Like a moth to the flame : an Aro and Bella story
Aro is anxious to earn Bella's loyalty, but isn't sure how to obtain it. Caius wants her gone, but knows that is not on Aro's agenda. He tries to convince Aro that Bella can never be trusted. She could become a liability rather than an asset.
In this chapter, Bella confronts Edward about his departure from Forks, and why he came to Volterra.
Chapter Three - To forgive is human
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Edward smelled Bella's presence before he saw her. At least she was still alive and human, the only thing he really cared about. The Volturi had apparently not touched her for the time being. Despite her longing to be like him, Bella knew he would never agree to change her. That could drive her right into the arms of Aro and the others. He had to escape, and get Bella and Alice away from Volterra as soon as possible.
When she had thrown herself at him, pushing him back into the castle and out of the sun, Edward thought he was either dreaming or in heaven. Bella had been very real, he discovered and she was here with him again.
"Bella, you came." He smiled and took a step towards her, but stopped moving any further when he saw her take a step back. Edward frowned. "Bella? What's wrong?"
The young woman whose heart he had broken had not yet forgiven him. She only glared at him, her lips pressed tightly together.
Knowing why she did not look at him with love in her eyes, Edward's hands dropped to his sides. "I couldn't allow myself to grant your wish. You do understand, don't you? It would have been wrong. I only wanted you to remain human. I wanted you to find a human man to love you, someone to have children with, and make you happy for the rest of your life."
"You knew that wasn't important to me. I only wanted to be with you. Only you. But you never gave me the choice, Edward! It was my life, my decision, and you took that away from me. You said you didn't want me. I wasn't good enough for you. You made me think I meant nothing to you."
"That's not quite what I said, Bella. I said you weren't good for me. I had to work so hard not to give into you and what you wanted." He turned his back to her, not wanting to see the censure in her eyes. "I lied, Bella. To protect you." Edward said without emotion.
"Yeah, sure, while I pleaded for you to take me with you, human or otherwise, and you refused. You broke my heart, Edward, something you wouldn't understand."
"I wasn't going to be responsible for destroying your soul, Bella!" he shouted. No, this wasn't right. He had to control his emotions, and repair the damage he'd created. "I didn't mean to leave you alone."
Anger flared in the young woman. She wanted to plunge in the knife and twist it. "I wasn't alone the entire time. You were gone, Edward, but Jacob was there. He...he kept me sane."
Did Edward have the right to be jealous of Jacob? He knew the young Quileute and Bella had been friends since she first began her annual visits to her father, Charlie. He also knew how Jacob felt about Bella. "So you run to Jacob as soon as..." He stopped speaking, not wanting to sound like he was making accusations. Her relationship with Jacob was none of his business now.
Ignoring Edward's mentioning her friend, Bella was fed up to here with Cullen platitudes. "You're as bad as Rosalie. Condemning me for wanting to be like her. Like you."
"Bella..."
"You're afraid I'll end up like Jasper, unable to control the thirst. If it's something I have to go through, then so be it. I can get past it eventually."
"It's not just that." How could Edward make Bella understand. It was because he loved her that he refused to change her into a vampire. When he had told her he was leaving Forks, it was kiling him inside, knowing what he was doing to her and himself. Bella was his life, and he would miss her, but he had to be strong. He had to make her believe him when he said he didn't want her with him. Apparently it had worked too well.
While Edward was speaking with Bella, Aro was unable to hear their discussion from this distance, but he was sure that Edward was receiving his well-deserved comeuppance. Once Bella let Aro know she was through with the boy, he would let Cullen go. He'd release Alice as well, albeit reluctantly. But perhaps if he showed her mercy now, she would remember him kindly later.
Back in his cell, Edward tried without success to gain Bella's forgiveness. In time she might forget the pain he had inflicted upon her, but it was not happening this moment. He couldn't read her mind, but it didn't take anything supernatural to know what she thought of him.
Bella looked at Edward, his eyes begging her to forgive him, but she could not, not yet if ever. "I have to go. I want to make sure Alice is ok."
"She's fine. I can...tell."
"Yes, of course you can. In any case, I'm leaving." Bella turned to go to the door, when Edward called her name.
"Bella. Are you staying here?" His tone said with the Volturi even if there were no words.
Bella inhaled deeply, releasing the air in her lungs slowly. "I won't be going home with you and Alice. I hope that answers the question." She walked out the door, gving the guard waiting outside the door a brief nod. Then she followed a second guard who led her back upstairs and to her room.
Edward watched her as she left. No words escaped him as he had nothing left inside him to articulate. Bella hated him now, and maybe he deserved that. He had made the supreme sacrifice and a major mistake all at once. Now he would have to pay for it.
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Bella lay on her bed in the room she had been given. Her talk with Edward had drained her both mentally and physically, but it had been necessary for her to tell him how much he had hurt her. Now she could let him go, something she assumed he wanted too, despite his words. After all, he would never agree to change her.
Hearing a light knock, Bella rose and walked over to the door. Opening it, she saw the tallest of the vampires standing in front of her.
"My dear, may I speak with you a moment?"
"Uh...sure. Come in. You're..." She stepped aside to let him in.
"Marcus."
"Right...Marcus. What can I do for you?" Her face was expressionless, yet inside, curiosity had replaced the anger she'd been feeling a moment ago. Why was he here? He had barely said anything when she, Edward, and Alice had their audience before the three Volturi. In the end, he had thanked them for their visit, odd since they had been forced to appear before them.
