway and around some twists and turns. After Bella tripped for the second time, she sighed.
"Sorry, Marcus." She apologized while blushing and cursing her balance issues.
"It's quite alright, Mia Bella." Marcus told her.
"It'll take forever to get wherever you're taking me with the way I walk." Bella murmured, embarrassed.
"Well, it's a good thing I have forever then." The vampire king reassured his mate with a light pat to her hand.
Bella beamed up at him and his heart warmed. "Thank you, Marcus. Normally, vampires complain about my human speed."
"Life is about the journey, Cara. Why rush it?" He wisely told her.
Bella leaned into his shoulder some, placing her free hand on his upper arm, and glanced up at him under her lashes.
"Where are we going for this surprise?" She was curious.
Marcus smiled. "Well, I added another one earlier after finding out about your love for books." He told her as they came to two large double doors that were rounded at the top.
"What happened to the wall!?" Bella exclaimed as she asked, staring at the large indent in the stone next to the doors.
"Oh!" The vampire king answered hesitantly. "That's just where Felix tripped into it!" Marcus answered after a moment, trying to bend the truth.
His mate didn't seem to appreciate it when he ripped Felix's hand off. And now here he was shoving the guard into the walls. Maybe omitting that fact would be a good thing?
Bella's chest had a quick twinge of pressure, and she rubbed her hand over it. "W-what was that?" She stumbled over her words. "And since when are vampires clumsy?"
Marcus quickly shoved the doors open, pulling Bella inside. Her mouth dropped, and her eyes widened as she took a few steps away from him into the large Volturi library, her questions about the wall quickly forgotten.
"Wow!" She murmured in awe as she stared at the large room.
The ceiling was tall with multiple unique lights hanging in a row down the middle over a long wooden mahogany table with many high back chairs. There were comfy looking couches strung throughout, some with side tables that had lamps. The walls were lined with books and there was a beautiful rounded wooden staircase that led to a second-story balcony around the library with more books on the walls. Towards the back of the library was a wall with no books but instead a lit fireplace with a U-shaped couch in front of it. There were a few windows with stained-glass on the wall with the fireplace.
"It's magnificent!" She said as she inhaled the scent of books.
"I'm glad you like it!" Marcus's voice echoed slightly through the large room. "You can read any book in here you'd like. You can visit anytime, Cara. I took the liberty of lighting a fire, so you'd have some warmth. I thought we could spend the morning here?" He asked her.
"Yes!" Bella was slightly embarrassed by her excitement and blushed. "I'd love to stay here a bit." She said more calmly. "Could you show me around?"
Marcus smiled at her as he answered. "Of course!"
The vampire king put his hand lightly on Bella's back as he led her to an area of books.
"These are some of the classics that I think you'd like." Marcus told her as he waved his arm at the shelves. "Hemingway, Charles Dickens, Shakespeare. There's even a copy of Bram Stoker's, Dracula, on this shelf somewhere!" He laughed.
"Jane Austen is one of my favorite authors." Bella murmured as she ran her finger down the spine of Pride and Prejudice.
"You could pick one of her books to read now." Marcus told her. "Or even take it for later." He suggested.
"Really?" She questioned hesitantly as she held her hand hovering over the books and her eyes darted around at their titles.
"Isabella," Marcus stepped closer to her and pressed his fingers to her chin, gently tilting her head up towards him. "this is your home now. And you can do whatever you'd like. There aren't stipulations. Read some Jane Austen books, read any of the books!" Marcus laughed with a wave of his hand at the rows of books. "Treat them as if they were your own." He murmured as he gazed into her eyes, his hand moving to cup her cheek.
Bella's face flushed at the way Marcus looked at her, like she was the most precious and invaluable jewel in the world. Like she mattered. And as much as she wanted to read some of the amazing books this library held, she wanted to hear his voice caress her name even more. She dropped her hand from the books, placing it on top of his instead that still cradled her warm cheek.
"Maybe we could sit by the fire and talk instead?" She suggested, and when Marcus beamed at her with his pink lips curved just right, she knew she'd made the right choice.
Bella let Marcus lead her to the U-shaped couch, and they sat down in the middle of it with a perfect view of the flames. Bella turned slightly so she could look at Marcus and he followed suit.
