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Chapter 32

Rhythm of Love

James

All the color had drained from my Princess' face.

With my Prince standing next to Emmett, she took a step back toward me.

I could literally smell her fear. Something was radiating from Alec that was causing her such animal fear and it filled me with concern.

I put a hand on her shoulder reassuringly.

"Why do you want to come with us?" my Prince Alec asked.

"Why not? I like Plain White and otherwise we've done things together more often. Or am I not allowed to go out in public with you now because your wife has unfounded fear of me?" he asked, his smug smile reminding me of his father.

There was a certain arrogance in his features.

"You don't have a ticket, do you?" asked Alice now, looking as unenthusiastic as the others of the family.

"Alice, I ask you. I am a vampire. I'm in the concert hall faster than a human can breathe or look. Let me worry about that," he said with a grin.

"I'm afraid you won't fit on the bus," Emmett said, and I could have sworn he suppressed a satisfied grin at that.

"Hmm ... that's a nine-seater, isn't it?" asked Alec. "You can easily fit two skinny women in the front next to the driver, like Isabella and Alice?"

Unfortunately, he was right. I was curious what would happen now. Because it was obvious that my Princess did not like it at all.

My Prince eyed his wife and she silently returned the look. Then he looked at Jasper and Emmett and I suspected that they were communicating with each other. At last he looked intensely at Alice.

"Okay," Prince Jasper said suddenly. "You can sit in the very back with Demetri and James, Edward and I will take Rose between us on the middle bench, and Alice and Isabella can sit in the front."

Silently, everyone got into the car.

The mood was at rock bottom. I was glad that Alec sat in the back and my Princess in the front. That way he was far away from her and my Prince was in between.

Alice was chattering away again.

"I brought a CD as a warm-up. Now get driving, Emmett. We don't want to be late. Oh Bella, about our shopping trip. I've been looking. Next week ..."

Edward and Jasper looked at each other, grinning and shaking their heads, and Jasper shrugged apologetically.

It wasn't his fault that his wife was such a whirlwind. But it didn't matter. Alice lightened the mood.

Princess Rosalie was chatting with her brothers-in-law, and my Princess was already laughing loudly in the front seat, chatting with Emmett and Alice.

Alice turned up the music and shortly afterwards all three of them were happily bawling along in the front seat. (Plain White T's - Rhythm Of Love)

My Prince smiled contentedly and I saw him eyeing his wife.

Alec tried several times in vain to start a conversation with Demetri, but he was monosyllabic and thus any conversation died out immediately.

He didn't even try to talk to me at first, but that was clear. In his eyes I was just a cheap slave and not worthy of a conversation with him. Arrogant jerk, I thought.

My Prince turned around, looked at me and laughed.

Not even thinking was allowed here alone ...

We arrived safely despite Emmett's stormy driving, maybe also because my Princess had screamed "EMMETT" from time to time and held her hands in front of her face.

That had possibly made him drive a little more smoothly than usual.

We walked from the parking lot toward the hall, my Princess hand in hand with her husband, me next to her and Demetri behind.

"We're going straight to the VIP entrance," Alice ordered, "I donated a few dollars to the hall!"

Jasper looked at his wife and raised an eyebrow, but Emmett said, "Great, Alice. Looking at the line outside the main entrance, it's much nicer to get right in. We can get a good seat there!"

"We don't need that, Emmett," Alice said, "there's a VIP lounge right next to the stage. We're standing there!"

She smiled smugly and Jasper just shook his head, unable to believe it.

We were waved through immediately.

Alec had suddenly disappeared.

The hall was huge. In the front area, in front of the gigantic stage, there were seats, behind it standing room and right next to the stage - with the absolute 1A view guarantee - a VIP lounge, only separated by a railing to the stage. We would see and hear everything exactly.

"That's just great," my Princess sighed and beamed.

We climbed up a small staircase at the side and took our seats right at the front.

"I'm totally happy," said my Princess.

My Prince looked at her and laughed.

"It shows. You're glowing!"

She looked at him and kissed him. Tenderly he pulled her to him and returned the kiss.

"I guess you guys never get enough of each other," Emmett blasphemed, but the two didn't let it bother them.

Suddenly Alec was sitting with us again, next to Emmett and Rose. But no one paid any attention to him.

The women talked, the hall slowly filled up and we waited until it finally started.

Technicians were still running around and then it finally got dark.

We vampires saw the band come on stage, the humans probably didn't.

Then a spotlight fell on the band and it started. Now nothing kept us on the chairs, we stood at the railing and the music boomed off. (Plain White T's - 1, 2, 3, 4)

We sang along, of course, and my Princess actually breathed "Is he cute" and "I love that voice!"

