Adriana Della Rosa was mentioned in New Moon, along with her husband and two daughters, though not by name. She was actually cast in the film and was played by Mariagrazia Pompei. Her husband was played by Roberto Marchetti and their eldest daughter by Corinna Russo. While Roberto and Mariagrazia's faces were cut from the scene (where Bella runs towards Edward) and there's no sign of a second child, you can see their on-screen daughter tugging at her mother before pointing to Edward which was explicitly mentioned to have happened in the book, as narrated by Bella. But the names Luciano, Adriana, Vittoria and Beatrice Della Rosa were given by me to the forgotten and supposedly unimportant characters. It's explicitly mentioned in Twilight's fandom Wikipedia that the little girl (a.k.a Vittoria) witnessed Edward's sparkling skin before pointing it out to her mother. Therefore, don't you think the Volturi would have sought to silence them?
"No matter how bad your heart is broken, the world doesn't stop for your grief."
Faraaz Kazi
Bella could feel Esme's warm- to her- and comforting hands stroking her back as she collapsed, sobbing in a heap.
"I- I can't," she choked brokenly between sobs. "I can't do it.
"I can't do it, Esme. I can't. I just can't."
Esme sighed; her honey-brown eyes shone with non-existent tears. "Do you think you're the only one who feels like they can't?" She asked Bella gently. "But this isn't Aro or Caius, Bella. And you're not Sulpicia, Marcus or Athenodora to come face to face with the truth of these betrayals for the first time." Bella was silent, her sobs subsiding, but her grief, Esme sensed, did not. "This is nothing you haven't faced before." She reminded Bella.
Bella gave out a harsh laugh. "I was an idiot when all that happened to me for the first time. I didn't even know what was happening right in front of my face."
Esme pressed her lips together. "You weren't the only one. I'd never thought that Edward would go as far as he did." She paused.
"Have some time and think for yourself," Esme suggested. "What is it that you want to do? Do you want to continue with this trial and testify, or do you want to go back to Forks?"
Bella swallowed, then looked up. "I want- I want to go back to Forks. I want to be with Renesmee." Esme agreed. "But I also don't want Edward to be killed or- or-" Esme nodded grimly "so I'll have to- to-"
Esme sighed, wrapping her arms around Bella who broke into fresh sobs, burying her face against Esme's slender shoulder.
Her mother in all but blood, sighed. "No one will force you," she swore, pulling away to look at Bella. "Look at me," she ordered. Bella lifted eyes blurred with grief towards her. "Until you're read, no one will force you. I'll take it to the court and the judges myself. But you will testify, Bella. Edward-" she forced herself to go one after mentioning her son's name; the son whose life was now at risk. "-is not going to die. Do you understand me?" She said forcefully, eyes of honey-brown boring into Bella's chocolate shade.
Bella bit her lip and nodded, swallowing. Esme nodded. "Good," she approved. "I'll speak to the judges-" suddenly, there was a knock on the door.
Yakov stepped in, looking tentative. "The regent is here." He said warningly. "May I come in?" Radu's voice sounded from the other side of the door.
Esme looked at Bella who bit her lip but nodded. "Come in," the former called.
Radu stepped in. His eyes bore a mixture of pity and concern. "We may pause the trial, momentarily," he suggested to them. "Edward's trial is more complicated than the Volturi's whose wrongdoing was utterly straightforward. If you don't feel like you're up to-"
But something within her fired inside of Bella. She shook her head. "No," she said firmly. "I'll come back." Radu nodded, looking grave.
He sighed. "For what it's worth," he whispered. "I'm sorry." There was a tension to his broad shoulders, something Esme did not fail to notice.
"What is it?" She questioned. A knot formed inside of her.
"Adriana Della Rosa's testimony will be interspersed between yours and Alice's," Radu warned, addressing Bella. Bella froze, stiffening and Esme's heart flew to her throat.
"You do not have to speak with her- in fact, you certainly will be encouraged not to do so," Radu said quickly. "But her testimony comes next... and so does yours."
Bella realised her hands were trembling. She struggled to keep them still. She had never felt so many emotions so all at once, inside that very courtroom and all of them horrible. She realised that no one was getting out of this easily, unlike with the Volturi during New Year's Eve. Far too late did she understand she truly had been lucky. All those times, all those situations and dangers she had found herself in; that wasn't luck, and certainly not bad luck. That was largely her own stupidity- or Edward and his arrogance. The baseball game with James. Her rushing towards him without consulting Jasper or Alice to check for sure if he had her mom- or even to remember that Renée was no longer in Phoenix at that time, the paper cut, the motorbike crashes, the cliff-diving incident which led to Edward, cutting herself in front of not only Victoria and Riley but Edward, the whole mess with Jacob... All of that boiled down mostly due to her own stupidity. Her good luck was what actually saved her from her own mistakes- and Edward's- each and every time.
Only too late did Bella realise that she would rather be back there, experiencing all those things over again, even coming face to face with James or Victoria and Riley, than in that court of law. Vengeance, chaotic, raging, hateful vengeance done by a perpetrator, like Victoria, was better than lawful justice. The former was something which she could escape from.
Bella took a shaky breath. She stood from where she had collapsed onto the couch in their suite. "I'm done hiding," she whispered.
"I'm done being a coward."
Radu looked at her with pity, but mostly he studied her. "Very well," he said, after a long moment.
He turned and left the room. Bella took a deep breath and shortly followed along with Esme.
"Trust is earned, respect is given, and loyalty is demonstrated. Betrayal of any of those is to lose all three."
Ziad K. Abdelnour
When Bella re-entered the courtroom, she could feel all gazes turning towards her, but she didn't care. It would have normally embarrassed her beyond comprehension, but now she kept her gaze firmly away from everybody else. She re-took her seat, Rosalie giving her hand a gentle squeeze.
"It can be established that your plans were poorly thought out, indeed sloppy and truly careless," the judge, Elijah Mikaelson, was speaking "especially with the lives of your family, the girl you claimed to love, her family and every human in this town. And by extension, your species and perhaps even the rest of your kind as well as the Loup-Garoux, since the conflict would have spread." He amended. Bella's insides felt like they were squeezing.
"However, what has yet to be determined was whether or not you were ultimately responsible for the loss of lives, particularly in Volterra, on the nineteenth of March 2006." He intoned. "Or whether or not you had endangered the secrecy of all vampires in this world, in any way. And, most importantly, how deep your responsibility goes."
Walter Bernhard elegantly tilted his head to one side. His silver-grey eyes gleamed.
Lady Laima spoke. "According to the testimony of your coven-mates, including your new spouse, you had deliberately cut ties with the one who would eventually become your spouse, then a human girl, after your insistence upon preparing and granting her an unwanted birthday celebration at your home." Alice flinched. "During which she sustained an accidental injury when she cut herself whilst unwrapping paper from a parcel-" it was Bella and Jasper's turn to flinch "-and after all the members of your family had restrained themselves and the one who was still struggling to do so, and her injuries were tended to, you conceived the idea to cut all ties with and force her to remain within the mundane human world, while your family moved away. You were met with some resistance within the family group, but eventually..." Lady Laima tilted her head meaningfully "you... 'persuaded' or 'convinced' them, according to your words and theirs, not to do so. In fact, you were rather argumentative with them, preventing them from saying their farewells to her, despite the fact that some, at least, had befriended her, handing you their contact details to pass onto her in case she needed help of the supernatural kind, only for you to throw them away before you set out to meet with her."
At this, Lady Laima frowned and tilted her head. "Why did you neglect to give her your family's contact details? There was a vampiress who wanted revenge against you and her, was there not?" Some people stirred and murmured, including the witnesses who came forwards on their behalf on New Year's Eve. "Previously, you had taken the girl to a meadow for a recreational outing with your family, and it was then that you encountered the two of them alongside a third coven-mate: James who had the gift of tracking and Victoria who had the gift to evade harm or capture. This James had, upon catching her scent, decided to hunt her, but unknowing of your abilities, he made no attempt to hide his thoughts and intentions within his mind. This warned you of his intentions via your telepathic abilities. So, you and your family decided upon a plan." Bella's felt ashen when she watched, wide-eyed, as Lady Laima relayed details which the Cullens had not included in their individual testimonies. "Two of them would take the girl as far away as possible, to her previous home state and city in Phoenix, Arizona. The others, including yourself as they had previously reasoned that James would likely guess that you would be with the girl, would proceed to plant a false trail in the hopes of leading James, and his tracking abilities, astray. Your plan was to bait and trap him, before eliminating him.
