Chapter 8
Time seemed to mesh together in the interim of Marcus quietly excusing himself from her room and Bella's return to awareness of the silence permeating the room. She couldn't be sure how much time had passed: seconds, minutes, hours? Blinking despondently down at her forgotten meal, she replaced it's cover before pushing herself from the table. Marcus, for the most part, had provided her with the answers she needed though she was not left with the conundrum of what to do with the information now that she had it.
Since stumbling into the Volturi stronghold, her world was repeatedly twisted upside down. Her carefully constructed beliefs of the vampiric world consistently chipped away by those surrounding her and left her with an aching sense of displacement. Edward had entered her life so unexpectedly and introduced her to this world of fantasy that she allowed herself to be swept up without considering the repercussions. Her fragile hopes that Edward would be her future were effectively destroyed by Marcus' softly uttered words. Without Edward, who was she exactly in the grand scheme of things? Her ties with the Olympic clan felt strained and would they even accept her into their family if she didn't belong with their prodigal son and brother.
Casting unseeing eyes around the colorful chaos of the bedroom, a gentle knock from the door was enough to catch her attention and she stood slowly from her seat to call out to her guest.
"Come in."
Heidi's questioning bright eyes peeked around the thick door to flick around the room before she allowed herself to enter completely. Taking stock of the girl's demure posture, the vampire gracefully glided across the expanse of the room to carefully draw the stiffened woman into an embrace. Cold fingers brushed against the crown of Bella's head gently and guided her reddened face into the crook of silent vampire's neck before she rubbed the frigid hands slowly against Bella's shoulder blades in an attempt to comfort.
Bella couldn't stop the small shivers from erupting on contact of the cooler hands with her body but she was grateful nonetheless. She permitted herself to melt against the taller woman and wrapped her own arms loosely around Heidi's slender waist to succumb to the silently offered kindness. She refused to allow herself to shed the tears that were awaiting to fall and her voice was muffled as she mumbled against the column of Heidi's neck.
"I'm not Edward's mate."
A soothing hum rumbled in Heidi's throat and Bella felt the woman's arms tighten around her wordlessly. Heidi didn't offer any false words of encouragement or surprise at Bella's revelation but instead simply hummed a lilting tune. After several moments of grounding herself, Bella made to ease herself back and the vampire allowed her slim arms to slip away though she allowed her hands to slide down to grip Bella's own firmly. A sympathetic smile adorned the woman's perfectly painted lips as she squeezed their hands once before pulling away.
"Well, we have a lot of work to do! No time to dawdle. We still need to pick out your gown!"
The lithe vampire guided an arm around Bella's thin shoulder before she pulled her in the direction of the mannequins that was covered in various fabrics. Bella softly smiled at Heidi's effort to distract her and accompanied her to stand in front of the variety of ballgowns. Heidi withdrew herself once more to circle around the dresses, eyeing the outlines critically, before turning her calculating gaze to rake over Bella.
"I'm thinking something whimsical, soft, and flowing. Nymph-like! We will forgo the contrasting colors this time. I envision innocence and purity but elegant!"
Heidi quickly sorted through the displayed gowns, her crimson eyes bouncing back and forth from Bella to the outfit before pushing the dress away in favor of the next. A flowing chiffon dress of soft champagne did cause her to pause and she held the dress form in front of her with a considering tilt of the head.
"Not quite Renaissance style but this may work."
The dress was breathtaking in Bella's opinion. It didn't display the overwhelming embedded jewels as some, nor was it as form fitting as others, but it held an ethereal feel which had Bella reaching forward to brush her fingertips against the gauzy sleeve. The deep off the shoulder sleeves would encircle her upper arms before blanketing down to cinch at her wrists with shining ribbons, with additional fabric left to ruffle around her fingertips. The bodice was fitted with intricately embroidered flowers of darker champagne, peach, and white that extended out to the upper portion of the loose sleeves and abstractly down the curves of the skirt to decorate the hem of the gown. A quick glance at the back revealed a plunging silhouette though it tastefully would sit above the dip of her back and additional woven flowers decorating the posterior of the gauze sporadically before ultimately gathering more heavily in the train of fabric pooled on the floor behind the dress form. Bella's voice was awestruck as she turned wide eyes to Heidi.
"It's beautiful…"
Heidi nodded quickly while she steadily tapped her manicured fingertip against her full bottom lip. Tilting her head in the opposite direction, Heidi gave a final approving bob of her head before she pulled her cellphone from her skirt to type away swiftly at its screen.
