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Chapter 40
The Immortal
James
My Prince went to the witness stand and my Princess trembled with fear but tried to suppress it.
Then my Prince began, "It's amazing that King Aro is threatening me in his thoughts right now. He says he will find ways to destroy me, my wife and my children. Aro, why don't you say it out loud, hmm ...?"
That's what my Prince said calmly and with a smile. He doesn't know what nerves are, while his wife is almost dying of worry.
Corin and Santiago gave the defendant an evil look.
"Please behave as dignified as you should be by virtue of your office, Your Majesty," Corin told him.
Then my Prince began.
"Prince Alec was jealous from the beginning because he also liked my wife. It annoyed him that I was happy and that the Princess returned my feelings. He waylaid her more often, gave her gifts to change her mind, even physically threatened her once. When my wife felt bad after drinking the poisoned water, he did not pay any attention to it. Everyone who was there with us was deeply concerned about the Princess. Only Alec tried to suppress his thoughts. It was quite strange, but obvious that he didn't care."
"You found your wife in the bathhouse, Prince Edward. What made you think that Prince Alec would have tried to kill her?" asked Corin.
"My wife was very afraid of Prince Alec and even dreamed often lately that the Prince would kill her. We took it very seriously and tried to guard her well. It was at the time of the last Volturi meeting. I had just arrived at the hall when my brother Emmett and I noticed that Alec was not present. Unfortunately, Demetri was not with the Princess either, but was in the hall. James was hunting and so I thought she was with Laurent in our chambers. Then my sister-in-law Alice had a vision and called me. She just informed me, 'Isabella, Princess bath, Alec!' My father, brothers, Demetri and I immediately ran down to the bathhouse where I found my wife floating unconscious in blood water. My father then gave her medical attention with my brother. Her life was on the rocks for forty-eight hours, but we were lucky. In both senses, because our babies in the womb also survived. My wife can remember what Alec said to her and what he did."
"Prince Edward," Santiago said. "You spoke of the Princess's gifts. So you are sure she knows good from evil?"
"Yes, Sir, most certainly," replied my Prince.
"You seek the death penalty for your own uncle and cousin?" asked Corin.
"Yes, for both of them," said the Prince.
Corin nodded.
"Please take your seats again, Royal Highness."
The Prince came back to us.
"We ask Princess Isabella to take the stand," Santiago said.
"Can we interrupt for a moment?" my Princess quietly asked the Prince.
Immediately the King rose.
"We ask the court for a break of twenty minutes for the Princess!" he said.
Corin and Santiago looked at us and eyed the Princess.
"All right. The hearing will resume in twenty minutes," Corin said.
"Thank you," said the Princess. "James, I want to go to the bathroom for a moment," she whispered to me, and I led her out.
Demetri accompanied us to the door of the bathroom.
The Princess went to the toilet and then washed her hands.
I eyed her worriedly.
"Can you do it, my Princess?", I asked.
"Yes James, I have to. Can I get a drink of water from somewhere?" she asked.
I nodded, led her to the nearest kitchen and gave her a glass of water.
She drank.
"May you stay with me if I have to take the stand?" she asked softly, and I heard the fear in her voice.
"I don't know, my Princess. But we'll just ask, okay?", I asked.
She nodded.
I pulled her into my arms.
"Take a deep breath. We can do this, Princess," I said.
She returned the hug.
"Yes," she said. "Thank you James."
We stood there for a moment, then she let go of me and linked arms with me.
"Let's go," she said, and I led her back to the hearing.
Demetri closed the door behind us.
I just walked up to the judges who were sitting there in their seats talking.
They eyed both of us.
"I have a request. The Princess would feel more comfortable if I could stand with her on the witness stand. Is that possible?", I asked.
The two looked at each other, seemingly exchanging thoughts with glances.
"That's okay," Corin said to me, bowing towards the Princess and nodding amiably, "Royal Highness!"
"Thank you very much," said the Princess, and I accompanied her to the witness stand, pushed her a chair into place and put a hand on her shoulder.
My Prince took a deep breath and looked at me.
'Everything is okay. She was in the bathroom, had a drink and asked me to stay with her.'
The Prince nodded at me with relief.
"Princess Isabella. We will spare you the description of the minor offenses of Aro and Alec against your person. There are enough witnesses for that. But it would be good if you could tell us what happened in the Princess Bath, because there Your Majesty was the only person who witnessed the attack, after all the guard was dead and Laurent was incapacitated."
"Yes," said the Princess.
She took a deep breath.