My Prince looked at her punishingly, but she only laughed.

So he sang along and into her ear "... I love you ..."

We enjoyed the music, the light shows and the spontaneous expressions of the band members.

The audience shouted in chorus "DELILAH - DELILAH" and the wish was eventually granted and the hall filled with lights.

Alice had brought sparklers with her and so we stood there sparkling and our ladies in particular indulged in the tones of love about Delilah. ( Plain White T's - Hey there Delilah)

Then there was a break and Princess Rosalie asked for liquid.

"I need a water or I die. I shouldn't have sung so much..." she said.

"Or yelling after other men," Emmett said.

"Don't be like that. You're not that great at singing, but I still love only you," she said, pulling him down, kissing him and ordering, "Now get me something to drink!"

Emmett laughed and asked my Princess if she wanted a water too.

"Yes thank you Emmett, you're welcome!" she said and as Emmett started to leave, Alec joined him.

"How do you like it so far?" asked Alice.

"Totally good," said my Princess.

"Mega awesome," Rose said, and they giggled.

"I hope they still sing my favorite song," sighed Princess Isabella.

"Which one is that?" asked Rose with interest.

"Write you a song," she said.

"Yes, that's romantic," Alice nodded, "but it doesn't suit you. Your Prince is rich," she laughed and my Princess nodded.

"Yes, I wouldn't want to trade him in either. My Prince dedicated a piano piece to me. Still, this song is just so beautiful. He would do anything for her and make the best of nothing!" she explained.

"That's right," Rose said, "that's just romantic."

Shortly after, the concert continued, but Emmett and Alec were not back yet.

The three ladies were now standing in front of us at the grate, my Princess in the middle, and singing along. They were totally enthusiastic. My Prince and Jasper stood behind them on the left and right and smirked at the ladies' enthusiasm. I stood with Demetri behind my Princess.

Then, finally, Emmett and Alec came back. Emmett was carrying two glasses of water.

"There are no bottles here, a bit inconvenient," he said annoyed, standing next to me and handing the water to the front of the two ladies.

They both drank and then sang along again.

All of a sudden Tom, the lead singer, came grinning towards our ladies.

"Hi, what lovely girls!" he said with a smile and the ladies melted.

He looked at my Princess.

Typical, I thought, she attracted men magnetically.

"Is there a song we can play for you, just for you?" he asked.

"Oh yes, Write you a song. Please, I love that!" my Princess said softly.

"What's your name?" he then asked with a smile.

"Isabella," she said.

Tom spoke into the mic, "Okay, next song we're going to play for this lovely Isabella, the song that I wrote for HER!"

He threw her a kissing hand and she laughed.

Then they started playing and the audience sang along enthusiastically again. (Plain White T's - Write you a song)

"I will write you a song

That's how you'll know that my love is still strong

I will write you a song

And you'll know from this song that I just can't go on without you

Now that it's out on the table, it's out on the table,

Both of us knew all along, knew all along

I've got your loving and you've got my song."

After the song, Tom actually came to her once again.

"Would you like to meet me after the concert? I'd love to have a drink with you - if you'd like too?"

"Oh Tom, thank you, but I can't. I'm married and I don't think my husband would be very happy about that!"

She looked around for her husband, who smiled and put a hand on her shoulder.

Tom laughed and said, "Okay, that's too bad." Then he said to Edward, "What a lucky man you are!"

My Prince smiled.

"Yes, I know."

He kissed her on the head and she smiled.

Tom jumped back and the concert continued.

"Oh Bella," sighed Princess Rosalie.

"I think Edward is prettier," laughed my Princess.

She went back to push past me and snuggle up to her husband. In the process, she forgot her water glass and spilled it.

"Oh ...", I said, "should I get a new one?"

"No, it's okay, James," she said.

She followed the rest of the concert in Edward's arms and every now and then Tom looked over at her.

But I don't think she even noticed that.

Towards the end of the concert, she yawned several times.

"I'm so tired all of a sudden," she sighed.

"We are going home now," said my Prince.

"Oh ... I thought we were still going out," Alice said, disappointed.

"Then we must separate," said my Prince. "Otherwise it will be too much for Isabella," and she nodded, yawning.

"I want to go home, too," Rose said, and so we stayed together after all, fighting our way out among the crowds.

"Edward, I suddenly feel dizzy," my Princess suddenly said softly.

He held her tighter and eyed her worriedly.

Jasper went next to her and took her wrist to feel for a pulse.

"You're pretty pale, too, and your circulation is just saying goodbye. Didn't you eat dinner?" he then asked.

"Yes, I did," she said, snuggling up to her husband.

Finally we were out of the hall.

She took a deep breath and then her legs buckled. My Prince caught her and panicked.