"It will be a very effective contrast to Sulpicia which will be perfect."
Bella's lips pinched at the uttered name, briefly recalling Heidi had discussed with Alec about this 'Sulpicia' when they were initially suturing up her forehead. The looks cast between the two conversing vampires had led Bella to believe whoever this person was that they had to be fairly important within the coven, if not someone that she should take care not to upset given the person's 'replacement' of the prior decorators for the gathering for not doing their jobs up to their expectations.
"I've heard you mention them to Alec, but who is Sulpicia?"
Heidi's movements froze immediately, her fingers stilling against the screen, and heavily guarded eyes met Bella's own. Bella could almost feel the waves of uneasy drift from Heidi who appeared unsure how to answer the inquiry when a loud knock interrupted the tense moment and caused Bella to jump in surprise. Without waiting for an answer, a grinning Felix opened the door wide to strut into the room where he directed a theatrical bow in Bella's direction.
"I am here to escort milady to the training hall!"
Taking advantage of Bella's distraction, Heidi squeezed her shoulder gently before shooing her off in the direction of the open door.
"Go ahead. I will stay to pick up the mess I made. Felix, I expect you on your best behavior!"
The hulking vampire crossed his thick arms across his muscled chest with an annoyed huff, the dark fabric straining over his skin.
"I'm not a child! I know how to behave!"
Heidi threw him a disbelieving stare before she nudged Bella towards the excitable guard member who nearly bounced on his feet at her approach before, he swung the unexpecting human up into his arms.
"Hey! Wait!"
"Ciao Heidi!"
Without waiting for a reply from the aggrieved woman looking at him, he turned on his heel swiftly to race down the hallway. Locking her fingers onto the man's shirt, Bella tightly closed her eyes against the whirlwind of scenery rushing past her and prayed that she would keep what little food she ate in her stomach. Thankfully soon enough, she felt them abruptly stop and she peeled a single eye open to look around. When Felix had mentioned a training room, she had not expected the cavernous room in front of her. The room was large, dimly lit, and was sparsely decorated with an occasional chair though several had been pulled into a semi-circle in the corner where various guard members were watching them with a variety of expressions. There was an additional balcony area situation to one side of the room which appeared to lead in the opposite direction.
Alec on their arrival had stood from his leaning position against the nearby wall to approach Felix with a disapproving twitch of his lips. He had apparently changed back into his dark gray military style uniform, sans the traditional cloak. Glancing away from Alec's approaching form, Bella noticed the petite form of Jane standing close to Demetri and another unnamed vampire that she did not recognize. Bella had expected that there were several other Volturi guard members she had yet to formally meet, but she had not expected the scathing glare she was receiving from Alec's sister as he started to berate Felix.
"What do you think you are doing bringing her here?! And why are you holding her?! Don't you realize who she is?!"
Felix blinked lazily down at the irate teen before he slowly lowered Bella to her feet and reached out a hand to steady her as she stumbled slightly to the side. Alec quickly swatted the larger man's hand away before he wrapped an arm protectively around Bella's shoulders. The man raised his hands in a mock surrender and proceeded to tease Alec who simply rolled his eyes at the friendly ribbing.
"You carry her."
"That's different."
The muscled man let out a bark of laughter as Alec threw a disgruntled glare over his shoulder while guiding her towards the now standing guard members. Demetri, who Bella had met previously on her botched escape attempt, bowed his head somewhat awkwardly in her direction and Bella waved at him stiffly. Alec released her to motion to the remaining guard members each in turn.
"Bella, these are some of the other guard members. The gentleman near my sister is Santiago. The other man that looks like Felix is Afton. That's his mate, Chelsea, over there with Corin and Renata. Santiago is known for his physical strength, along with Afton and Felix as well. Chelsea can manipulate relationships within other vampires, Corin had influence over the feeling of contentment, and Renata is Master Aro's personal bodyguard. You, of course, have met my sister Jane previously along with Demetri. Everyone this is Isabella."
Jane scoffed loudly at the introduction before she turned away to stalk towards the door and exited the room in a fluttering of dark robes. Alec stared after her with a bewildered expression, appearing just as confused as Bella, at his sister's behavior. Jane at never been particularly friendly to her in their previous brief interactions but Bella was sure she hadn't been on the receiving end of that type of look from her before. Brushing aside Jane's departure, Corin, Chelsea, and Renata approached her with friendly, if not slightly anxious, smiles. Each provided her a deep bow of their head and extended their hands for her to shake.