"However, James uncovered the truth about the false scent and immediately turned around to hunt for the girl, following her to Phoenix. There, upon discovering that she was guarded by two members of your family," Lady Laima mentioned calmly "he proceeded to trick her by using a recording of her mother, seemingly panicked, as bait, to lure her into a trap." Bella flinched at the reminder if her own stupidity: how Alice would've been able to See whether or not James actually had Renée and Jasper would have been able to think of a plan while ensuring their safety. She had given the slip and risked her own life based on a recording of her mother's voice because she feared that the two of the most capable vampires out of the Cullen family would be unable or unwilling to help her, even though they'd gone through such lengths in order to protect her. "Once she had tricked the two vampires guarding her into complacency and slipped away, the girl fell into the trap. You were alerted, thanks to your sister's precognition, and immediately stopped James from killing her, am I correct?" Slowly, Edward nodded.
"However, you could not get rid of him yourself. Instead, you kept him occupied until your entire family arrived to do the deed." Edward flinched. "Unfortunately, you missed the opportunity to either convince his mate, Victoria, who, it must be emphasised, possessed a magical gift for evasion and escape, to either back down or to eliminate her and she thus used her powers and the opportunity to escape your clutches and to plot her revenge.
"Now," the Lady Progenitor announced "you and the members of your family, including your now-spouse, mentioned that you left her during September the sixteenth, 2005. Yet you neglected to give her the contact details that your family had provided for her in case of an emergency and to make certain that she did not run into any trouble from the members of their world. This Victoria had previously escaped but was never captured, much less killed, at that stage." Lady Laima paused. "Furthermore, the investigators of MACUSA had questioned the Loup-Garou community in regard to whether or not either you or your family had contacted them with the request to watch over the girl and her family, and to look out for this Victoria, warning them in case she were to enter into their territory or the surrounding areas, threatening the girl, her family and the people of Forks, Washington or even nearby Port Angeles. They denied it."
She paused once more. Bella noted that the auditorium was completely silent whenever the Vampire Queen spoke. The tension was so thick they could cut it with a knife. Edward could have been an ice sculpture. "They claimed that they had received no such mention, no prior warning of any kind before Victoria made herself known and intruded within their territory." Bella's eyes flew to Adsila Sizemore watching the Vampire Queen intently.
"This information was relayed to us by MACUSA investigators, alongside the mention that the Loup-Garoux were not aware of the existence of this Victoria until the girl befriended and became involved with one of their pack-members." Bella flinched at the mention of Jacob. "And until said-vampiress intruded into their territory, albeit on its fringes and they all realised and understood that she was hunting the girl out of revenge." Lady Laima seemed to pause for a moment. "This Victoria was, incidentally, the exact same member and one of the two survivors of the coven in Germany founded by the late vampiress Hilda; the other was Heidi who was singled out and enslaved by the Volturi when the entire coven-group were arrested and executed on false charges, with Victoria escaping and Heidi being placed under Chelsea's enchantment- and consequently, Corin's- to become a member of their guard." Whispers rang throughout the hall. Bella was stunned. Well, if the previous trial hadn't confirmed it, this one did. So, Victoria and Heidi were coven-mates and sisters, much like Alice and Rosalie. In her mind's eye, she remembered Jane looking astonished, stunned even, at the mention of Victoria's name when the members of the Volturi guard had confronted the Cullens in the aftermath of the newborns' invasion. Victoria and Heidi were not only coven-mates, sisters, even. They were the sole survivors of a coven that was decimated due to being presented with trumped-up charges the Volturi, as they bore the brunt of the Volturi's attentions and aroused their suspicion at such a large number, and paranoia, especially since Heidi was obviously gifted and could become useful, although Bella wasn't certain if they had known about Victoria nor found her gift useful since Aro and Caius were arrogant enough to believe they would always have the advantage, especially in battle. It was certainly what the Aro and Caius had intended for them and their coven when they arrived during New Year's Eve, taking advantage of Irina's mistaken report and her fear of the law. Unfortunately for them, they had failed.
"So, Mr Cullen, returning back to the original question, would you care to explain why you neglected to give your family's contact details to your then-human significant other before you even agreed to transform and propose that she become your spouse, in the case of an emergency that would place her and her family's lives at risk while you were- by your own admission- aware of the threat Victoria posed, and of her desire for revenge, since you fully intended to track and hunt her down?"
Silence as the entire auditorium waited with bated breath to see how Edward intended to explain and get himself out of this trap he had seemingly fallen into- and maybe dug himself.
Edward swallowed. When he spoke, his voice sounded hollow and dry, like a worn-out husk. Not as smooth, musical and rich as it used to be.
"It was an oversight on my part." His voice quavered. Edward wet his lips. "I assumed- quite arrogantly-" his voice quavered again "-that I would be able to track Victoria down."
"Without even the aid of your family?" Lady Laima questioned. "When previously, during your encounter with her spouse, you had failed to kill him or to rescue the girl until the rest of your family had arrived and this Victoria was already nowhere in sight?"
Edward didn't respond. Bella saw some members of the audience, including Kate and Siobhan seemingly disturbed as they watched Edward. Eleazar's hand went to his forehead, and he bowed his head, shaking it, no doubt at Edward's foolishness and unforgivable oversight. Peter and Randall both appeared appalled, and Charlotte completely taken aback. The witnesses who had come to the Cullens' aid, including Edward's, and stood against the Volturi on their behalf, ready to risk their lives and those of their loved ones, all looked at each other, including Benjamin and Tia. Tanya briefly closed her eyes and Carmen turned away, like she couldn't bear to watch any longer. Garrett and Alistair were expressionless, but Garrett's eyes were grim.
"However, leaving this matter aside, you did mention that you were undoubtedly aware that Victoria remained on the loose. Did you try to contact and communicate with her before you left the girl on her own back in Forks?"
Edward was silent. "I- I already said I thought to track her down and find her but her powers-" it sounded as if he were trying to sound brave, but faltered, especially when Lady Laima shook her head.
"That was not the question." She stated, her voice flat. "The question was whether you attempted to communicate and to reason with her first. If you could not find and eliminate her- as a threat- the very least, you could do was to attempt to find her to reason with her first and foremost. Victoria's abilities would not have compelled her to escape from you if you initially meant her no harm. If you had contacted your allies in Denali, Alaska, then you would have been able to discover the nature and the extent of her magical abilities, as well as her strategic capabilities and ways of hunting. This would have made it easy for you to deduce that Victoria would only escape and evade those who intended to harm her. If, however, Victoria had refused upon your success in encountering her, then you would have certainly had the greater advantage, since she was already within your sight, within grasping reach, for you to stop her at any cost. Was that not the case?" When Edward didn't answer, Bella hitched her breath. He appeared stunned. It didn't escape the judges' notice.
"This did not occur to you?" Elijah Mikaelson questioned. "To try to reason with her first?"
Edward struggled to speak. Rosalie turned away. It was horrible to watch. "I- she was in grief- our kind- our species-"
"Surely, if you had insisted upon imposing your idea to save the woman you loved by insisting that she live a life without not only you, but the supernatural of any kind, then surely you would have taken all measures and ensured that there were no loose ends, no risks to her safety, including a more peaceable approach at first? Diplomacy and the white flag of truce? If not you, then surely the other members of your family, or an intermediary, including the third and former member of their coven and the coven he was residing with at that time? Or, if all attempts had still resulted in failure, then you or your family would at least know of this Victoria's location and be able to capture or eliminate her in case she meant any harm?" The dark-haired male pressed, repeating for emphasis.
Edward swallowed. "I- I did not think of it at that time. I failed." His voice let out something akin to a choking sob. The judge absorbed this in silence.