He gestured to the bed, where Bella sat, waiting to hear what he wanted from her.
Marcus stood, preferring not to sit. "I understand you spoke with the Cullen boy. Did he persuade you to leave with him?"
Bella looked down at her hands, her fingers intertwining with each other as she tried to suppress her nervousness. "No, he didn't. I mean, I have no reason to leave with him. He doesn't want me."
"And he will not give you what you want, isn't that correct?"
She looked up at Marcus, sadness in her eyes. "He broke my heart, to protect me so he said."
Using his gift, Marcus saw the ties between Cullen and this mortal woman. They were not strongly entwined at the moment, but they were intact. Still, Aro wanted Bella's gift, and that meant he would do what was necessary to keep the two young people apart. At least he would be happy to hear Bella had not forgiven Edward for hurting her.
"Child, whatever you do, do not trust Aro. He will say or do anything to secure your loyalty. Your gift is that important to him." Not sure why he had chosen to work against his brother, Marcus decided he had to warn the young mortal woman, in case she wasn't aware of Aro's true intent. Actually, Marcus would be surprised if she were allowed to leave here at all.
Bella stood and went to one of the windows that overlooked the town. She wrapped her arms around her body while watching the day's activities in the streets. For centuries, the Volturi existed in Volterra unnoticed by the humans who lived, worked, and played here. There was so much more she needed to learn about them, but did she really want to stay here and allow Aro to turn her into a vampire? She would have to ask him for that privilege, and he would have to agree. Would he then force her to join the Volturi? She wanted to be a vampire, that much she already knew. But she had wanted to remain with Edward and the other Cullens, forever young as Edward's wife, a true member of the family. These Volturi hed never entered her mind as the result to her dream.
"Thank you, Marcus. I think I know what Aro wants. Even I can see the benefit to you. For now, I want to make sure he releases Edward and Alice, then see what he wants from me, exactly."
"Are you sure you won't wish to return home with them?" Marcus asked, placing a cool hand on her shoulder, squeezing gently.
"No, I've made up mu mind. I'm done with...I'm done with all that," Bella replied. Her imagined future would be changing, even if it meant she never saw Charlie or Renee again.
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Marcus had led Bella outside to see his pride and joy. He felt the young woman needed a breath of fresh air, and his garden was beautiful this time of year.
Bella walked around the garden, inhaling the sweetness of the roses, and admiring the colour variations of the other flowers there. Forks was green, very green in fact, due to the near constant rainfall. But colours were rare.
"It's all so beautiful, Marcus." She smiled spontaneously, until she saw Aro enter the garden.
"Brother, thank you for seeing to our guest, but I need to have a word with our dear Isabella."
Marcus knew when he was being dismissed, and after raising Bella's hand to his lips, he departed to return to the castle.
Aro led Bella to a gazebo that sat on the side of the garden opposite the rosebed. "Please, my dear, sit here with me. I assume your talk with Edward was satisfactory?"
"It was...I said what I needed to say. Will you be allowing them to return to America?" Bella would feel better knowing Edward and Alice were no longer prisoners of the Volturi.
"I will, on one condition. That you stay behind. Oh, not permanently. I won't force you to remain here with us, Isabella. Consider it...a vacation. As our guest, you may tour the city, try the food, and I will buy for you whatever you wish. I think you might like some new clothes?"
That did appeal to Bella since she had been in the same outfit for a while. Alice had secured a passport for her by whatever questionable means she had. But they'd had no time to even pack a bag for Bella. Both unconsciously assumed they would not be here long enough to need anything.
"Ok, I'd like that. Alice has my passport. I'll need to retrieve that. Let them go, and I'll stay, for now." She was curious, of course. But she didn't want to leave until she was sure of her decision. Would Aro be willing to change her without adding her to his collection of vampires? If she asked and he said no unless she stayed, it would mean she'd have another decision to make. If only Edward had agreed, none of this would be necessary. They would be together and living whereever the Cullens had decided to make their home. They would be her new in-laws, and she would be happy.
Aro gave her a smile. This was one step forward. It was something just to have her here with him. Now if he could find ways to encourage her allegiance to him and the coven. "That pleases me, my dear. You have nothing to fear from anyone in this castle. And if you have questions, any of us will be happy to answer them."
"Um...Aro, call me Bella. I never really liked my given name much."
Aro frowned. "What a pity. It's such a beautiful name." He took her hand and cupped it within both of his. When he felt Bella pull away, he reminded her. "Remember, I cannot read you, my dear." Aro then said, "Now, I will send Chelsea to take you shopping. I would have chosen Heidi, but if your name is too beautiful for you, then Heidi's sense of fashion would probably be too uncomfortable for you as well. Let Chelsea know what you need and what you'd like to have. She'll take care of everything."
"Thank you, Aro. When will you let Edward and Alice go? There's really no reason to keep them around. Once the distraction is gone, I can concentrate on you and this place.
That statement satisfied Aro. Perhaps gaining her trust would be easier than he anticipated.
"I"ll say goodbye to them both, and get my passport from Alice." Bella turned toward Aro, her eyes exhibiting no emotion whatsoever. "Then I never want to see them again."
A/N : So Bella has decided Edward won't fulfill her wish to become a vampire while Aro most likely would, but with strings attached. A near-eternal existence under his control. Will Bella agree to the Volturi master's demands so that she can finally have her dream fulfilled?