"Okay! Enough introductions! Let's spar!"
Felix's boisterous voice called out impatiently while he tugged his black fitted shirt off and tossed it randomly behind him on the ground. Stretching long arms over his head, his knuckles cracked forcefully as he intertwined his fingers togethers and bounced lightly from each foot to the other when he shook them out in front of him. Afton gave him an answering smirk before also unbuttoning his shirt and laying it across an empty chair nearby, followed closely by Santigo. Alec scowled while eyeing the disrobing men, placing his palms on his slender hips in exasperation with each loss of clothing.
"Is that really necessary? She doesn't want to see all that."
Crouching down, Felix extended one long leg in front of him before rotating to the opposite side but turned his head to send a smoldering look with accompanying lewd toothy grin in Bella's direction.
"Don't be upset with me that your stuck in that prepubescent body. The mistress is free to look if she wishes."
Bella thought she would choke on her own saliva as she frantically turned her eyes away from the flirty, scantily clad vampire to stare at the far wall. Her face flushed in her abashment, the burning sensation extending across her cheeks and down her neck. She could not deny that objectively that Felix was very easy on the eyes and would have no problem with gartering female attention under normal circumstances, but an unsettled emotion settled in her gut at his peacocking. Her exposure to the male body was embarrassingly lacking in comparison to other girls her age and Jacob's boyish build couldn't compare to the now three topless guards men who looked as if their abdominal muscles were chiseled on by the famous Michelangelo or Donatello.
Alec released a low growl from beside her and she saw the ominous curling of black fog around the teen's fingertips before it started dripping towards the floor like ink. Apparently not the only one to take notice, Felix quickly climbed to his feet to once more hold his hands up with widened crimson eyes.
"Aspettare! Aspettare! No powers!"
Alec's face was impassive as the creeping tentacles of smoke were pulled gradually back into the palms of his hands. Reaching a hand out toward the aggrieved young man, Bella wrapped slim fingers around his wrist in a comforting gesture and effectively caused Alec to dispel the remnants of his dark ability. The boy blinked surprised eyes down at her hand gripping his arm, the expression a complex mixture of confusion, disbelief, and acceptance. Dragging his crimson eyes back up to her own, he bestowed her a timid smile before he pulled away to stride in the direction of the other gathered males though he glared once more towards Felix as he neared.
"Don't forget your place. Let us begin."
Felix clapped his hands eagerly and looked between the assembled members while Bella made her way over to one of the available seats not taken up by various clothing to watch them disperse into groups of two or three. Felix stood closest to her paired off against Demetri and Afton, Alec was further away with Santiago and Renata, and finally Corin and Cheslea completed the formation.
The sudden reverberating echoing of thunderous movement as the positioned vampires launched forward caused Bella to jump in alarm and she covered her pounding heart at the brutality, but hidden gracefulness, of the brawl. Alec was holding his own well against on onslaught of fists from the taller Santiago, but Renata's precise jabs into the holes created by Santiago had the adolescent on the defensive. Corin and Cheslea would rush the other, get in a couple of hits before springing away to circle each other once more. Felix had easily stolen the show with his great feats of strength, easily hefting up the equally large Afton and slinging him into the wall near by with enough force for Bella to feel the vibrations in her chair. Demetri despite being easily faster than the bulking man was having to watch his movements carefully as he weaved up and under Felix's searching hands while all the while Felix's face was lit up like a child's on Christmas morning. The exhilarated spread of his sharp teeth did not diminish even as Demetri found an opening at his flank to drive his fist into the grappling man's spinal column to which Felix was latch onto the back of the retreating man's shirt to send him in a elegant arch over his own head before smashing him into a Demetri sized crater at his feet.
"That's why we don't wear shirts…"
Demetri spewed back a string of progressively harsh Italian phrases as he squirmed under the large hand that had him trapped. Thin black fissures could be seen gradually running outward across Demetri's flawless pale flesh originating from underneath Felix's hand as the oversized vampire leaned more of his herculean frame onto his ensnared comrade.
"Basta Felix! Mi arrendo!"
Despite Demetri's disheartened pleas, Felix continued to easily secure the smaller male underneath him. Afton carefully provided a wide berth to their scrambling while watching with observing eyes, though made no move to assist either. At another sharp curse from the prone Demetri, Bella stood from her chair to inch forward hesitantly.