"But surely," Lady Laima spoke again "you were aware that this Victoria was left free? And that she likely posed a threat to the girl, her family and all her acquaintances? And that this must indeed be taken seriously, seriously enough to be vigilant and to at least warn the Loup-Garou community of the threat of this Victoria and to plan on how to deal with her along with the rest of your family, instead of making a half-hearted attempt on your own which, upon your lack of progress, you then proceeded to either surrender or to set aside all attempts, at least for a time, until the threat of an army of newly turned vampires invading the town became an even greater threat to all residing within or near to it? Including the girl, your entire family and the Loup-Garou pack?" The audience inhaled sharply, and whispers spread throughout the congregation.
Everyone looked shocked, even the Denalis who had known some of the details although, according to Tanya and Eleazar's expressions, clearly not enough. Garrett, Liam, Peter, Charlotte, Mary and Randall all looked incredulous, and even Alistair did the same thing, and he had previously emotionless, or at least unreadable, with the exception of that one instance when he had heard that the daughter Edward had gone through great lengths to protect had, in fact, been almost harmed by him. They stared at the rest of the Cullens, including Jasper in particular, and back towards Edward before trading disbelieving looks at one another. In the shadows, Carlisle saw that Maria had simply arched an eyebrow. She didn't look impressed. In fact, she looked ready to tell Jasper that she was disappointed.
Edward's head bowed for a moment. He then looked up. His eyes seemed darker, more haunted. "I thought that I would be able to succeed in tracking her down myself once I had left and to eliminate her. I thought that it would be easy." He whispered; his eyes haunted by the depths of his own stupidity and presumption.
Lady Laima looked sceptical. For the first time, she openly showed expression, her brow furrowing. "Even though you had, upon your flight to Volterra and your return to Forks, abandoned and set aside all attempts to find and stop Victoria until the threat of an invasion upon the town had become very real?" There was silence. Edward's mouth was trembling. Bella felt sick, sick to her very core. She was also shaking, and venom was rising up her throat, threatening to make her regurgitate. Esme was beside her, attempting to console her but unable to hide her own despair and horrified feelings at the trial below and whose face was completely pale and whose honey-brown eyes could have wept if they could. Every one of the Cullens, in fact, looked sick to their stomachs. The witnesses all held their breaths.
"And this was without so much as taking into account that she may have had special abilities that could potentially prevent her easy capture or, if necessary, her elimination, especially since you parted ways with the rest of your family not long after leaving? Did you ever consider consult your friends who had taken in the third member of James and Victoria's coven-group-" out of the corner of her eye, Bella saw the Denalis flinch at the reminder of Laurent and, consequently, Irina. "- to ask him if he knew whether Victoria had any special abilities that would endanger the humans of Forks, the girl and her family in particular- whose acquaintances could also have been used as bait to her again-" Bella cringed. "-or even from going after your own family? Did you even consider warning the residing Loup-Garou pack of the potential dangers to them, so as to not break the fragile truce between both parties due to your own careless oversight?"
Edward was silent again. Esme covered her face with her hands. Carlisle pressed his lips firmly together and took her hand.
"No," Edward whispered once more. But his words were as clear as glass. "I did not."
"According to your family's testimonies, your own and those of the Loup-Garoux residing nearby, your coven-mate and adoptive brother possesses a gift for strategy. If you were not capable of thinking and planning to such an extent, why not simply ask for his help? Why did you think that you could do everything yourself when you did not even succeed or complete your mission to track and find this Victoria and that by your own admission, you lacked tracking abilities?"
Jasper stiffened. He felt the weight of everybody's stares, whom they had all been acquainted with, turn towards him. Down below, Edward swallowed. He looked as if he had been hit. A hit which he felt like he fully deserved. His hands, still bound to the armrests, trembled.
Finally, he spoke, "I... did not deem it necessary. I severely underestimated the threat that Victoria had posed. I was so happy and so relieved that I was reunited with Bel- with the girl whom I loved and that it was finally over, or so I thought." His voice was bitter but faint. In fact, if they weren't vampires, none of them would be able to hear them. As it so happened, only two people in the box set aside for witches and wizards could hear him: Gabrielle and Adsila Sizemore. The rest of them craned forwards and some cast charms to enhance their hearing.
"You who went through such incredible lengths for the girl's safety?" Walter Bernhard mused. "I take it that no one else was given such assiduous attention and regard by you in regard to their lives?" Edward fell silent.
Elijah Mikaelson spoke next: "Mr Cullen, surely you were aware that you were negligent and careless with the risks of endangering everyone, from your own family and the other members of your species to the Loup-Garoux pack and the mundane humans of Forks? Including the girl herself?" Edward flinched.
"I- I thought-" Lady Laima frowned thoughtfully at Edward's response. She looked as if she were about to speak, but Walter Bernhard caught her eye.
"My lady," Walter Bernhard he spoke. Rosalie, Emmett, Alice and Jasper all stifled moans and groans. "Surely, all his responses and oversights have shown and proven to us that he possesses an exceptional lack of responsibility combined with an unhealthy regard for his own capabilities? That, in fact, through his own incontrollable actions and poor planning and decision-making, yet at the same time, being so... insistent that he alone can solve all issues and no one else could- or at least Mr Cullen simply believed that they did not have the right to do so- that this man has done more harm than good? That he possesses a risk, not only to himself, but to his family, his species, the rest of our kind, and the supernatural and mundane worlds? That he could hardly care less about the risks and the damages he has done or left to others, even the ones he professes to love or care for, much less the innocents whom he has never cared to meet?" His smile widened and his eyes gleamed. "Mr Cullen did mention in his testimonies that his eyes were closed during that fateful festival in Volterra when he attempted to expose himself publicly to a large crowd of humans in order to escape the pain and guilt he had inflicted upon and caused himself by forcing the Volturi to execute him? All while knowing perfectly well, after decades as a vampire in their species' world, instructed by those more experienced, having previously met the Volturi, and having heard the stories of others', including some of his coven's friends and allies', interacted with them, their history and actions? Not to mention, he would have heard the story of the coven-group most closely allied to his own, which was explicitly stated by them to Mr Cullen and his family, that they were barely spared merely through sheer luck despite Caius' desire to seem them destroyed?" The Denalis all flinched. "Meaning that he full well knew the risks to his own family, should they fail to rein him in or to prevent him from introducing a human into their world? As well as perfectly knowing how the Volturi crudely silenced human observers and witnesses to the supernatural, who supposedly threaten their secrecy?" Everyone, including the Cullens, inhaled sharply.
The trap, which everyone had already spotted but had been unable to prevent, had finally been sprung. Bella, Esme and Alice all made a sound akin to a moan and a sob. Jasper closed his eyes in despair and Emmett groaned. Carlisle's shoulders shook and it was a sobering sight. The Cullen patriarch may have been crying. The audience began to whisper amongst themselves again.
Lady Laima did not respond. And neither did she take her eyes off Edward.
"Let us move on to the now-infamous events of March nineteenth, 2006." Walter Bernhard said pleasantly. "Surely we can see that everything this young man had done has resulted and amounted in his careless actions, all which clearly indicates that none of his actions can be summarised as innocent mistakes borne from a moment of unspeakable anguish and shame, nor of a desperation to keep the girl he loved safe, but of extreme carelessness, selfishness and irresponsibility? Not merely to the girl and to himself, oh no, but to his own family, whom he had betrayed and placed at risk, for it would have been likely for Aro and Caius to seize the advantage to eliminate and dismantle their family unit- unless some of them would consent to be enslaved?" His smirk widened. Bella's insides felt like they were shrinking. "Not only to his friends and acquaintances, but to his entire species and to the rest of his kind?" Bella's insides shrunk. She wanted to shrink in her seat, cry out, drop dead and jump to Edward. "He may not have known about the rest of the supernatural world, nor even the other species of his kind, yes," the judge conceded. "But he certainly had previously met and became well acquainted with different covens, solitary vampires, including nomadic ones, even befriending and allying some, especially since many came to his family's rescue, many having listened to and choosing to stay due to his own vocal pleadings, his requests to firstly bear witness for the truth of the mistaken charge of turning a human child, and later asking or even expecting them to risk their lives and stand against the Volturi should not only his family's, but his own life be threatened by them?
Next to the judges, Maggie reeled and inhaled sharply, eyes focused on Edward, shocked and sky-blue, piercing into his form. Every one of the Cullens' former witnesses looked taken aback. Slowly, their eyes darted from the rest of the Cullens, Bella in particular, to Edward down below.