"I wanted to go to the bathhouse that morning because it's good for me at the moment with my baby bump. Since James and Demetri were not there, I had Laurent there as a guard and persuaded him to accompany me there and to take a palace guard with me as a precaution. I thought I was safe, thinking that Alec and Aro were at the Volturi meeting. We arrived safely at the bathhouse and I got into my water. Shortly after, we heard noises outside the door. At first I thought one of the other ladies was joining us, but it sounded like fighting noises. Laurent asked me to stay in the water and crouched in front of the door of the bathhouse ready to attack. Then a Volturi guard in a black cloak came in. At first I didn't recognize him, but since he immediately attacked Laurent without warning, I immediately knew I was in danger. I feverishly considered what I could do to protect myself while the Volturi guard fought with Laurent. But alas, I had no idea. I didn't have my cell phone with me, the bathhouse phone is on the front door and I couldn't get through there since they were fighting right there. Besides, I was naked, which didn't make the situation any easier," she sighed. "I decided to stand in the middle of the pool. At least then the guard would have to get into the water if he wanted to reach me. But I knew that would only marginally increase my chances, and the water wouldn't be a real obstacle." Then she continued more quietly. "The fight ended very quickly. The Volturi guard was stronger than Laurent. He tore his arms and legs off and it was just awful. Poor Laurent." She swallowed. "After that, the Volturi guard came up to the pool where I was standing and said, 'How long I've waited for this!' and I knew immediately it was Alec. I recognized the voice. He got into the water with me and slowly approached me. I backed away to the edge of the pool. Roughly speaking, he then told me that unfortunately he had to destroy me because I had not chosen him but Edward - and now that I was married and pregnant, I was a danger to him and his father."
Corin interrupted her.
"So Alec mentioned his father's involvement?" he asked.
"Yes. He said that Aro wanted me to be dead," said the Princess.
"Could Your Highness actually recognize Alec then, or still only hear him?" asked Corin.
"I saw him clearly. The water was enriched with magnolia lotion. It is milky and reflected the light. I saw his face clearly," replied the Princess.
"What happened next?" asked Santiago.
"Prince Alec said he loved me anyway and that he would kiss me before he killed me. Would kiss me at last. And later he also said that he would have given me everything if I had taken him."
She closed her eyes briefly and then opened them again.
I gently stroked her shoulder.
"He held me by the upper arms and kissed me. Then he kissed my neck, my shoulders and stroked my chest," she said, getting quieter and quieter, tears running down her face.
"She returned the kiss. She liked it," Alec interjected.
The Princess looked at him and remained silent.
"Is that true, Your Highness?" asked Corin.
"Yes," said the Princess. "I've been thinking about how to save myself and my babies. What chance would I have against a vampire? It was useless to fight back, I would only hurt myself. Besides, I thought, if I fought back, Alec might get annoyed quickly and kill me faster. Then it occurred to me that I could return the kiss. That would surprise him and prolong it. Maybe help would come by then ... I hoped," she said.
"So Your Majesty returned the kiss then?" asked Corin.
"Yes. I put my hands around his nape and closed my eyes. He smelled so wrong and he tasted so different from my husband that the pain went all the way to my heart. It was just disgusting."
I could feel that the memory was giving her goose bumps.
"So Your Highness didn't enjoy it?" asked Corin.
"No, on the contrary. I tried to imagine someone else so that I could keep up the theater at all," she said.
"Imagine someone else?" asked Corin, and very briefly I thought I saw the hint of a smile at the corners of his mouth.
"Yes," she whispered, "but it didn't help. Then, when he started stroking me, too, I was terrified that he might get the idea to rape me. A tear ran down my face. This showed Alec that I didn't really like what I was doing. He licked up the tear and I guess it brought him to his senses. He reached into his cloak, pulled out a big knife, said 'I love you' and jammed it into my chest."
"He said he loved Your Majesty?" asked Santiago in surprise.
She nodded.
"For sure!"
"And then he just stabbed like that?" asked Corin.
She nodded again.
"That's how it was."
"What happened next?" asked Corin.
"Outside, footsteps approached in the hallway. I heard voices and the phone in the bathhouse rang. Alec pulled the knife out of me again with a jerk and then disappeared from the bathhouse very quickly. Where to, I don't know. I was in terrible pain, felt the blood pouring out of me and my consciousness was fading. I didn't even notice my husband's arrival," she said quietly.
"Does Your Majesty feel anything for Prince Alec?" asked Corin.
"Yes," said the Princess. "Hate."
Alec looked at her with a sad expression, and the judges with understanding.