"Felix…I think he is done"
Demetri turned spiteful red eyes in her direction at her well-intended interruption before lowering them away in humiliation while his hands tightly locked around the trunk of Felix's forearm.
Felix, himself, was near shaking at his victory and turned bright guileless eyes also in her direction like a dog eagerly awaiting praise for a job well done.
"See, I told you I was physically the strongest!"
Cautiously moving closer, Bella's dark eyes moved to Alec who was watching the encounter impassively with arms crossed over his chest, to the other guard members who appeared curious of her response. Looking back down at Demetri who watched her silently with heavily lidded eyes, she turned to the awaiting Felix with a tentative smile.
"Yes, it was a good fight."
Her world around her tilted suddenly as she felt herself hoisted up against a cold chest with frigid bands of steel around her lower back and under her buttocks with an roaring laugh resonating loudly in her ears. She dizzyingly realized that Felix had released the defeated Demetri to lift her up into his arms in his victory made her recall the playful Emmett who was also quick to shout out his 'victories' over his pouting brothers and Bella couldn't stop the bubbling giggle at the stark similarities of the blundering teddy bears that were Felix and Emmett, though slightly more kill happy in Felix's case.
"What do we have going on here?"
Multiple startled red eyes turned in the direction of the alcove above the training floor where the previously unnoticed Aro stood staring down upon the group with a progressively predatory smile as he focused his near black eyes on Bella being held quietly within Felix's frozen arms. From her peripheral, Bella could see the perplexed shifting of Alec as he discreetly flicked his eyes from her down to the floor several times in succession before turning away. The deepening agitation drifting from the master in near physical waves had the guard members turning to face Aro completely, lifting their hands to rest above their Volturi crest, and bowing deeply to await his command. With Bella currently suspended in Felix's arms, he couldn't assume the expected position immediately and instead had to allow Bella to slide down his chest until her feet reached the floor before pulling away from her cautiously to bow deeply under Aro's ignited gaze that centered on him.
Glancing around the now statuesque guard, she turned to look back up to Aro only to find that the man had soundlessly appeared before her with only the light drifting of his hair around his shoulders to indicate that he had leapt the distance from the ledge toward her. Those long dexterous fingers delved into the thick bangs to sweep back the wayward inky strands which Bella watched entranced before those limber fingers reached forward to delicately cup her chin with his index finger and pressed his thumb firmly against the plush of her bottom lip. Pleasant electrical shocks thrummed through her from his touch all the way down to her toes which she wiggled unconsciously. A deep release of breath from Aro saturated her hyper vigilant senses in his wonderfully addictive scent of spice and parchment that had to swallowing back saliva and biting back the soft groan itching in her throat.
"Il mio uccellino, what are you doing here?"
The effort required to move her lips against the sensual pressure of Aro's thumb pulling down lightly on her lip was short circuiting her brain and it took several attempts to finally get coherent words past her quivering lips.
"Training…I…was watching them train."
Dragging his thumb down her lip, he pulled away to glance around him at the surrounding vampires good-naturedly though the look bestowed to Felix felt notably more frigid than the others before he cast jovial eyes back down to meet her own.
"Oh I see! Training is important for all within our coven. In fact, it has been quite some time since I have partaken in the training sessions, perhaps a little exercise will not be amiss at my age."
Taking another couple of steps back from her, those willowy fingers made quick work to slip off his suit jacket which was folded meticulously and laid on the chair Bella had vacated before proceeding to unfasten the buttons of his pressed long sleeve scarlet undershirt.
She was unable to stop her eyes from dropping down to the tantalizing expanse of white skin being exposed as Aro leisurely stripped the fitted garment away from him. The skin of his chest was the same as his face, pale and seemingly papery thin in contrast to the younger vampire guard's flawless alabaster, however the sculpted pecs and abs contracting underneath that skin insinuated his own prowess despite his age.
There was something so utterly masculine about the slopes of his chest and the dark splattering of hair across it expanse that provocatively trailed down his stomach into his waistband. The lecherous impulse to follow it's tantalizing trail with her fingers was overwhelming and Bella shoved her hands into her back pockets quickly. Forcibly she extricated her curious eyes from the dips of his pelvis back to his face which unfortunately seemed observant of her naughty behavior given the salacious smile spread across Aro's damnable mouth. However the Volturi king spared her any further humiliation when he flicked his intense eyes back to Felix and extended his arm outward toward the center of the room.