Edward couldn't meet any of their eyes. He felt the weight of every stare upon him, including the ones he had asked to bear witness and to defend him and his family against the Volturi, even at the risks of their own lives. His whole body shook with silent sobs. A lump rose into Bella's throat. For a moment, Edward said nothing, choking on his silent sobs. Walter Bernhard's expression did not lessen. Lady Laima studied him carefully while Elijah Mikaelson sighed slightly, eyes averting. Unlike the other male judge, he did not enjoy this in the slightest.
Bella pressed her lips together to keep from crying out. Her hands flew to her mouth. Her whole body shook, eyes blurring. She was choking, drowning, she felt. Her sobs wracked her entire form. Esme gathered her close, and she felt Rosalie's comforting arms gently attempting to soothe her, along with Carlisle.
Lady Laima allowed Edward a moment to compose himself before once again speaking. "Upon your own prior admission, you had intended to first ask the Volturi to execute you, as you were certain that neither your family would have agreed nor approved, and that their friends and acquaintances would also do the same. In fact, all were likely to stop you, so none were aware of your plans, am I correct?" She waited for Edward to answer, and when he nodded, the judges turned to look at Maggie who swallowed and also nodded, red curls bouncing. "However, also according to your testimony, long before you believed the girl to have died, long before either of you had parted ways as a matter of fact, you had willfully chosen to pursue a relationship with her- only to leave her not long after- and just before the fateful birthday party which convinced you to formulate an admittedly flawed plan to ensure her safety by ensuring that she remained in and only interacted with members of the mundane human world, you nonetheless admitted to the investigators of MACUSA, the Magical Congress of the United States of America, that you had first concocted the idea of remaining in a relationship with the girl without ever intending nor even agreeing to turn her into a vampire, yet instead you planned on requesting voluntary execution from the Volturi, and if you had failed to convince them to agree with your plans, you instead fully intended to break their law and compell them to execute you once- not if, but once- the girl you loved had died since you intended to force her to remain mortal, is this correct?"
In her box, Gabrielle turned away. It was too horrible to watch. Edward's shoulders were still shaking. "Yes," he whispered, broken. "Although I did not think- I did not know-"
"You did not know the law? You previously testified to MACUSA's investigators that your adoptive father had taught you as a newly turned fledgling." No one in their species or the wizards and witches reacted at the term for what their species called a newborn vampire. "Or perhaps you did not agree with the reasoning behind it? However, as I recall you mentioned that you insistently did not believe- refused to believe, as a matter of fact- that the Volturi were criminals who did not impose laws without good reason prior to the confrontation that you had with them on New Year's Eve 2006." Lady Laima pointed. Esme paled and her hand flew to her throat as she realised Edward had, yet again, been caught off guard and had in fact, fallen into another trap. Or perhaps he had dug himself in deeper and tangled himself in further. Bella was close to screaming. She covered her ears with both hands and squeezed her eyes shut, head bowed to the floor. However, she could not drown out the Vampire Queen's words.
"This means that you were fully aware of the risks. The risks to your own species, including your very own family and acquaintances, and to your Dhampir daughter. The risks to the mundane humans, who were forced to be present- along with the rest of their people, and yet you continued on with your plans, regardless of the costs to all." Lady Laima pointed. "Is that not true?"
Edward looked completely anguished. "It was not my intention." he whispered. Walter Bernhard scoffed elegantly. "It hardly matters whether or not it was your intention," he mused. "You were not merely careless; you were selfish and irresponsible to risk the lives of innocents and those who had placed your trust in you, even though you had put up pathetic and half-hearted attempts to ensure the girl's safety. All of them, including your own family, the girl you claimed to love, your only daughter and all your friends and acquaintances whom you would ask to come to your aid, and possibly even fight and die for you on New Year's Eve mere months after this- they were very nearly harmed or even killed because of you- although some certainly already had been. None of these dangers would have happened to them, to your wife, your daughter, the rest of your family and your friends and allies, much less the innocents who were caught within the crossfire, had it not been for your sloppy and careless planning, your irresponsible oversight and your self-centred priorities." Everybody gasped. Maggie looked pale. Siobhan's hand flew to her throat. Tia looked sick. They all looked betrayed.
Edward's mouth trembled. His green eyes stared horrified and in denial, from one judge to the others. He shook his head violently, aghast. "N-no-!" But it was too late. Edward had immediately realised his own lie as it flew from his mouth and Maggie had realised it even before him. Her hand flew to her mouth as she stared at Edward, sickened and hurt.
"You have betrayed even your own family. Including your wife and daughter." Walter Bernhard continued smoothly, one of the three calmest people in the room- the other two being the unreadable judges- but also the only one who was neither excited but also not horrified or shocked, as Edward trembled against his restraints. "Your friends and acquaintances, human, vampire or Loup-Garou, all of whom you have betrayed." Maggie blanched even more visibly. "And you are responsible, as the Volturi had been, for that poor child and her father's deaths along with the deaths of rest of the humans who were lured back into the city and into the Volturi lair for elimination, and against the threat and pain of the two sole survivors: the mother and her infant daughter who had escaped whilst the rest of their immediate family perished." Whispers rang throughout the hall.
Edward stared to shake more violently. The other two judges had their gazes focused upon him but were, again, unreadable. Maggie was pale. She looked both horrified and... betrayed. Her eyes darted towards Edward, to the other members of her coven, Liam and Siobhan who stood stunned along with the other witnesses. They had the same reaction as the Denalis, with the sole exception of Garett who had closed his eyes and turned away, both disgusted and betrayed. Liam also looked disgusted and betrayed, his hands reaching out to hold Siobhan by the shoulders, the latter staring shocked and in hurt disbelief towards Edward. The Egyptians- minus Amun and Kebi, the former of whom had scoffed as if expecting nothing less while Kebi's eyes burned with vindication- Peter and Charlotte, Mary and Randall, stared at Edward with nothing less than the utmost feelings of hurt and betrayal. Nahuel's teak-coloured eyes were wide and he appeared stunned. Huilen seemed disapproving, shaking her head in dismay. The three Dhampyr sisters were all silent. Bella remembered that Nahuel had looked at Edward and seen the kind of man he believed his father should have been. Just as he once looked at Bella and seen the life his mother should have and would've had, had his father been less selfish and far kinder.
Bella felt like throwing up.
Now, that illusion was broken. Something unreadable flittered through Zafrina's eyes. She gently touched her sister Kachiri on the shoulder, who appeared grim. Senna stared unmoving and expressionless towards Edward. Luca, Charles and Mackenna all looked at one another. Out of the corner of her eye, Bella spotted Maria amongst the audience for the first time, barely hidden due to her petite size. She cocked her head to one side, gazing at Edward with curiosity in her gaze along with amusement, not dissimilar to Walter Bernhard... more likely, she was amused yet unimpressed at the apparent hypocrisy of at least one peace-loving, human-cherishing Cullen, whom Jasper had preferred to stay with and remain over her. Only Alistair stared completely motionless and expressionless at Edward. Bella didn't know what he was thinking. Did he feel righteously vindicated in not choosing to stay and risk his own life to stand against the Volturi for the sake of someone who had put them all at risk? Or did he still feel guilt and shame in leaving them? Bella briefly remembered the flash of guilt in Alistair's newly blue eyes when they saw each other for the first time when on the way to witness and observe the Volturi's trial.
Elijah Mikaelson sighed. "The debate of this trial is not to dispute whether or not you were guilty of any crimes," he reminded Edward- and the congregation. "That has already been admitted. You have confessed. The Lady Progenitor-" he looked towards Lady Laima "-has Seen it in her visions." The audience shuffled with unease at the mention of the lady progenitor's power. Maggie stood silent, but she nodded tightly when the judge turned towards her.
"Instead, the point of this trial is to determine the extent of your guilt, whereupon you will receive the appropriate sentence handed out to you by the courts." Bella stuffed her fist into her mouth to keep from screaming.