"Where is the chain that Your Majesty wore and that saved your life. That's what the King was talking about just now?" asked Corin.
The Princess reached into her cleavage and pulled out the necklace.
Corin stood up, came over and looked at it.
"Will Your Highness allow me to show the necklace just now?" he asked her.
She nodded.
Corin brought the chain to Santiago and said, "There's even a scratch on it that could be from the knife."
Santiago looked at the crescent and nodded, after which the Princess received it back and put it on again.
"Thank you for the descriptions, Your Royal Highness," Corin said. "If it is not too much for Your Majesty, we would like to check your gift," he then said.
"The gift?" she asked in amazement.
"Yes. Your Highness has to tell if different people are good or bad while blindfolded. Would that be possible?" asked Corin.
Prince Edward groaned loudly.
"Does it really have to be. I think she has suffered enough!" he said.
"All right," my Princess said, and my Prince groaned again.
"James, could you please blindfold the Princess with this?", Corin asked me, handing me an oblong cloth.
"Yes, Sir," I said, taking it. "May I, my Princess?" I asked her gently.
"Yes ... and will you please stay with me, James?" she asked softly.
"Of course," I said and carefully blindfolded her with the cloth.
Corin lined up several men in a row. Between them were also Alec and Aro, but they each had two guards right behind them. My Prince was also added and he looked terribly worried.
"Please take the Princess to the first person," Corin said to me and I helped my Princess stand up and led her by the shoulders to the first man on the left.
It was Marcus.
The Princess stood in front of him and breathed in and out.
"Can I have his hands?" she asked softly.
Marcus handed her his hands and she felt over them.
"He is well disposed towards me. I think that's Marcus. I haven't known him long."
"That's right," I told her and led her a step to the right to the next man.
It was Prince Emmett.
He held out his hands to her. She touched him only very briefly.
"This is Prince Emmett, my dear brother-in-law. He loves me," she said, and he smiled.
"That's right!"
The next one was up.
I didn't know him and neither did the Princess.
"He's well disposed towards me, but I don't know him. Thank you, Sir," she said quietly.
"Always at your service, Your Majesty," said the guard.
The next one came.
The Princess smiled without raising her hands.
"This is my Prince. He loves me," she said, stroking his chest.
He took her hand and kissed it.
"That's right," he said. "More than my life."
"How did you notice, Your Royal highness. You haven't even touched him yet?" asked Corin with interest.
"I can feel him. No idea, I just know it," she said.
'Do you actually have the elf stone with you?' I asked the Prince in my mind.
He nodded.
Next to him stood Santiago.
The Princess felt his hands.
"I don't know him. I think it is the judge who sat all the time. He's not bad, and he doesn't care about me," said the Princess.
I smirked.
"Yes," I said.
Now it was Aro's turn. The Princess immediately moved back against my chest and put her hands behind her back, not wanting to touch him at all.
"This is King Aro. He is evil. He hates me."
Aro laughed.
"Is that silly!"
Corin said, "Not at all. I find it extremely fascinating. Please continue, Your Majesty."
Then came the next one.
The Princess barely touched the hands.
"This is Dad," she said with a smile, and he too kissed her hand.
"That's right, little one," he said. "Am I bad?"
She laughed.
"Never, you love me."
"Yes," he said simply.
Now Alec came and again the Princess backed away, startled, without even raising her hands.
"This is Prince Alec," she said softly.
"That's right," I said.
"Is he ill-disposed towards you?" asked Corin.
She stood still and held my hands at her sides. She bent forward two millimeters, apparently to feel, and then she came back to my chest.
"He ... he ... he loves me, but he's evil. Quite strange," she stammered.
"Yes, I love you, Princess," he said, looking at her.
"And that's why I get a knife off?" she asked.
And I was glad she couldn't look at him.
He was silent.
Corin nodded at me and I led her on.
She smiled.
"That's Jasper. He loves me - but not as much as Alice," she said with a smile.
"I would say - different from Alice," Prince Jasper said with a smile.
"Like I said," said the Princess.
Now it went on.
The Princess barely touched the hands.
"This is Demetri. He's good and he likes me," she said.
"Right, Your Majesty," Demetri said softly.
At that moment, Prince Edward's cell phone went off. He received a punishing look from the judge, but still looked at the display of the cell phone, which he pulled out of his cape. Instead of pushing the call away, he actually answered it - here in the middle of the trial - and at the same time grabbed his neck with his other hand in a flash, as if to check if the elf stone was there, which he now always wore in a leather pouch around his neck. I heard immediately that it was Alice, because she screamed into the receiver and that - as well as the Prince's grip on the stone - was enough for me. I was absolutely sure that it was a warning and that my Princess was in danger, and even as the Prince raised his head and sought my gaze, I snatched the Princess into my arms and ran with her to the back of the hall.