"Felix! Shall we?"
Felix distressfully shifted from one foot to the other, his fingers for once still from their usual constant movement. Glancing at the other guard members seemingly unsure of how to proceed with the newest development, he swallowed thickly before bowing subduedly at his Master.
"Yes, Master."
As the two males parted from Bella, Alec wandered over in her direction with an self-satisfied grin at the larger vampire's trepidation. Crossing his arms across his chest, the youth's face appeared eager for the upcoming match as Felix and Aro turned to face off against each other.
"Idiota doesn't stand a chance."
Turning her chin slightly to look at Alec out the corner of her eye, Bella's stomach twisted in anticipation.
"Is Aro that strong? Why would he need Renata then?"
Alec's delighted smirk grew as Felix dipped slightly into the ready position and Aro shifted slightly to slide one foot slightly behind his other. Aro's own smile was unwavering as he leaned his weight forward to ready himself, lifting his hands up in anticipation of Felix's first move.
"Unequivocally. He just habitually doesn't burden himself with the physical altercations, hence Renata and the rest of us."
Their side conversation was effectively silenced at the loud thunderclap signaling the start of the match. Their vampiric movements were too quick for Bella's eyes to follow properly, though she could focus momentarily during the brief pauses in the melee when Felix was thrown into various walls before he would lunge back towards the delighted Aro. The whole skirmish seemed only to last but for a moment, before Felix was pinned face down onto the stone floor with both his arms pulled upwards behind him in an unnatural angle and Aro's polished shoe planted firmly between his shoulder blades pressing him further into the ungiving ground. Dark cracks instantaneously started to manifest and creeping upwards from Felix's rotated shoulders towards his captured wrists and spread like a spiderweb underneath Aro's foot. Felix's face was pinched in pain though he remained silent as he presented the back of his neck, as best he could in his current position, in a sign of submissiveness. Bella bit at her lip anxiously as Aro tightened his grip with a short throaty growl that caused her heart to flutter traitorously, but was able to breathe a sigh of relief as the Volturi leader released the guard's wrists just a moment later and took a step back in acceptance.
Felix finally allowed himself to release a groan as he tentatively flexed his arms and legs before cautiously climbing to his feet. From his new position, the cracks decorating his expansive back and shoulders became more visible to Bella. Her lips twitched as she looked at the immaculately outlined impression of Aro's shoe that had been planted in between the man's shoulder blades and felt a twinge of sympathy at the pain he likely just experienced. Contrary to how Bella expected the athletic vampire to respond to his loss, the man threw his master a bright smile and bowed to him profoundly which left Bella blinking in confusion and Alec rolling his eyes.
"Thank you, Master Aro, for demonstrating my short comings in my formation. I will modify accordingly and hope that our next match will prove a greater challenge."
Aro ambled forward lazily to place a hand on Felix's fragmented shoulder and remained silent for a brief moment before he awarded his guard a slight pat before pulling away.
"You have improved since our last sparring session, Felix. Good work."
Felix dipped further before rightening himself and made his way toward the other guards members who had watched silently before erupting into quiet whispers amongst themselves. Aro paid their mutterings no mind as he strolled in Bella's direction with a jovial grin and smiling crimson eyes.
"Hopefully I did not alarm you needlessly, mio caro. It has been some decades since I have indulged myself in a match. I pray I didn't bore you."
His teasing eyes should be criminal in Bella's personal opinion. Despite his advanced vampiric age, those cloudy red orbs lighting in such childlike glee had her lips twisting upward into a humoring smile and she shook her head in response.
"I do not believe it possible for you to be boring, Aro."
His countering smile was electrifying as he inched closer toward her and closing the gap between them. Peripherally Bella saw the remaining guards members discreetly make their way out the door, followed closely by Alec who waved a hand over his shoulder dismissively at Bella's look of growing trepidation of being left alone with a half naked Voltui king.
Traitor.
Turning her attention back towards the silent Aro, she found it increasingly difficult to look at the man without the annoying craving to reach toward him rearing up in the crevasses of her consciousness. Her dark impulses were begging her to close the space between them and to run her hands over the offering in front of her. She would swear that Aro was completely aware of the dilemma she currently battled as he stood proudly before her with a look of devious enticement for her to give into those alluring impulses. She started to mentally go over the pros and cons of indulging them as Aro's playful voice broke her train of thought.