"Tell me how you became the Volturi?" Bella asked the vampire, hopefully.
She didn't know much about Marcus yet, just about Didyme. But she didn't know how he even came to be brothers with Aro and Caius.
"I was changed when I was around nineteen years of age or so. My family didn't keep track very well back then. And it's been many, many years." Marcus laughed lightly. "I believe I was meant to just be a meal, but my creator left some venom in me. They were gone when I awoke to this new life. There were many rumors and legends back then, so it wasn't hard for me to figure out what I'd become." Marcus sighed. "I traveled as a nomad and met Aro shortly after that. We teamed up and after meeting some very uncivilized newborns who killed for fun, decided to try forming a leadership, of sorts. We met Caius and Athenodora, both of whom had been vampires longer than us. They were the first soul mates I had come across. Their bond was beautiful." He smiled as he thought about the pair.
"Caius was thrilled with the plans and laws we wanted to enforce. He's the one who told us about the Romanian coven." His chest rumbled as he spoke the name in slight anger. "They were two leaders, Stephen and Vladimir. They also had mates and a larger coven. They didn't hide what they were in Romania and ruled over the humans. They didn't have the rules in place then that we do now, obviously. Caius wanted to overthrow them, as most vampires liked the way things were run by them. They could kill however they wanted, have human pets." Marcus hissed and Bella moved to hold his hand as she bit her lip.
"We didn't have the numbers to fight them yet, so we waited. We collected some gifted vampires who wanted to fight for our cause. Aro ended up finding Sulpicia when she was a human orphan around a decade after our change. She lived in his hometown where his sister-" Marcus paused for a moment. "Didyme also resided. I felt a connection to her, and we changed the two humans together. I thought our bond was like Aro's and Caius's to their mates, but I was wrong. A soulmates bond is a deep red that pulses and entertwines. But a companion mate bond is just a deep red." He sighed sadly as he glanced at Bella.
"You don't have to tell me anymore if you don't want to." She murmured as she ran her fingers over his knuckles.
Marcus squeezed her hand and smiled at her kindness. "You deserve to know about my past, Cara."
He sighed as he began again. "Didyme had the gift to bring happiness to others. And now, I can't help but wonder if that's why I felt so attached to her. She had a wanderlust soul but stayed with us...because of me." He looked troubled. "We fought the Romanian's and won. We rejoiced at our new place in the vampire world, starting to enforce our laws immediately. Aro found Jane and Alec, which only helped us rise. But then the Romanians attacked again. They gathered over one hundred rebellious vampires, hoping to defeat us. They weren't a match for our gifted coven though. But in all the mess and rubble, Vladimir's mate got to Didyme and murdered her. I quickly killed the Romanian woman, but it was too late for Didyme." Marcus's voice sounded tortured. "Aro blamed me for the longest time, a part of him still does. Didyme would have been wondering and exploring the world if she didn't think she was stuck in Italy with me. If I hadn't been in denial about our bond." He sighed.
"I bet she loved you very much though." Bella told him gently. "There's no way to know if she would've left you even with the knowledge about your bond. Love makes people go above and beyond."
"I guess you're right in a way, Cara, Didyme had asked me a couple of times to leave with her. But I refused. We worked so hard to become leaders of vampires, I couldn't see myself leaving so quickly after just rising to power." He admitted.
Bella squeezed his hand. "If Aro really blamed you for her death, I don't think he would have let you live." Bella murmured gently. "People want someone to hate when someone they love is taken. You were an easy target. It's not like Aro could kill Didyme's killer, you had already done that." She saw the truth in her words as she thought of the wolves who, in their anger and sadness, destroyed her life.
Marcus squeezed her hand now, sensing her thoughts had taken a turn. Bella shook her head lightly and glanced up at him.
"What happened to the other Romanians?" She inquired.
"Only two are left, Stephen and Vladimir. They're entirely recluse, worse than us." Marcus laughed lightly at that, thinking about all the years he spent not leaving the castle after Didyme's death. "Aro decided we should leave them alive while their coven perished as a warning to others." He told her.