The guard, who would have been next, simultaneously pulled a pistol from his cloak and tried to shoot the Princess. In seconds, Demetri threw himself at him. He reacted faster than anyone could think. The shot hit Demetri, I guessed from the sounds, but I didn't see it anymore. I placed the Princess in the far corner of the hall and pulled her towards me - with my back to the action - so that any further shot would hit me and not her. My body covered her completely. She trusted me blindly, in the truest sense of the word, remained still, silent, but trembling.
"It's okay, I'm here," I whispered, knotting the scarf off her head.
"What happened?" she asked quietly.
"Alice called the Prince and screamed as usual, so I guessed that there was danger for you - my Princess - and decided to just take you away from the danger zone. At the same time, I saw that the Volturi guard, whose turn it would have been after that, drew a pistol. But Demetri also reacted immediately and threw himself between us and the perpetrator. And now we'll wait here until the commotion is over, okay?" I asked.
She immediately relaxed, because it was clear that there was no danger now. With so many Volturi guards around the perpetrator, he would surely be overwhelmed and not come here. My Princess snuggled into my arms. A commotion had broken out behind us.
"Who is he, then? I mean the one who was going to shoot me?" she asked.
"I have no idea, Princess. I didn't know him," I said.
Now footsteps were approaching.
Ah ... it was the Prince.
I looked over my shoulder at him.
"Is she all right?" he asked excitedly.
"Yes, my Prince, all is well."
I let go of the Princess and we turned away from the wall. She immediately ran into his arms.
He closed his eyes and hugged her to him.
Then his first glance fell on me.
"Compliments, James, that was a hell of a reaction. Faster than I could think. You saved her life with that one. Thank you!"
I just nodded, but his praise meant a lot to me. That I had saved her was clear and self-evident, but his praise also did me good.
"Is the man overpowered?" asked the Princess.
"Yes, of course. The trial had to be interrupted briefly because Demetri was hit," said my Prince.
"What?" cried the Princess in horror.
"Shh ... it's all right, darling. The perp tried to shoot you. Demetri got in the way and took the bullet in the stomach. But don't worry, he's a vampire. Dad's getting the bullet out right now and he'll be fine in a minute. I promise you," said the Prince, stroking her tenderly.
In the meantime, Corin had appeared next to us.
"Is the Princess all right, Your Royal Highness?" he asked the Prince anxiously.
"Yes, everything is fine. James reacted great ... Demetri too. She just got scared and now she's worried about Demetri," said my Prince.
"I am relieved, Your Highness. I hadn't counted on Aro and Alec having an ally among the guards. I'm sorry. I should have checked all the participants for weapons in advance," he sighed.
The Princess turned around in the arms of the Prince.
"Don't worry, Sir, it went well," she said gently.
Corin smiled.
"Yeah, just about. I would never have forgiven myself if it hadn't gone well, and it was close. Can we still finish the trial now, dear Princess...or is it getting to be too much for you after all?" he then asked.
"We're going to end this now," she said firmly.
"Isabella, you must need rest. It doesn't matter if we break off now," the Prince said lovingly in her ear.
"You can sit down with the Princess again, Royal Highness. I will ask her only one more question and she can answer it from her seat," Corin said.
So my Prince led his Princess back and we settled down next to her, as we had at the beginning of the trial.
The other Princes anxiously inquired about her condition and Marcus also sat down near us again.
"I have now searched all those present individually, Your Royal Highness," he said to Prince Edward.
"Thank you, Marcus, that was a good idea," the latter said appreciatively.
Shortly after, the King entered the room with Demetri and they rejoined us.
The Princess rose, approached Demetri, took his hand briefly in hers and said, "Thank you, Demetri. I was shocked to hear what happened to you, and I'm terribly sorry that you had to suffer such a thing because of me. I hope ..."
Demetri smiled gently at her and interrupted.
"Your Majesty, that is my job. I am there to protect you from such madmen. It was an honor for me. Please forget the incident quickly."
Then he briefly brought her hand to his lips and carefully released it.
"Thank you," the Princess breathed once more, sitting down between us again and snuggling against her husband's shoulder.
Now, first of all, the Volturi guard who had drawn the pistol was led to the witness stand, with three guards standing around him.
Santiago had risen and stood up in front of him.