"If you have the time, mio caro, perhaps you could accompany me out this evening. There are some areas of Volterra that I would love to show you."
Chasing away her lustful thoughts, she considered his unexpected proposal seriously. It would be nice to get out of the castle walls for a little while and the memories of the couple of times that she had ventured out into Volterra independently left a lot to be desired. Though she couldn't shake the nagging suspicion that this offer felt very 'date-like' and nothing seemed farther from Aro's enigmatic personality than traversing through the country-side on a romantic rendezvous with a human.
"Just the two of us?"
"Certo! Just us two unless, of course, I frighten you, il mio uccellino. It is not my intention to cause you dismay. If you are uncomfortable, I can arrange a guard to accompany us."
Bella felt many things when she thought of Aro. He is certainly the most unique and unpredictable individual that she had ever encountered. His behavior from the beginning had been eccentric, mercurial, and outlandish, but she couldn't say that she was afraid of him. Wary, yes, but not fearful. Somewhere deep in her gut, she instinctively felt safe with him despite his history. If she was truly honest with herself, she would be more afraid of her growing entanglement of emotions that the vampire induced whenever he was in proximity. She could feel the edges of her control crumbling, but she was unsure of exactly what she was holding herself back from. Her unconventional attraction to the man warred with her sensibilities along with her lingering attachment to Edward though she couldn't deny her curiosity.
"No that's alright. I'm not afraid."
Aro's smile was almost tender as he reached forward to grasp each of her hands to bring upwards to his cool lips and brushed a ghost of a kiss along her knuckles. Turning his face slightly, he ran the side of his cheek against the path his lips had just traced and stared at her with hauntingly beautiful eyes framed by those obsidian lashes.
"Oh mio caro, dovresti esserlo."
Numbly glancing from her hands to his face, she shook her head marginally in confusion.
"I'm sorry, but I really don't understand Italian."
A ringing laugh erupted from Aro as he carefully released her hands and turned to the chair holding his discarded clothing to redress himself.
"My apologies, dear Isabella! Force of habit I'm afraid though I will endeavor to rectify it until you grow more accustomed to the language. There are just things you cannot express the same way in other languages. I, or Marcus, would be more than happy to teach you."
"It could be fun to learn a new language. They didn't offer much in my high school other than Spanish or French. I took some French because they require us to take a couple of years of foreign language in preparation for college."
"Ah! Alors tu parles francais?"
Criticizing herself silently for not paying greater attention in Ms. Dormier's 5th period French class, she shrugged inelegantly at his question with a wince. It was impressive how quickly Aro had shifted from fluent Italian to English then seamlessly into French without pause while Bella struggled with use of her own native language at times.
"Tres peu. I'm passing the class but it's very basic I'm afraid. How many languages do you know how to speak?"
Turning back to face her, Aro's face was pensive as he thought over her question while he continued to straighten out his jacket and cufflinks.
Likely going through centuries worth of memories.
The creeping sensation of inadequacy that had frequently plagued her around the picturesque Cullens tingled as she compared herself to the vampire in front of her. This man had seen, and experienced, literal history in his existence despite physically still appearing quite young. He had personally seen time periods, wars, revolutions, and phenomena that Bella had been learning about since grade-school. The extent of their differences in social standing and pedigree was even greater than that of the Cullens who, in all regards, was a much younger coven.
"Honestly, I have lost count of all the dialects that I can utilize. I understand many more than I can speak, and some that I know are now obsolete in current day society. Come this way, we will head out from the back."
Aro angled his body once he deemed himself redressed appropriately to extend out his elbow in invitation for her to take. Sliding her arm through his own, she comfortably rested her palm in the dip of his elbow which he swiftly covered with his own hand and guided her out of the training hall and down one of the side walkways. Wanting to know even more about the eccentric vampire beside her, she blurted out the first question that came to mind as he held the door open for her to walk out into the back courtyard already cast in the shadows of the evening sun.
"How old were you when you were changed?"
"Are we partaking in the game of twenty-one questions? I've heard of this practice, though I've never personally played."
The heat of her blush felt scalding as Bella fervently wished for the ground to open up and swallow her whole. She couldn't put a finger on it, but she craved to know Aro better. She was just started to see Aro as an individual person and not the all-knowing vampiric ruler of the Volturi that she had previously thought, and she sought to know more about the man behind the public mask.