"Jasper, she's never had that before. What does that mean?" he asked anxiously as we walked quickly to the car.

"Did she have a blood cup today?" asked Jasper quietly.

"Yes," I replied, "this morning."

We were at the car, quickly got in and Rose sat up front with Alice so Edward could hold his wife on his lap.

Jasper sat down next to it.

"Did she fall asleep?" my Prince wondered, moving his wife to a more comfortable position so that her head rested against his chest and shoulder.

"No, Edward, I think she's unconscious," Jasper said worriedly and to Emmett, "Step on it Em and stop at the next pharmacy!"

Emmett sped off and Rose cried out in shock.

Shortly after, we stopped in front of a pharmacy and Jasper jumped out. The pharmacy was closed and Jasper pressed the emergency switch.

The pharmacist shuffled up and opened a window.

"What do you want, Sir?" he asked, somewhat annoyed.

"I'm sorry to bother you so late. I'm a doctor." Jasper produced his doctor's credentials. "I have an emergency in the car and I need ..."

The rest sounded Latin. I had no idea what he was buying, but I didn't care. I trusted him completely and was glad that we had him with us.

Shortly after, he came back into the car with all kinds of packages. He had bought a syringe, drew up something in it and immediately gave it into her arm. Then another drug in the other arm. He put the garbage in a bag.

"Drive, Emmett, and hurry!" he then said. "I don't know what it is, Edward, but I don't think it's the baby," he said anxiously, pulling out his cell phone and dialing.

"She's pregnant?" asked Alec in amazement.

"Yes," I said.

"Dad, it's Jasper. Isabella was tired after the concert, slumped over and now passed out ..."

He explained what he had given her and they talked shop.

My Princess lay limp on her husband, pale and not moving.

In contrast to the outward journey, the mood in the car was now subdued. Everyone remained silent, worried.

The King was already standing in front of the palace with his doctor's bag.

"Get out, all of you, except Jasper and Edward," the King ordered, and then got in himself.

The ladies said their goodbyes with Emmett and Alec and I had to promise Emmett and Rosalie to call later to report how she was doing.

I waited next to the car and heard the two doctors talking. Shortly after, they got out.

Jasper said to me, "We'll take her over to Dad's practice," and I nodded worriedly.

He got behind the wheel and just drove over and I went after him.

The King got out and opened the doors, my Prince carried his wife in. They laid her on the examination couch in the treatment room and the two doctors put her on an IV - one on each arm.

"What did she eat today, James?" the King asked me.

"For breakfast, cereal, fruit and coffee, and the blood. At lunch pasta with tomato sauce and salad, in the evening a roll, a yogurt ... hmm ... an apple. In the afternoon she drank a cup of coffee and otherwise several times water," I said.

"Everything in the palace?" he continued to ask.

"Yes, everything was ordered to the room as usual," I said.

The King pondered.

"Dad?" asked Jasper.

"Yes?"

"She was drinking water in the concert hall. Emmett had gotten her and Rose a glass each," he said, and now he mused.

"Alec," my Prince breathed in horror, looking at Jasper.

The King looked back and forth between his two sons with a questioning look.

The Prince explained, "Emmett went to get water for the two women and Alec went with him. Emmett carried two glasses to us and was annoyed that there were only glasses and no bottles. He gave one to Rose and the other to Isabella. Rose immediately drank hers almost all, Bella drank only a big gulp, accidentally spilling the rest. Jasper just remembered that Alec reacted all funny there. He was annoyed that Bella had spilled the water and Jasper wondered about this reaction of his. Why was Alec upset when Bella spilled water? Then when Bella was unconscious in the car, everyone was worried. Everyone's thoughts in the car were about Isabella - except Alec's. He spent the whole trip thinking about the growth of ornamental shrubs. Why wasn't he worried? Why wasn't he thinking anything negative? He wanted to distract himself ..."

"He put something in her water?" pondered Jasper.

My Prince nodded.

"This is unbelievable. Call Emmett and ask him if Alec had access to the jars and if Rose is okay!" said the King and then he drew blood from my Princess.

My Prince sat down next to his wife and held her hand.

"Dad, will she survive?" my Prince asked quietly, and you could hear the fear of the answer.

"I hope so, Edward. I don't. I'll run the blood right away. If we find anything, we can target treatment and I may be able to give more details."

"And our baby, Dad?" my Prince whispered, his voice breaking.

"Edward, I don't know. We'll have to wait and see. I will do what I can and I am also afraid for them, my son," the doc said softly and it sounded sad.

My Prince buried his face in one hand, with the other he held the Princess's and caressed her.

I knelt at her feet and just hoped that the King would find something to treat.

Jasper was on the phone with Emmett.