"Diego, you tried to kill the Princess of the Volturi, a lady who also belongs to the circle of Volturi guards for whom YOU swore to give your life. On whose behalf did you act?" he asked.
The person addressed looked at him and remained silent.
"Diego, you only have this one chance," Santiago said.
"No, I don't. You're going to kill me anyway," he said.
"Yes, but you have the choice to die a man of honor or a liar," Santiago said coldly.
"It was Aro. He assigned me," the man sighed, and Aro gave him a deadly contemptuous look.
"Oh ...", Prince Edward said aloud and I saw that he was concentrating.
"What?" asked Santiago, looking at the Prince waitingly.
"Diego is a medical doctor, right. He got Alec the poison to poison the Princess at the event the other day! He was just thinking about it!" said my Prince.
"I see ... is that true Diego?" asked Santiago.
"Yes," was all this one said.
Then suddenly Santiago turned to my Princess.
"We completed the review of the gift because we were convinced, Your Majesty. Your performance was very impressive and convincing. What does Your Royal Highness request for a punishment for King Aro and Prince Alec?" he then asked.
I held my breath and fervently hoped that for once in her life she would not be gentle and would now say the only right thing.
"The death penalty, Sir. I never thought I would wish such a thing on anyone. But I know that both of them would never rest until I am dead or worse ... my children. Therefore, it is my only chance to live in peace. Which it will always weigh on my conscience," she said softly, tears streaming down her face.
I handed her a cloth and the Prince pulled her to him.
Santiago surveyed the crowd, then asked, "Are there any witnesses here who would like to testify in favor of Aro and Alec?"
No one rose.
"The court will deliberate briefly and then we will quickly announce the verdict!" he then said.
He went back to Corin and they talked quietly together.
I understood almost nothing, because they spoke fast and Italian.
After that, both stood behind their chairs at the judge's desk.
Corin said, "The Volturi Court sentences Aro Volturi to death by burning ... for multiple incitements to the murder of a Volturi Princess, for the murder of two Volturi guards, and minor offenses now not worth mentioning. Further, the court sentences Alec Volturi to death by burning ... for multiple attempted murders of a Volturi Princess, aiding and abetting the murder of Volturi guards, and minor offenses now not worth mentioning. We also sentence Diego to death by burning ... for aiding and abetting the murder and attempted murder of the Volturi Princess. All three have significantly violated applicable Volturi law. The sentences will be carried out immediately."
Aro and Alec scowled at each other and Alec began to berate his father.
Aro then looked hatefully at Carlisle.
"You can't let them do that!" he yelled.
The King only looked at him sadly and did not answer. The Princess clasped the Prince's fingers.
All those present rose and left the hall. The condemned were led out with several guards, cursing and swearing.
The Princess looked questioningly at the Prince.
"They go outside and make the fire there. They are executed in the Volturi-circle," he explained.
She put on the cloak.
"You're going?" asked the Prince.
"Yes, I want to see it. If I see them die with my own eyes, then at least I can sleep a little more peacefully again," she said.
The Prince groaned in annoyance at her stubbornness.
"You'll have nightmares about it and the images will haunt you forever," he said.
"Yes, and remind me that I'm partly to blame for them dying," she said softly.
The Prince gently took her face in his hands.
"Don't ever say that again, Isabella. You are not to blame for ANYTHING - is that clear? It's not your fault that they went crazy in the head or that they're jealous!" he said to her urgently.
"Yes ... certainly, Edward. I'm not only good, either. And I'll take Dad his brother!" she whispered.
The King had overheard the conversation.
Now he said, "Isabella, I told you when you got engaged that you are more important to me than he is. I would rather lose an evil brother than a dear daughter and my grandchildren. Edward is right. You are talking nonsense. I'm glad this bully is coming to an end now. Now come on, let's end this spectacle once and for all!"
So we also went into the garden.
The guards - including my Princess - formed a large circle on the lawn.
All of them wore their black cloaks.
Since I was not one of them, I stood behind my Princess, who was standing between the Prince and the King and was held by the hand of both.
Some of the guards now lit torches ... about one in three. Wood was piled up in the middle and a big fire was made. The guards began to sing like at the wedding and cold shivers went down my spine. What a singing! (Gregorian- Tears in Heaven)
Now they moved slowly in a circle around the fire. Individual men stepped into the middle and shouted something in Italian. Then the three condemned men were led to the fire.
It crackled, smoked, plus the singing, an impressive spectacle.
Now the three men were each held by the arms by two guards. Three more Volturi guards approached them and then it was lightning fast.