"In short, you are guilty of exposing your own species, disregarding the laws and the reasoning behind them as you have been taught. You are guilty, through negligence and carelessness, of endangering mundane humans, mages and vampires alike, along with a Loup-Garou pack in Washington State, the United States of America. You are guilty of risking exposure even before then, and of trespassing when you secretly entered into a human's home without explicit permission or consent from the owner of that property- who happened to be the Chief of Police in that town." This elicited murmurs and whispers throughout the crowd. "In doing so, you further risked exposure to the mundane humans and the lives of your family by courting the wrath of the residing Loup-Garou pack whom your family had previously forged a treaty with- a treaty which was agreed upon and signed by both parties, including yourself." He nodded towards Edward. "You are, furthermore, guilty of domestic abuse and harassment towards your own spouse- even before the two of you were joined in matrimony- and of risking unwanted attention towards your own family and the rest of your species within the relatively small, but well-spoken human community of Forks. Stalking, false imprisonment-" Alice flinched "-coercion and psychological manipulation, including blackmail, towards the rest of your family in this case, gross and even criminal negligence towards their lives and the girl's, in particular. And to top things off, conspiracy to commit a forced abortion upon your then-unborn daughter against your wife's explicit consent." The audience inhaled sharply, some hissing in disbelief and outrage. Many eyes flew towards the rest Cullens and back towards Edward again, including the witnesses who had stood up for them during New Year's Eve.
"Do you deny the final charge?" Elijah Mikaelson's eyebrow arched elegantly. Edward swallowed. A look of immeasurable pain and anguish was seared into his face as he bowed his head. Slowly, he shook it.
"Do you deny also emotionally blackmailing your pregnant wife, seeking to cause guilt with which you could have used to gain her consent via coercion? A pregnant woman who had been suffering from hormonal changes and a mortally dangerous pregnancy with a Dhampir when you attempted to coerce, argue, or failing that, to plot your way into enforcing an abortion and terminating your unborn child against the mother's explicit wishes?" Edward shook with sobs. Again, as if the action caused him great pain like driving a thousand stakes into his heart- if that method of eliminating a vampire could actually work- Edward shook his head. If he were human, everyone was certain that tears would be pouring in a stream from his lowered face.
"Were you aware that the abortion would be against her explicit consent? That it would be a traumatic action which would cause her great emotional and mental pain and grief?" The judge asked.
For a moment, Edward was unable to speak. He wasn't the only one who was crying quietly but violently. Bella had her face buried into Esme's shoulder while the latter, along with the rest of the Cullens, attempted to soothe her. Needless to say, it was futile.
Lady Laima held out a hand to the other judges, Walter Bernhard in particular. Her eyes were trained onto Edward as she waited for him to regain his composure. For the first time since the beginning of the trial, a flicker of emotion entered her eyes. What shocked the Cullens was that they displayed concern- and pity.
If only for a moment. And for a small measure. It seemed that like Elijah Mikaelson, unlike Walter Bernhard, Lady Laima also did not enjoy taking part in this trial. She considered it her duty, and nothing would stop her in the pursuit of justice. But she did not take pleasure in breaking Edward and tearing him apart.
"I- I thought," Edward's voice was whispery, hoarse for a vampire "I thought that she-" Esme closed her eyes, unable to bear witness to her son being destroyed from within, even by his own actions.
"I thought that it was right," Edward managed to whisper, "that it would save her."
For a second, everyone was silent. "I didn't mean to hurt Ren- to hurt either of them."
"As if you had never hurt the mother before she even became pregnant? When you perhaps thought to save her during September the sixteenth the previous year when you left in an incredibly traumatic manner?" The infernal red-haired judge with his blade-like smile asked. "Perhaps you were not made aware of the emotional and psychological harm you had inflicted upon her- and by extension, her own family and acquaintances." Bella covered her mouth with her hands to stop her from screaming. Jasper had long since wished he could take off the damned silver collar around his neck, the cursed magic inhibitor, in order to soothe her. But even he knew it would not be enough. Alice was completely upset and distressed, torn between experiencing the realisation that she could not do anything for Edward, and could try but ultimately fail in consoling Bella. She felt completely anguished.
They were completely glad that Renesmee was not here.
Bella didn't know why she was crying. Why was she was currently choking with tearless sobs against Esme's shoulder with Rosalie and Carlisle embracing her from behind and Emmett from around all of them? Was she crying because of the betrayal, at the reminder of what Edward had done and what she had failed to take seriously, at the cost of everyone she loved or cared for? Or because Edward, the man whom she thought of as her own guardian angel, could not deny his own guilt, the horrors and shame of his own betrayal, including to her and to their daughter and the rest of their family, friends and acquaintances?
Or was it because he would be forced to face a terrible sentence? Or perhaps because the ones who they had cared about, who cared for them and risked their own lives to come to their rescue- and their daughter's- back in December, felt betrayed at the extent of which Edward had previously and carelessly placed them at risk while not long after requesting them to risk everything to defend him and his family? Now, Bella was certain they would never look at him the same way again. They would want nothing to do with him. They would never forgive him.
Briefly, she wondered if Renesmee could. And what she must be feeling- what she would feel upon hearing Edward's sentence. And what in the world they were going to have to say. That thought caused her to break into another round of sobs.
Mercifully, Lady Laima held up her hand. "Enough. The court is adjourned. Once we return, witnesses will be summoned to testify openly in court." For a moment, her gaze met Bella's.
Carlisle stiffened and froze. Soon after that... their friends would require and demand answers. And Edward would be sentenced.
"You can close your eyes to the things you don't want to see, but you can't close your heart to the things you don't want to feel."
Johnny Depp
Radu had been sympathetic enough to usher the Cullens into their private suite as quickly as possible and to ensure all measures were taken for their privacy.
The break would last for an hour. During that time, Carlisle, Esme and Rosalie forced a cup of Dreamless Sleep Potion laced with blood into Bella's hands and made her drink it. Bella was glad that it would cause dreamless sleep. Gabrielle previously had the foresight to brew it and requested Radu and Yakov permission to give this to them. After this, no one could disagree that she needed it.
Once Bella had woken, the pain had not lessened, but she felt better. Nerves and grief still wracked her, but she felt less broken. She didn't have a lot of time before they would be ushered into the courtroom once more, but she was able to think more clearly and coherently. Meaning she would be able to prepare herself better.
It was torture. Bella was certain that it was worse than anything Jane could cook up. A part of her wondered, briefly, where Jane and Alec were. Probably at the infirmary, suffering from the after-effects and withdrawal symptoms of Corin and Chelsea's spells and the revelations of Aro's millennium-long betrayal and manipulation of them. It was ironic, she had once seen them as monsters, and Edward as a guardian angel. Bella was now certain that the twins had seen Aro, and her and Edward in the opposite manner. Now, it seemed that they were no different from each other: Edward and Aro, the twins and Bella.
Bella wondered if the twins- and Sulpicia and Athenodora- truly wished for Aro and Caius to be executed, in spite of their betrayal. Bella was almost certain that they would be. But did a small part of them feel pain for the ones they had loved for hundreds, if not thousands of years? Were they still overwhelmed with the shock of their betrayal? Was Marcus? Or did they all wish them dead?
Marcus probably would have, knowing that he had tried to avenge Didyme's murder, only to be thwarted by Chelsea at Aro's behest. At least, according to Carlisle, he was able to refuse Aro's offer of Corin's 'gift'.
She didn't know. Heck, Bella didn't know what she was supposed to feel. And that was the worst thing because, no matter the outcome, the one certainty she had would be that it would not make them happy.
But she had made her choice. A part of Bella pointed out to her that it was her fault. After all, Bella didn't call Edward out or even get mad when he broke into her room at night while she was sleeping. Instead, she was flattered. And embarrassed. The thought of that, the memory of her reaction, or lack of it, now made her sick. Same as her passivity in just about everything else.
Even the way she stood up for Renesmee's sake now seemed weak, barely adequate. Walter Bernhard was right: they truly had been lucky this whole time. And Bella had taken that for granted, moaning and whining about her bad luck. Now, it seemed that the universe had conspired to teach her a lesson in what true bad luck really means. She truly was a fool.
Bella knew that once they re-entered the court auditorium, she and the rest of their family would have to testify. She knew that, for the first time, she would set eyes upon and meet the gaze of the woman whom she and Edward had so carelessly brushed aside, along with her family, whose husband and daughter's lives they had costed. Whose family had been destroyed... by them.