"I'm sorry."
Aro stopped abruptly in their stroll into town to peer down at her with a raised eyebrow in skepticism. His fingers tapped sharply against the top of her hand in quiet reprimand at her apology.
"Why do you constantly apologize for things you shouldn't? From my gathered memories of you, you have the routine of asking forgiveness for irrelevant things from individuals undeserving of your mercy. If you are curious, ask. If you want to see, look. If you want to feel, touch. Know your worth, Isabella! You compare yourself and bow down to no one."
Bella's throat felt tight with repressed tears at Aro's matter of fact encouragement. Never had anyone, human friends, Cullens, or her family, ever encouraged her to just be herself. It had always felt as if she was lacking in some way or another to each of them. To her friends she wasn't outgoing enough, her family were constantly concerned about her aloofness and lack of 'normal' teenage life, and the Cullens…her humanity. Each time she felt at fault for not living up to the expectations of those she cared about, though none had been truly accepting of her uniquely. It was always, Bella you should do this, Bella you shouldn't think that, Bella why are you like this, etc. Yet, this centuries old vampire, just point blank tells her…no…more like orders her to be herself. Swallowing thickly, she released a watery chuckle while swiping at a single tear at the corner of her eye.
"Not even you?"
Aro nudged her with a mirthful laugh of his own at her quip before he tugged her back into restarting their walk. His smile warped in the dim light of surrounding buildings and his voice rumbled in his chest at his retort. A pleasureful pulse in her lower stomach made its presence known as his deep voice whispered against the shell of her ear, his breath brushing against its underside. His softly whispered words created a violent shiver to wrack her body and her body hummed.
"In the end, you are only allowed to kneel before me. Though, I will also only kneel for you."
Coughing violently, Bella turned wide brown eyes to a suddenly innocent faced Aro who had composed himself and looked completely unperturbed at the turn in their conversation as they neared some of the shops.
"To answer your original question! I was thirty-five when I was changed. How old are you, mio caro?"
Aro was nearly dragging her at this point, her legs firmly deciding against moving properly as he switched the subject matter back to her spouted question that started this whole weird conversation.
"Um…don't you already know? From like…Edward?"
"Of course. However, a conversation is a two way process. It is unfair if I already know the answers without you freely giving me the information. Let's call it creating new memories of my own. Let's play our game. You ask me a question and I will ask one in return."
"I'm eighteen. Um…were you born in Italy?"
"Actually no. I was birthed in Greece. What is your favorite color?"
The following dialog seemed unreal as they wandered through the streets of Volterra pausing every now and then for Aro to point out some various architecture. The silliest questions of favorite color, books, artist, season, and music followed in quick succession, along with the hushed admission that one of Aro's favorite pastimes was purposefully riling up Caius, Bella quickly let herself be swept into their silly banter.
Her stomach growling loudly alerted Bella that it had been quite some time since her lunch and she covered the offended area with a light laugh. Aro smiled at her indulgently before he guided her over to nearby food stall where the delicious aroma of fried food caused the discontented grumbling to become even louder. Aro spoke easily to the Italian running the stall and passed over a couple of coins before handing her a paper bowl with a couple of fried balls.
"What is this? It smells great!"
"Suppli. Fried rice with some tomato sauce. These have a bit of ground meat in them. It used to be a peasant dish that gained popularity over the years. I hear they are quite good."
Nibbling on a fried edge, Bella found the handheld treat to be delectable and quickly finished off both of them with a lick of her lips and fingertips. Realizing she had just sucked on her fingers in front of Aro, she was about to apologize for her childish behavior as a red handkerchief was dangled in front of her face. Without even looking in Aro's amused direction, she took the proffered tissue to blot at her lips and clean her hands thoroughly.
"Thank you. I'll make sure to clean it for you."
"That is not needed. You may discard it if you want. I assure you that I have plenty. However, if you are done, I would like to show you something. It is a bit of the ways on the outskirts of the city and, with your permission, it would be quicker for me to carry you there."
Despite his reassurances that he had others, Bella found herself carefully folding the fabric and tucking it in her back pocket for safekeeping. Turning back to Aro, she nodded her acceptance and allowed him to pull her around the corner of the building. Before she could ask where they were going, she found herself swept up into strong arms and cradled against Aro's chest. On instinct, she wrapped her arms around his neck tightly as he launched himself into the shadows of the rooftops. She attempted to keep her eyes open as he rushed across the terracotta slates though she ended up having to tuck her face into the curve of his neck to ward off the stinging of her eyes from the wind. Aro's arm shifted faintly to anchor herself more into his chest, his large hand pressed softly into the back of her head and angled his face to shield the whipping winds even more.