Their heads were torn off and immediately thrown into the fire, the bodies followed and large purple stinging flames erupted. The circle of guards continued to turn and the chanting also continued until the flames subsided and the fire slowly burned down. My Princess had watched in silence.
Now the circle dissolved and the judges came to us once again.
"Princess Isabella," Santiago began. "It was good that you were there and I wish you could live in peace now. We will try to find Jane and convict her as well, though of course that may be more difficult now without definitive testimony. There were enough credible witnesses today. Proving something to Jane will not be so easy. Nevertheless, we hope for the best. And Princess, I am not indifferent to you. I, too, would give my life for you," he finished, bowed to her, to the Prince, and was about to leave when Nanny joined us.
She just looked at the Princess and embraced her, pressing her tenderly against her.
"Oh little one, I'm glad it's over. But it was way too much for you. Please, lie down now. I'll check on you later and from now on I want you to just rest, take a walk and let Edward and James pamper you, promise?" she asked without taking a breath and the Princess smiled.
"Yes, Mom, I'm going to bed now and I'll be very good!" she said kindly.
Nanny also laughed and kissed her on the forehead.
Then her eyes fell on Santiago, who looked at her silently.
"Hi ... San," she said, and a happy smile crossed her face as she now released my Princess.
"Maggie, you're here and you don't report to me? That disappoints me," Santiago said, continuing to look at her.
"Yes, I am sorry that I did not seek you out. I had too much to do with the Prince and Princess. They needed me, that's why I live here. But now that you have relieved us of the ballast, I have some time and it would be a pleasure to spend it with you, San - if you will forgive me?" said Nanny.
He smiled at her.
"I've always forgiven you for everything, Maggie, and that's the way it will stay. Will you do me the honor of a walk?" he asked, holding out his arm for her to hook.
"I'd love to," Nanny said, hooking up, and they sauntered off.
The Prince and Princess looked after them with a smile.
"What was that?" asked the Princess, fascinated.
"A big old unrequited love. Nanny doesn't want to get married or have a committed relationship. Santiago has been courting her for centuries and then when they meet they flirt for all they're worth," the Prince said with a smile.
"EDWARD!" shouted Nanny indignantly, without turning around, and we all grinned.
"Please carry me, Edward," breathed the Princess, exhausted, and he quickly carried her back to our rooms.
First of all, I made sure she ate something and then she slept for a while. After that, the two of them played the harp and piano in a relaxed way. (Duo Mitterer - Ballade pour Adeline - harp and piano)
In the middle of it, there was a soft knock and I opened.
The entire royal family came to visit - as well as Nanny and both judges.
"Oh ...", the Princess breathed in surprise and let her hands slip from the harp.
All the visitors spread out in the living room.
"Oh please, finish playing, we want to hear it," the King begged and they continued playing.
Grace stood next to the Princess, beaming, and she smiled at her.
When the two ended, the Prince rose and helped his still weak wife up. The day had clearly been too much. She held herself slightly askew.
"You're in more pain again," Jasper stated in horror, walking over to her.
"Oh, come on," said the Princess, smiling.
"Sit with me, little one," he said, pulling her next to him and putting an arm around her.
He closed his eyes and she breathed, "Thank you!"
The family remained silent.
Then the King spoke up.
"Edward, Isabella, we wanted to talk to you," he began. He took a deep breath. "Now that the Italian royal house is orphaned and I am the sole King, we have a problem. Actually, I was going to hand over my office to you, my son, but I think it's a bit much for one King alone. Therefore, I have made a new decision. I will remain in office and you will take Aro's place."
The Prince looked at him in amazement.
"Yes, Edward. There is no other crown Prince either, so that leaves only you," said the King.
"Dad," Edward sighed. "I don't want this. None of that is important to me any more. I love Isabella, I love our babies, I want to FINALLY live with her in peace - without commitment. The children are not born yet and already the next stress is coming for her. No, no and no again. I'll pass. Ask Emmett or Jasper. I don't want any more. It's all insignificant to me," said the Prince and his father looked at him lovingly.
"Edward, I knew you would react like this. I have more details planned. You guys will stay here for now, have peace and quiet, and have your babies in November. New Year's Day will be your coronation celebration. By then Isabella will have recovered from the birth and the children will be strong enough. After that you will fly to Volterra to the palace and take over the government there. But Jasper and Alice will accompany you. Jasper will help you and lead all the talks - like a foreign minister - and I also want a medic to be around with the Princess and the babies. Emmett, Rose and Grace will also accompany you. Emmett will do all the paperwork. This way all three Princesses can raise, teach, study and live in the sun in peace - Nanny will assist you. The Princesses' personal eunuchs will go with them, as will Laurent, who will support James because of the babies. Demetri and Marcus will also go with you to protect your wife and the children. In addition, Corin and Santiago are going with you to drive the search for Jane and to control the Volturi guards, assign them with services and so on - so you don't have all that on your neck either. You, Edward, will be the King and your word is your bond, but you can get relief with the help of your brothers. So in principle you don't have to do anything or only what you feel like doing. So you may rest and rule," he said with a smile.