Bella swallowed, hard.
It wasn't going to be easy. She took a deep breath and steeled herself. But she had to do it. For their sakes, it was the very least she could do.
"He who destroys another person to succeed in life will have destruction awaiting him at the post of his success."
Abdulazeez Henry Musa
When the court had filed back in Gabrielle glanced anxiously at Harry, Ron and Hermione, before turning her gaze towards Adsila, one of the first friends she had made in America.
Adsila's jet-black eyes had not left Edward Cullen's form as soon as she re-entered the court's auditorium. The quarter-Nunnehi, a part-Fey witch like Gabrielle, stared unblinking towards the accused.
Beside her sat Kohana Arpan. Power and grace seemed to emanate from his very form. He was undisputedly charismatic. MACUSA's Director of Magical Security served as the head of their Department of Magical Law Enforcement and as the president's second-in-command, his right hand and deputy. He was a very tall and extremely handsome wizard, but purely human unlike Adsila, with rich russet skin, much like Jacob Black's, and gleaming black hair. His eyes were liquid black, his cheekbones clearly defined and broad. He lounged with a casual grace that many would envy, like a sleek panther. A member of the Lakota tribe, the magical division at least, Kohana was also romantically involved with Adsila, although they kept a purely professional attitude in public and at work. He was tipped to be the next president of MACUSA, and certainly efficient and popular enough to win the votes. Gabrielle knew, without either of them dropping hints, that Kohana fully intended to propose to Adsila, but both were too busy and Adsila, being one year younger than her at nineteen, knew better despite her love and desire to commit to him.
Just as well, Gabrielle thought. If anyone ever had any doubts about Renesmee and the future of her love life, she was certain that after hearing of her mother and maternal grandmother's examples, Jacob or no Jacob, the little girl had no intention of ever marrying that young, even if her body physically matured quickly. She stifled her unease with the mention that Adsila would lead a very human life, unlike her and tried not to think about Radu in the slightest. She prayed to Eru Ilúvatar that they both could be happy... without each other.
She knew their time together was fast coming to an end. They were both at risk every second it lasted, of going too deep. Soon they had to pull away before they could fall and never get out... and suffer all the consequences that came along with it. They were not meant for lasting happiness, not together. She was certain of that. Gabrielle pressed her lips together. She knew it to be true, but it was so very hard.
Gabrielle wondered if Edward himself knew, recognised and acknowledged that his love for Bella was a false one as she strongly suspected. She wondered if either of them would ever recover from this. The thing about immortals, or even simply the long-lived like Loup-Garoux, was that they generally, truly fell in love only once. But the worst part was that unrequited love still existed for them and some have suffered from such a thing. Even if Edward realised this, there was a chance he would be unable to cope with the fact that the woman he loved truly did not exist and certainly was not Bella.
Gabrielle forced her attention back to the trial. The Cullens were being summoned as witnesses to testify. And so was Adriana Della Rosa.
For the first time, Gabrielle received a clear look in person of the woman who had had the courage to demand justice from vampires and against them for the deaths of her husband and child.
Adriana Della Rosa was pretty, to say the least, though undoubtedly in a human way. There was a quality to her, even in sorrow, that naturally drew the eye. However, she may have been a person that would be considered beautiful especially when she was radiant with happiness, filling the room with a light that seemed to be natural once she smiled. However, it was clear that those days were long past her. She looked as if she would never smile again, a fact which caused Gabrielle unspeakable sorrow to observe. Gabrielle was reminded of the girl who had become her closest friend since she first came to America, Ava Swan. While Ava was pretty, beautiful in fact, she wasn't always the most breathtaking girl in the room. Especially around the likes of Gabrielle and Adsila, the latter of whom she had introduced Gabrielle to. Her beauty was more understated, despite its elegance and natural charm and genuine warmth. But despite all that, Ava could easily do more than just hold her own as compared to them. She had a natural magnetic attraction which drew people to her. While people would gawk and stare at Gabrielle, Fleur, Adsila and her cousin Ayita, whom Gabrielle had also met, it wasn't hard for Ava to draw their attention back to her until people were more preoccupied with paying attention to the latter as opposed to the devastatingly beautiful Delacour sisters or Sizemore cousins. She was impossible to hate and seemed to be universally liked. In fact, Gabrielle thought that Ava was one of the most attractive individuals she had ever met. She was naturally charming and fun, particularly amusing and just full and radiant with life and spirit. Adriana Della Rosa may have had eyes similar to Esme's, but she most reminded Gabrielle of Ava, the girl who resembled Bella the most and was, in fact, a cousin.
A witch cousin. Gabrielle smiled grimly. Unbeknownst to Bella, she had a witch cousin who was in the same auditorium as she was. Adsila had picked out the resemblance as soon as she first met Bella. It might have to be a while for Bella to process everything and to recover before she could introduce her, Renesmee or any of the Cullens to Ava. But on the bright side, Ava might cheer them up as well.
If only she could cheer Adriana Della Rosa, she thought sympathetically. But Gabrielle sensed that, despite her young age, this was not something she would ever recover from.
Signora Adriana Della Rosa looked deceptively young; Gabrielle deduced that perhaps she was not in her early twenties, but in her mid-to-late twenties. She had silky brown hair which reached down to her collar bone, a smooth peaches-and-cream complexion, very fine features and light brown eyes that were the colour of honey, similar to Esme's. Too similar, in fact. She stared blankly as the judges re-entered the court auditorium, before turning her eyes towards Edward. There was nothing there. No hatred, no loathing, no anger or rage. Not like Victoria. She sought justice not vengeance.
And to Bella, or at least, a part of her that seemed to be dying, that may have been the worst thing. For the first time since that fateful day in Volterra when she had reunited with her beloved Edward and found a pathway to immortality, while at the same time, Adriana had her entire world shattered and two people whom she loved more than anything else in the world, as much as her baby daughter who luckily also survived, had been violently killed, their lives and happiness cruelly ended.
Her gaze was blank. She looked like she felt even more numb than Bella did when she'd felt enough. Bella swallowed. Her defunct stomach churned. Guilt rose within her to unimaginable levels that she had never experienced before in her life. She looked numb and blank. She looked what Bella imagined herself to look during those six months that Edward had been away for, which felt like a lifetime and now, especially since their wedding, felt like an eternity away.
Bella looked down. She couldn't bear to look at her. To see that she'd paid for her happiness with someone else's- other people's- and their lives. She knew that for as long as she lived, she would never be able to forget Adriana Della Rosa's face now that she had taken a good look at her. She looked like someone who had been happy only to have her entire world shattered and destroyed.
Bella would never forgive herself.
Signora Della Rosa was called to the stand.
"Please state your full name," Elijah Mikaelson addressed her.
For a moment, Adriana did not speak. Bella thought that she did not speak English.
But then she spoke. "Adriana Maria Giuliana Della Rosa." There was an undisputed hint of Italian in her voice.
"And your date of birth and your current age?"
"Twenty-third of January 1983. Thirty-four years of age." She responded. The judge nodded in affirmation.
"Your family?" His tone was gentler. Adriana clasped her hands together on her lap. She took a shuddering breath.
"A husband, Luciano. And two daughters: Vittoria and Beatrice. Beatrice is one. Vittoria was four... when she..." She took another shaking breath. Her eyes glistened but just as quickly it disappeared. Elijah nodded quickly.
"What can you tell me happened that day in Volterra on March nineteenth, 2006?" Elijah Mikaelson asked softly. The other judges and everyone in the room watched her. Not a single person was unable to feel sympathy and pain on her behalf.
Adriana pressed her lips together. Her fingers clasped and unclasped.
"We were in the countryside." She began, slowly. As if she did not trust herself to breathe without breaking. She then swallowed and seemed to steel herself. Her shoulders straightened.
"My husband and I decided to take our daughters around the village area. We relocated to Narni in Umbria, Central Italy a few years back, but my husband and I were born in Toscana- Tuscany. In a village called Cornicello. We met in school and became apprentices. After we married, we had Vittoria and then Beatrice but moved to Umbria in the city of Narni or Narnia where Luciano took a job at our Ministry of Magic in Italy." Esme swallowed; eyes seemingly moist as she heard this woman speak. "We took some time off work to visit our parents and the rest of our families, taking our children. The two of us decided to take a day off, explore the sights around Tuscany." Carlisle took a shuddering breath. Rosalie and Emmett squeezed each other's hand for comfort. Jasper looked aggrieved and Alice... Alice was taking small but shuddering breaths, trying to keep things together.