His rushed movements gradually came to a stand still and Bella peeled her face away from the coolness of his neck to look around her. Behind her was aged limestone theatre seats partially built into the natural slope of the country hilltop and expansive stone ruins at it's center. Large columns rose from it's remnants, hinting at a once large structure standing in their place.
"What is this place?"
"I apologize, I did use some of the information from the memories gleamed from the Cullens to deduce that you enjoyed history, and I thought you might enjoy this. This was once the roman amphitheater of Volterra. Not as grand as several others in Italy, I wanted you to see it, though I was more interested in you to look above it."
"Above it?"
Tilting her head backward, Bella was struck with the deep shades of blue and purple that swirled across the length of the sky with the light of countless stars peeking through the darkness. Back in Forks, it was too foggy most of the year to see the stars properly, and Renee lived in a large city whose lights competed with the astral bodies. Though, here in Volterra, the blanket of night put them on a grand display above them. Aro eased her down to stand beside him and she took a few steps away from him awestruck at the sky's beauty.
"It's beautiful."
"It is. This has always been one of my favorite areas of Volterra. This theatre holds many personal memories. We have grants set up with various museums and archeologists to preserve historical landmarks such as these. You will meet some of them at the renaissance soiree soon. It is a formal get together of the Volturi's various business partners and associates that work towards the promotion of the arts. I think you will enjoy yourself."
Aro joined her in her perusal of the celestial heavens and Bella observed the profile of his upturned face as he too studied the constellations above. His face was not the teenage perfection that was Edward, but the sharp angles drew a different type of attractiveness. Where Edward was boyish prettiness borderline on feminine, Aro had the handsomeness of a grown man. He emitted a visage of confidence, competency, and power.
"I can't dance."
Aro swiveled his scarlet eyes from the skies to look toward her at her admission.
"Scusi? You cannot dance? Isabella, anyone can dance."
"Obviously you haven't met someone as clumsy as me then. I trip over my own feet just when walking. You could imagine the disaster if I tried to put music to them."
"Well then we must remedy this immediately."
Frowning at his choice of words, Bella opened her mouth to respond as Aro bowed slowly at his waist and lifted a pale hand forward in invitation. She stared at the presented hand before dragging anxious eyes back to meet his own.
"Are you serious? Right here? Now? There is no music."
Rightening himself momentarily, Aro pulled his cellphone from an inner pocket, swiped his finger across it's screen briefly before the slow melody of a waltz broke through the stillness of the theatre. Tossing the phone to the grassy ground beside them, he advanced toward Bella to place a cool hand against the dip of her back and pulled her into his chest gingerly.
"Yes, right here, right now. All you must do is keep your eyes on me."
He guided her limp hand onto his broad shoulder while he clasped her other in his opposite hand. His fingers splayed against her lower back to push her tightly against his firm abdomen as he ushered her into the first few steps. Aro murmured the counts out loud as he led her through the movements. Despite Bella's best intentions to follow his instruction, she found herself nearly dizzy in his arms. Attempting to ground herself, she looked down at her feet as she counted along with him though quickly tumbled to the side when she stepped over her other foot on the wrong count. Aro steadied her before icy fingers slid themselves over her cheeks to hold her face caged between his long hands. Given no other option but to look at him, Bella's pulse thundered in her ears as Aro then tilted forward bringing himself nearly nose to nose with her. His voice pitched low in a way that had her breath hitching and Bella nearly begged for some type of relief from the restless coil of heat in her gut that made it near impossible to form a coherent thought.
Self-control, Bella! You can do this! It is just dancing.
"Eyes on me, Isabella. I will guide your body. Just submit it to me."
Damn it!
TRANSLATIONS:
Aspettare! Aspettare!-Wait! Wait!
Basta Felix! Mi arrendo!-Enough Felix! I relent!
Il mio uccellino-My little bird
Idiota-Idiot
Mio caro-My Dear
Certo!-Certainly
Oh mio caro, dovresti esserlo-Oh my dearest, you should be.
Alors tu parles francais-So you speak French?
Tres peu-Very little
Scusi?-Pardon?