The Princess sat silently, looking back and forth between the King and the Prince.
The Prince eyed her anxiously.
"What do you think, my love?" he asked her softly.
"Mom and Dad stay here alone then?" she asked just as quietly. "And my daddy and Sue?"
The King replied, "That's so, but we all won't let that stop us from visiting you regularly and spending the whole summer with you, hmm ...?" he asked.
The Princess looked at her husband and he at her. Their gazes sank into each other, as they had so often before.
"I go everywhere you go. I can't live without you," she then said to him.
"I know and I wouldn't go anywhere without you because I feel the same way. But I don't want to decide this on my own. If you'd rather, we'll just take off to our island when the babies get here. We'll never have to worry about money," he said.
The King groaned.
The Princes looked tensely back and forth between the two.
"You have a responsibility, Edward, and I will carry it with you. But please don't leave me alone so much," she said in a whisper.
The Prince stood up, knelt in front of her, took her hands in his and kissed them.
"Never will I leave you alone, Isabella!" he said and she smiled at him, taking his head in her hands and kissing him briefly.
"Viva il Re!" shouted Demetri and everyone laughed and clapped. (Long live the King!)
My Prince was hugged by everyone.
The Princess as well.
Princess Rosalie said, "I'm so glad we can go with you. I would have missed you terribly!"
"Me too, Rose," said my Princess.
Nanny hugged the Prince tightly.
"I'm so happy, my boy!"
"Yes Nanny. Now you have me where you always wanted me," he said laughing and she nodded proudly.
Esmé hugged them both and said to him, "You make your father very happy with this, my son, thank you!" And to the Princess, "I'll miss you, darling, but I'll come to visit often. If you long for me, just call. Then I'll come right away!"
"There is always a place reserved for you in my heart and in the palace," the Princess said softly, and they both cried.
After that evening, things finally calmed down around us.
The Princess slept a lot, read, made music, recovered, became more cheerful again and above all she spent a lot of time with her Prince. He carried her on his hands, massaged her belly with oil, kissed her, spoiled her and enjoyed every second of it.
Then, finally, the time had come.
The contractions started and she had actually made it to the end. The whole palace was in a frenzy, only the Princess remained calm. She wanted to have the babies in their rooms. The King had prepared everything with Prince Jasper and Nanny and even an emergency Caesarean section would now be possible here. One of the new children's rooms was full of technical equipment for a difficult birth or possible sick children - because until the end it had not been possible to see into the belly by ultrasound.
The Prince became almost panic-stricken with worry for his wife with the first contractions, but she laughed at him.
"Edward, we're just having babies. This is especially beautiful and not especially terrible. Everything will be fine!", she said and kissed him gently.
Our birth team of Carlisle, Nanny and Jasper sat in the living room, Laurent in the nursery in case he was needed. The Princess wandered back and forth between the rooms.
"Why don't you sit down?" said the Prince, anxiously and gently.
"No, I need to move," she said.
"Leave her, Edward," said Nanny. "A pregnant woman knows for herself what is good for her. Walking makes the baby slide lower. Gravity helps, too. It's optimal."
So the Prince wandered behind her and was nervous.
We all smirked about him and every now and then the Princess had to laugh out loud because he was running after her.
"You're so sweet," she said, kissing him.
"Sweet?" he asked indignantly.
"Yes, you are," she said.
The contractions got worse.
Nanny got up and went to her.
"When a contraction comes, hold onto me or Edward. Breathe in deeply until the pain peaks, then slowly breathe out as the pain subsides. That helps," she said.
"Pain?" the Prince asked, horrified.
"Of course," Nanny said, "she'll be in terrible pain. But it's good pain."
The Prince shook his head in shock.
Nanny laughed and helped the Princess to breathe through the next contraction.
After that, she ran back and forth again. With each contraction, she stopped, held onto the Prince and breathed. She was concentrated and calm.
"She's doing great," the King said in amazement.
"Yes, she is a witch. She knows what she's doing," said Nanny.
The Princess laughed.
But it became more and more violent.