"We came across a historical site. One which we had heard rumours, rumours or more likely stories and legends about secrets and magic hidden in plain view of the Babbani- non-magical people- humans- in Italy. We were interested, especially once we heard that that festival had been connected to non-magical superstitions about magical beings and creatures. Even more so when they started wearing cloaks during a festival on the same date, which we knew they no longer wore." Adriana Della Rosa took another breath. Her hands shook but she hardened her gaze before forcing herself to continue.
"We thought to do some sight-seeing. Posing as tourists. We entered the city." She pressed her lips firmly together, but her expression did not crumble, and she did not cry out. "And wore cloaks that we had in the same colour to blend in. We brought the girls a pair of child-sized cloaks once we reached the city because we had none for either Vittoria and Beatrice's sizes." Her voice cracked at the mention of her daughter, but she did not falter. "But to make certain that they would blend in, the girls wore dresses of the same colour. We tied ribbons in their hair."
Bella's heart seemed like it was being crushed, like with a vice. Memories of doing Renesmee's hair, of Gran or Renée doing the same to her when she was little, ran past her eyes. Her insides squeezed and folded into themselves. This was worse. Worse than the previous parts of the trial. And already it had been among the worst, if not the worst experience of her life.
Adriana forced herself to continue. Her honey-brown eyes glistened but her face remained dry, unfailing in its resoluteness. She swallowed lightly. "We arrived by portkey a safe distance outside of the city walls. We entered the city along with the crowd. It was a huge celebration."
No one seemed to breathe. For the vampires, this was certainly the case.
"I remembered going near the bell tower. It was a warm day, quite sunny." She paused. "People were starting to sweat in their cloaks, so I secretly cast cooling charms on the girls and on my husband and myself." Her lips trembled. "And we took their cloaks off to make it easier for them to walk because they were so heavy."
Again, no one spoke. Adriana's hands trembled. "After that," she continued slowly "I remembered the crowd pushed us closer to the fountain. There was a big bell tower. And an alleyway nearby which looked much cooler since it was covered by the tower's shade. I thought to move there, and Luciano held Beatrice tight against him while I held onto Vittoria's hand." Her voice choked, threatening to break. Her eyes blurred and grew moist, but she did not break her gaze. She remained firm in her resolve to continue her story and to continue her fight for justice.
"As we started to look for ways within the crowd to get to that place, I was starting to feel a little tired of the festival. Perhaps, we could come back another day, I suggested to my husband. Luciano agreed. It was hard keeping a firm hold onto two excitable, very young children who were small and could easily get lost in the crowd, but it was still difficult to carry them around because the crowd took hours to move even a short distance because there were so many people. It was packed and the festivities were not as entertaining nor as fun as our family, particularly the children, would've liked. We could not even go sight-seeing. So, we planned on getting into that alleyway so we could Disapparate and go home. As we both discussed this, I felt Vittoria tug on my elbow. She had seen something. She was smiling, laughing, pointing at something in the alleyway where we were planning to go."
Now, Edward's mouth trembled. His insides, and his whole body, felt like it was shaking.
Adriana Della Rosa closed her eyes and took a shuddering breath. But her shoulders and her poise remained as it had been. She would not be swayed. She would never forget. She would fight for justice and every single person who saw her, even on television, knew it.
Before the Volturi's trial, she had been warned that if she broke down and wept this would likely garner contempt especially amongst the accused who would seek to mock her, because many immortals, long-lived compared to even wizards and witches, and those who had not had children of their own and understood such a powerful connection and loss. The regent of the coven, Radu had informed her of this herself and assured her that she would be allowed to take all the time that she needed in order to keep and maintain her composure. Adriana had spent weeks and even months leading up to the trials figuring how to compose and steel herself against the pain and horrors that she endured. It was one thing to show emotion, but she should never show weakness even by breaking down and giving into the grief of a mother. Or a wife.
Adriana clenched the desk of the witness' podium. "This is my husband." She held up a picture.
It showed a man with curly dark hair cut short, rather handsome features, including an aquiline nose, a lightly tanned complexion and dark eyes with white teeth. He appeared striking but friendly.
"This," she held up another picture "is my eldest daughter."
The pang in Bella's heart was almost too much to bear. Vittoria Della Rosa had a small, sweet-looking pixie face, similar to Alice's, a bright mischievous smile and a sparkle in her brown eyes, and dimples in her cheeks, much like Renesmee's. She had arched dark eyebrows and long, silky dark brown hair. Bella's heart felt like it was being crushed and torn to pieces. Even worse, the picture seemed to be moving- no, it was moving. Magic, no doubt; to recreate the life and sunshine she had once filled a room with.
Bella squeezed her eyes shut but forced them open. She would witness every minute of this as she felt like she deserved even though it was worse than witnessing Jane torture Edward.
Adriana took another breath and set the picture down.
Lady Laima spoke. Her voice was gentle, and her lovely face showed understanding towards Adriana. "Tell me about what happened that day and how the Volturi came to you." She coaxed.
"What we have done for ourselves alone dies with us; what we have done for others and the world remains and is immortal."
Albert Pike
This entire trial had been too horrible for words. Unlike with Cornelius Fudge, unlike with the Volturi, Gabrielle felt no satsifaction, no Schadenfreude. She felt sickened.
It was too much. Adriana Della Rosa recounted the story of how her husband and daughter's killers came to them and caught them off-guard. Luciano had brandished his wand, only for them to rip it from him and tackle him. Vittoria had screamed, breaking away from Adriana's grasp and running forwards calling for her Papa only to be silenced by a neck snap. Adriana had screamed but had instantly known to get Beatrice her baby whom she carried with her to safety. She disappeared in a nearby alleyway and would have been caught by these vampires had she not Disapparated with Beatrice and alerted the Italian Ministry of Magic.
It was unforgivable.
However, what was interesting was that Adriana now remembered that one of the guard members, a smaller vampiress who seemed to be capable of inflicting something like the Cruciatus Curse upon another member of the guard, had done so when they snapped the neck of her daughter. In fact, that may have been the only reason why she and Beatrice had time enough to escape to a secret place.
She couldn't Disapparate immediately, although she wished she did. There were Muggles or Babbini witnessing them, although she couldn't save them, she now realised. They weren't spared as they too had seen Edward.
Gabrielle knew the Volturi were forced to witness this moment. But it was an interesting new development about the member of the guard named Jane or Jehanne. She had, on other accounts, been described as sadistic and psychopathic. Yet she had been infuriated and stood up against the murder of a child and the attempted murder of another child and her mother.
It must have haunted her.
But this interest in a sudden empathy, one which surprised the Cullens as much as the vampires who had heard, seen or met Alec and Jane, gave way to a sobering realisation. That the reason the twins felt little sympathy for the Cullens on New Year's Eve, even when they were simply defending their daughter, was because they had put another family with young children at risk whilst trying to expose their world. And they had no idea that the Della Rosa family were even magical.
More depth and empathy than Edward, Gabrielle thought grimly. This would certainly convince the court to be less harsh on the twins' sentences. However, she strongly suspected that it would also mean that the court would be harsher upon deciding Edward's sentence.
However, despite her sympathy for the Cullen family in general, including Bella and Renesmee, Gabrielle found that she had little of that to spare for Edward, if any.
He didn't deserve to walk away and to live his life with his dream family the way he and Bella had intended once the Volturi left on the dawn of the New Year.
Any sympathy Gabrielle had for him- and she did feel some- vanished like mist. Her lips tightened as she beheld him, manacled to the chair of the accused.
How does it feel to come face to face with the results of your self-absorbedness and arrogance? She thought coldly, despite knowing that he could no longer hear, even if she lowered her Occlumency shields.
Gabrielle knew that the Volturi were also forced to witness and observe this trial. Aro and Caius, most certainly.