Bella nodded at the information as she glanced around the library again. A spot on the second story caught her eye.
"What're those?" She asked curiously as she stared at a small section of shelves with glass doors in front of them.
"Ah, those are journals!" Marcus exclaimed. "Some are from the guard where they wrote about certain missions or covens they met. There's a journal about all the covens in the world that we know of, along with any gifted vampires. It helps for any new guard members to read them. Or you." He informed her. "You can read them too if you'd like. It may even be good for you to write a journal of your own. Any memories you definitely want to have." Marcus sighed. "In case the change does take them all away."
Bella took this as a good time to bring up her mortality. She bent the leg closet to him towards herself and brought it up on the couch, so she could turn her body to face him fully.
"How much longer will I be human?" She placed her other hand on his and turned his wrist over, so his palm was up.
She ran her fingers over his lifeline.
"I will change you whenever you want, Isabella." Marcus purred out her name and leaned forward as he informed her. "Gianna is set to be changed by the end of the month." He informed her as he twirled a piece of the lose hair framing her face around his finger. "It would not be...easy to have you human while she's a newborn." Marcus admitted.
"So a month?" She asked.
"Unless you want to be changed sooner." He told her.
"And you'll change me?" Bella asked as she blushed and stared at him from under her lashes.
Marcus leaned forward and let his breath blow over her face as he spoke. "It would please me greatly to have my venom flow through your veins."
Bella inhaled his scent and her head inclined closer to him. Her body hummed at the closeness and her heart raced. She tilted her head up and his lips were so close.
Marcus could feel the heat from her body with how close she was. Her scent of strawberries and lavender wafted into his nose. A hint of something else too, freesia. It reminded Marcus of his days as a human. He used to walk through a field as a shortcut to the village. It was filled with mixed wildflowers and there were always wild strawberries throughout, which made a good snack. He wondered if her lips would taste like the luscious fruit from his human time and lowered his head to see.
Bella's eyes closed as she saw his lips slowly coming to hers. She squeezed his hand and her lips opened slightly in anticipation, her breath coming out faster. Just barely a hair lengths apart and Bella was ready.
BANG!
Marcus jerked his head back with a snarl and Bella gasped. Gianna knelt on the floor just inside the library door where she'd tripped. Her face was bright red in embarrassment.
"I'm so s-sorry, Master Marucs!" The Italian human stuttered out as she got to her feet.
Marcus sighed in frustration and ran a hand through his hair, making the soft brown strands disheveled. He was so handsome, Bella thought.
"What did you need, Gianna? He barked.
Granna finally righted herself and nervously looked at the pair.
"I got everything ready that you'd asked me to, Master Marcus." Gianna told the king as she bowed her head.
Marcus sighed. He had been so wrapped up in Isabella he had lost track of time. And he didn't even hear Gianna coming. How embarrassing! He was glad he couldn't blush.
"Thank you, Gianna. And I apologize for my temper a moment ago." Marcus told the secretary.
"It's OK!" Gianna smiled brightly at the pair she'd interrupted. "I'll leave you two alone. It was nice to see you again, Isabella." Gianna nodded at the king's mate.
"You too, Gianna! And please call me Bella." She told the only other human in the castle.
"And you can call me, Gigi!" Gianna beamed at Bella and then took her leave, shutting the doors behind her clumsily.
Bella smiled at the thought of making another friend, especially one who would be going through a newborn vampire year with her. They would be learning together. She glanced at Marcus and saw he still looked a bit upset over the interruption.
"What was Gigi" Bella tested out the nickname. "setting up for you? She asked curiously.
Marcus's shoulders lost some of the tension they held as he smiled at Bella. "The second part of our date!" He exclaimed as he stood and offered his arm to her.
Bella took it and smiled at his excitement as he led her from the library. She moved closer to his side, so she pressed into him as they walked. And Marcus dropped his arm from hers to wrap it around her waist instead, feeling the warmth of her skin seep through the sweater to his palm.
Bella sighed with contentment as they journeyed through the castle to her next surprise. She could get used to this life, especially with Marcus by her side.
Translations
*Cara - dear
*estremamente bella -extremely beautiful
*Mia Bella - my beauty
*Amore mio - my love