"You can massage her spine in the lumbar area if she likes that. That might help," Nanny said to the Prince without looking up from the book she was leafing through.
The King was reading the newspaper, Jasper was reading teletext on the TV - everyone was relaxed - except the Prince.
"What do you want me to do?" he asked, completely overwhelmed.
The next contraction came and while the Princess clutched at him and breathed, I massaged her back.
"That's good," she said, and then continued walking.
"Thank you," said the Prince.
The intervals became shorter and she began to whimper with the contractions.
"Can't you give her anything?" asked the Prince.
"No," said the Princess.
She stopped in front of him now, no longer had the strength to walk. The amniotic sac burst with the next contraction. Since the Princess was only wearing a thin dress, it just ran down her. She remained standing.
Nanny threw a mountain of rags under them.
"Get out of the puddle a bit," she then said completely calmly.
They walked a little further.
Nanny mopped the floor and put a clean cloth on the floor.
"You can stand on it if you like, dear," she said, and the Prince gently pushed her onto it.
She breathed, moaned, dripped a little. Then she cried out shrilly.
The Prince was completely shocked.
Nanny gave him a nasty look and guaranteed in her mind sent the request to be silent.
"Can I feel, Isabella. I think you might be pushing and the first baby is coming?" asked Nanny.
"Yes," said the Princess. "I can't stand anymore," she added.
"You can squat, kneel or sit on a stool, which do you want?" Nanny asked her, stroking her hair tenderly.
"Sit," she moaned, and I dashed off to get the birthing stool.
Nanny helped her sit on it and just pushed the dress up.
"Edward, kneel behind your wife and hold her back so she can stay upright and lean," Nanny said, and the Prince crouched down.
I also stopped behind it and waited for further orders.
Nanny felt for the cervix during the next contraction, the Princess screamed and now it hurt me too. I did not want to see her suffer like this.
"It's coming already," Nanny called cheerfully, and the Princess groaned.
"Yes ... push," Nanny exclaimed enthusiastically.
With the next contraction came the first child.
The Princess screamed that it echoed from the walls and Nanny caught the baby, put it on her belly.
"Hold it tight, it's yours," she said with a laugh.
The Princess looked fascinated at the little creature and held it tightly.
The Prince was completely overwhelmed, looked over her shoulder and laughed with happiness.
"What is it?" the King asked excitedly.
"A Prince," Edward said in fascination, wrapping his arms around his wife and child and delicately touching his skin.
"Oh God, he's so beautiful," he sighed.
"Yes," breathed the Princess, turning slightly and kissing him quickly.
Then she admired her baby again.
Nanny cut the child's umbilical cord.
"I'll give him to James now, shall I? Then your father can see if everything is okay with him. And we'll see if we can get the second child out the same way, hmm...?" Nanny asked the happy couple.
"Yes," said the Princess and kissed her son.
I held out the warmed towel and Nanny carefully laid the baby on it for me. Then I went with him and the proud grandfather next door to the changing table. He listened to the baby's chest, examined the boy and kissed him tenderly.
"You are quite a healthy Prince and so handsome," he said with a grateful laugh. "You can clean and dress him a little, James," he then said, and with pleasure I washed and swaddled the child.
Laurent watched me and was also quite touched.
"Iz the Prinzess all right?" he asked quietly and worriedly.
"Yes, everything is fine. Don't worry," I said. "You take the Prince now. I'll go back and pick up the next kid, okay?", I asked.
"Oui, bien sûr (Yes, of course)," Laurent beamed and sat down in the rocking chair with the child.
I went back.
The Princess was in labor again.
We waited.
She moaned and wailed again, but didn't scream as hard.
"Push," Nanny said, and the Princess gasped with effort. "Yes, there it is," Nanny cried, helping the next baby into the world. "It's a Princess," she cried happily.
"I know," laughed my Princess and took her girl in her arms.
"She is beautiful," said the Prince delightedly.
"Yes, she is," sighed the Princess and kissed her child.
Again Nanny cut the baby's umbilical cord.
"Can I give it away again for a minute? You have one more afterbirth to go, but it won't hurt anymore and then we'll clean you up. And you have your babies, okay?" she asked.
"Yes," sighed the Princess, and I received the child.
It was more petite than the first and definitely looked like a girl.
Again the King examined the child.
"Hello, little Princess. You're all healthy, too. Welcome to the world."
He kissed her tenderly and caressed her. Then he handed her over to me and went back.
"A Princess?" asked Laurent behind me.
"Yes, a beautiful one," I said.
I washed her and also wrapped her and kept her in my arms, rocking her slowly back and forth.