The doc disappeared into the lab with the blood. When he came back, all three of us looked at him expectantly.

"What does Emmett say?" he asked Jasper.

"Rose is fine. He's not sure about the glasses. He thinks it's quite possible that Alec was able to come near them. Emmett is totally frustrated and blaming himself big time. Dad, how did Alec know which glass Emmett was going to give Rose and which one to give Bella?"

"No idea. Maybe he just took the risk. Anyway, I know what it is now. Tricresyl phophate - that's TCB, a neurotoxin. I wonder how he got that. But in any case, a medical professional must have helped him. TCB is found in faulty air conditioning systems ... in airplanes, for example. It's only detectable in the blood for about four hours, then only in the urine for a few hours. We are lucky that Isabella only drank a sip. If she had drunk it all, she would already be dead. You can see what an effect just one sip had. But I think we'll be okay and the baby will pull through too," he said and we sighed in relief. "James, when she wakes up, she needs to drink a lot and take things slow for a few days. Also, I don't want her to eat or drink anything without supervision from now on. I will now have the food from the palace cooked under certain safety precautions and brought to her and only by absolutely selected staff. She shouldn't eat or drink anywhere outside the palace," he said.

"Yes Sir," I said, hoping that these measures were indeed sufficient.

"So what are we going to do about Alec?" asked Jasper.

"Well, we won't be able to prove it to him," the doc said, attaching another IV to the Princess' arm.

"We're just supposed to let him get away with that?" my Prince asked indignantly.

"We have to, Edward. I'll talk to him and threaten him so he knows we know. But I'm sure he won't admit anything and he'll try again another way. And I'm equally sure Aro has his fingers in it. We need to catch them in the act before they can harm Bella - otherwise our hands are tied. You know that as well as I do, Edward."

My Prince was silent, but I could feel him seething with anger inside.

'And if we turn the tables on him, my prince, and destroy him with Demetri's help, with no way to prove it to us,' I thought, looking at my Prince.

He nodded at me and Jasper watched us skeptically.

He sensed that we were cooking something up.

After five hours, the Princess woke up.

"Isabella," my Prince breathed and kissed her cheeks.

"Edward," she whispered, "what happened?"

"It's all right, sugar. You had a fainting spell. You're in Daddy's practice."

"Alec," she said.

The Prince shrugged his shoulders.

"Possibly," he sighed softly.

"I feel a little nauseous," she said.

"You must drink, Isabella," said the King, bringing her a large glass of water.

My Prince straightened her up and helped her. After that, she was still to drink blood.

She nodded and drank it all. Exhausted, she then let herself sink back and my Prince put both hands on her arm and shoulder.

"I want to listen to you again, Isabella, yes?" asked Doc.

She nodded and closed her eyes for a moment.

The doc listened to the baby bump.

"Heart sounds are okay, but somehow my stethoscope has a quirk," he said, tapping it again.

My Prince rolled his eyes in annoyance.

He listened to the Princess again and then said, "It's okay. Carry her to your rooms. She's fine."

"Thanks, Dad. Thanks, Jasper," my Prince said, carrying his wife out, who snuggled up to him.

I went ahead and opened all the doors.

Demetri was waiting for us outside.

He then walked beside me and I explained what had happened and what we had found out, but so quickly that the Princess did not understand. I did not want to worry her.

"James is right, Sir. We should take action ourselves!" he said after I had reported everything.

"I will think about it," the Prince said, "but I am grateful to you guys for being willing to take such risks for us," he added.

"That goes without saying," Demetri said.

"What will you think about and what risks?" asked the Princess in a weak voice.

"Nothing, darling, it's all good."

"Edward," she scolded.

There was no fooling her.

"I love you, Isabella. I don't want you to worry your pretty head!" he said and I was sure he wouldn't give in and keep quiet.

In the room she wanted to go to the bathroom and he stayed with her because he was afraid she might fall over. He helped her change and then carried her to her bed.

"I'll just change, then I'll come to you!" he said, and she nodded.

"I ask that, my Prince," she said. "James, can I have some more water, please?" she asked.

"Of course, my Princess, I already put it down," I said, pointing to her nightstand.

"Oh sorry, I didn't see that," she breathed and I quickly handed her the glass.

"Is there anything else I can do, Your Highness?", I asked.

"Lock the doors," she said, just as the Prince returned.

"No one will dare come in here, honey. We have two doors with two guards in front of each and across the hall is Demetri. You're really safe here," he said, crawling under her blanket and pulling her to his chest.

"I'm scared," she whispered, "for our baby."

"I know, darling. I can't take this fear away from you at the moment, but I hope we can find a solution," he said gently and stroked her.

"Kill him," she said without opening her eyes once again.