She glanced at Ron, Hermione and Harry. The former was consoling his tearful wife. The latter was gripping his wand tight in his hand, so much so that sparks flew, although thankfully they didn't catch anything on fire. Harry's teeth were clenched as if he wanted nothing more than to fire hexes and curses into Edward's direction, and hunt down the Volturi to do the same.
She couldn't blame him.
It'll be over soon. And soon, she would breathe a sigh of relief. While she would never rejoice nor wish death or suffering onto another person, nor even an animal, she would rest easier knowing that Aro and Caius, Corin, Chelsea- and her mate Afton- could no longer endanger anyone else- permanently. And that Edward would be far removed from most people as much as possible- including Renesmee. He doesn't deserve a child.
Gabrielle did not wish imprisonment in a coffin for Edward, cut off from all his senses, no matter how long or short the sentence would last. She would never wish death upon him. But she did wish for justice and for him to be unable to harm nor control another person for the rest of eternity.
She exhaled slowly. She had no time for respite, however. As soon as the verdict was pronounced- although everyone knew what it would be- she would have to return to Forks to deal with the mess that was imprinting. If only she could rest and recover from the horrific emotions she experienced throughout this one trial, but alas! She had to get this over and done with as soon as possible. Perhaps a few minutes of respite would be the most she would ever receive.
And then, well, she had another task to fulfil.
The next hour blurred for Gabrielle. While the case was more complicated for Edward than for even the guards of the Volturi who had been under Chelsea's enchantment, she grimly noted that she didn't need the Sight to know what was going to happen. Edward had already lost. Period.
All that remained was the plea. Gabrielle's eyes flew to Bella who sat, shoulders hunched and hair falling into her eyes, covering her face. It would take a while, but hopefully, she, Renesmee and the entire family could heal. Charlie and the Quileutes too, once they'd sorted out that mess.
And then it would be over. The Appalachians and Vermont Wolves would introduce the Quileute packs to the wider world of Loup-Garoux. Alliances would be made, firm friendships would be forged, characters built, businesses made, and lessons learned to last a lifetime. No one would come out of all this unscathed, but they could emerge stronger.
She barely heard Carlisle, Esme, Alice, Bella, Jasper, Emmett and Rosalie all testifying. Gabrielle pursed her lips. It was nothing she didn't already know. And it didn't change the verdict nor the judges- and the witnesses'- opinions about Edward.
Only the matter of whether Edward was truly mentally ill and whether it had affected his decision-making, rationale and thinking, could sway the judges to give him a more lenient sentence.
She wished Bella the best of luck, if only for this. And she prayed that Bella and the Cullens' own admissions and the judges' revelations about Edward's abuse would at least soften the Della Rosa family's heart.
Finally, the judges stood.
"What is the verdict for the accused?" A representative for the Vampire High Council announced.
"Guilty," Walter Bernhard was the first to speak. His eyes glinted but his face was emotionless, surprisingly mindful of Adriana Della Rosa and her family.
"Guilty." Elijah Mikaelson spoke.
Lady Laima observed Edward, cool but emotionless with her dark, midnight blue eyes. "Guilty." She announced quietly but as clear as the day and sunlight which burned the flesh of many unprotected vampires.
And with that, Edward's fate was sealed. Gabrielle prayed to all the Valar, Maiar and to Eru Ilúvatar that Adriana Della Rosa and the rest of her family, including Beatrice someday, and the survivors, families and friends of the Muggle victims would find closure and eventually healing, even if they never truly recovered from their losses. She prayed that the Cullens would be able to say goodbye, and that they, especially Renesmee, would be able to heal. And she silently prayed that the Quileutes would do the same and that she- and Leah and Radu- would be able to do what they all needed to do.
"The sentencing for the accused, along with those of the previous trial shall be held at midnight tomorrow." The vampire speaker announced to the congregation. Lady Laima glanced at the male, Elijah Mikaelson following her gaze. The speaker continued, "anyone who wishes to appeal against the impending sentences has up to twelve hours to plead their case, argue and present new evidence before either of the judges who would then deliberate and consult with each other. However," the speaker continued "no sentence shall be lessened nor averted, which would result with the condemned being pardoned, without the approval and consent of the surviving victims and their families." His eyes fell onto Adriana Della Rosa who clutched the pendant at her throat. She looked completely relieved. Although joy did not enter her lovely face, she nonetheless looked as if a great burden had been lifted from her shoulders with the sentences of Edward and the Volturi. The Della Rosa family all had smiles of relief on their faces, some wept tears, if not of joy, then gladness. They stood and hugged each other, and the other wizards, Gabrielle among them, congratulated them. She was allowed to feel glad for their sake, although their pain would never be lessened. At least they would have closure and a chance for healing.
But Gabrielle looked at the Cullens. Carlisle now had his face buried into his hands, shoulders shaking with sobs. Bella was wailing, shaking, unable to be consoled, though Esme made a valiant effort despite her own choking sobs and the look of utter and complete heartbreak on her face. Gabrielle remembered that Esme had already lost one son. Now, despite all the near misses, she was almost completely certain to lose another. Gabrielle's heart twisted. Rosalie was crying, hugging Alice who had broken completely. Jasper hugged her too, his own form shaking with sobs. Emmett's mouth trembled and his whole body shook.
Horrible. Absolutely horrible. It was too sickening for anyone to stomach. Gabrielle had no love for Edward Cullen. But neither could she feel glad about this verdict and the impending sentence. Because she was now certain that not only had all the judges cross-examined and did their job so thoroughly, but Walter Bernhard had also caught Edward into a trap that he fully intended, although he had outplayed Edward in manipulating him into building it himself. While Edward's carelessness, his self-absorbedness, his irresponsibility, negligence and even his abuse of his wife and child would have merited a sentence in prison, but endangering and betraying his entire family, his species, the non-magical humans and the fragile and tentative regional, and consequently the universal truce between the vampires and the Loup-Garou Wolves merited a sentence none other than death. Betrayal always merits a death sentence unless they could squirm their way out of it. Edward would be executed alongside Aro, Caius, Chelsea, Afton and Corin, unless Bella and the rest of the Cullens succeeded in making their appeal and convincing the judges otherwise. And it would be an uphill battle, one which would prove costly, either way.
"Mandos have mercy on their souls." Gabrielle whispered, pity filling her to overwhelming degrees. For all the victims, for their families, for the families and loved ones of all those accused, even the accused themselves and not just Edward, she could not rejoice. Even though they would only pass through Námo's realm since they were mortal-born and had human souls even as vampires, all would be judged by the Lord Námo, Doomsman of the Valar in his Halls of Judgement and Waiting, before passing through and going to where Ilúvatar deemed they deserved. He would be unswerving and more penetrating than these judges, she agreed.
Gabrielle knew that the race for Edward's life had now entered its most desperate and critical phase. In less than twenty-four hours, his fate would be decided.
Note: Eru, meaning The One, also known as Ilúvatar, meaning All-Father or Father of All in the Elvish language of Quenya, was the name of God in Tolkien's universe. The Valar and Maiar were the two groups that made up the Ainur, beings also known as Angels to humanity. The Valar was the principal group, the Powers of Arda, the earth, who governed them in accordance with the laws of Ilúvatar. Námo was one of the Valar and the 'Doomsman', the one who pronounced judgment. He was most commonly known as Mandos, but that is actually the name of his Hall where the deceased would enter to be judged by him, although he only pronounced his judgements at the behest of Eru Ilúvatar. While the spirits of the High Elves- and consequently, their descendants the Faeries or Fey Folk, including Veela- would remain in Mandos for a period of time until being released and re-entering new bodies identical to their old ones in the Gardens of Lórien, which was the domain of his younger brother Irmo, humans would simply pass through and go elsewhere, likely to the Timeless Halls of Ilúvatar or the Heavens.
The Maiar, which included Gandalf, Radagast, Saruman and Sauron who were all Maiar, were their messengers, lieutenants and assistants, although Sauron and Saruman were among those who were corrupted and fell from grace, the way a third of the angels were said to have done in Christian traditional beliefs. Although there was no formal, organised religion in Tolkien's world, including for the High Elves, and supposedly all their descendants, and witches and wizards were not generally religious, Gabrielle's maternal family would have passed on their beliefs to Apolline, Fleur, Gabrielle and to Fleur's children, at least her daughter Victoire.