52 Weeks
by Wizardtho
Chapter 08:
When Caius and I reach the throne room, I hear an argument ensuing on the other side of the doors. Edward is pretty much calling Aro a liar, though he’s spinning his words to veil their intent. Aro, on the other hand, is warning Carlisle that he needs to keep his coven in hand, or the guards will do it for him. I shake my head, then Caius opens the doors while holding my hand.
“Ah, there they are. Now that all parties are accounted for, we shall begin,” Aro states as he retreats to his throne. Caius gently squeezes my hand, then lets go of it before climbing the stairs and taking his throne. He’s giving me the option of where to stand, which I appreciate, but there’s only one place I want to be.
I smile at both Marcus and Aro, walk over to kiss each of their cheeks with a whispered, “Thank you,” then perch myself on the arm of Caius’ throne. My arm rests on the top of his throne, my Volturi cuff on display for all to see.
Before anything more than a few gasps can be uttered, Aro speaks. “Cullen coven, you are here to answer for charges brought against you. The abandonment of a human who knew of our secret… one you claimed as part of your coven, not only to said human, but also to others of our kind… is a violation of our laws. Do you admit to claiming Isabella Swan as part of your coven -or family, as you like to call yourselves?”
Carlisle bows his head, then lifts it to say, “Yes, Aro. We love Bella as one of our own.”
Aro hums before continuing, “Yet… though you claim to love her as such, you left her with knowledge she should not possess, and without any means to reach you in an emergency. There is a reason that anyone who knows of our world is to be turned or drained, Carlisle… you know this. You have seen what it does to humans who have lived in the world of the supernatural, then have it ripped away from them. Either they go insane, not having anyone ‘safe’ to turn to, or they reveal our secret. Are you not teaching your fledglings the rules, or do you just believe that they do not apply to you?”
Edward growls deeply at Aro’s words, but Carlisle sighs, “No, Edward. He’s right. I’ve seen it happen, over and over. Aro, I can only say that we thought we were doing what was best at the time. Edward felt our family was a danger to his mate. We left on his request, believing we would be returning once he realized he couldn’t be parted from her.”
Caius growled slightly at that statement, but Aro says, “Isabella Swan is not now, nor has she ever been, Young Edward’s mate. You very well know this, Carlisle. He may have twisted the call of her blood and his infatuation with her into believing they were mates, but the plain fact is, he used her before throwing her away. I have seen his treatment of Isabella, as well as the heinous words he spoke to her when he abandoned her in the woods. No vampire would be able to, physically or emotionally, treat their mate in that manner.”
By this time, Edward is ranting and raving, calling Aro a liar outright while swearing I’m his mate. I place a hand on the back of Caius’s neck to help keep him calm, then Marcus says clearly, “Enough! Aro speaks the truth, young Cullen. The lines I see between you and Isabella were never those of mates. While once they might have been those of blooming lovers, now they have been poisoned by your deeds. Stop your sniveling and deal with the consequences of what your actions have wrought.”
Aro takes the lead again, pushing things back on track, “As enlightening as this has been, you are here for us to hand down sentence on the abandonment charge, as well as the fact that Isabella is still a human with knowledge of vampires. I have seen through Edward’s mind, and Isabella has also stated in her own words, that she put the pieces together on her own before confronting Edward about his vampire nature. As such, the charge of revealing yourselves to a human has been dropped.”
There are cries of outrage from Emmett and Esme, angry sneers from Rosalie and Edward, as well as pleas to allow the Cullens to change me from Alice and Carlisle… all when Aro hints about my humanity. Not surprisingly, Jasper is standing calm and silent, trying to assess my emotions. I let him read me fully, my eyes never wavering from his.
When his gaze moves to Caius, mine follows. Without thought, I rub Caius’s neck as he looks into my eyes. Our exchange only lasts a few seconds, but when I look back at Jasper, his eyes are darting between our faces.
Finally, they land on me and stay, then he nods before capturing Alice’s hand. Her arguments stop as she looks up at him, then I see her eyes lose their previous fire. They hold a silent conversation for only a split second, then he steps forward before making a loud whistle. All Cullens still, then Jasper says, “Bella is stayin’, and of her own free will. She wasn’t forced to sit up there on that throne with him, Edward. She chose. While all of ya stand here bickerin’ like Bella’s some kind of possession, I’ve been monitorin’ her emotions. Let this go, now, because it’ll only end badly if ya continue this path.”
The Cullens all seem shocked as they look between Jasper and me. I turn to Aro with a raised eyebrow, silently asking if I can speak now. After a silent nod, he holds his hand out to me. I stand, take his hand, and let him lead me to the center of the raised platform. “Jasper is correct. I am staying. None of you will be able to sway me otherwise, so it would be in your best interest not to try. No, I am not being forced. I was asked, and I agreed. End of story. You all, on the other hand, need to really think over your choices if you choose to continue interacting with humans. Did you not ever wonder how I figured it all out? Really think about it for a second.”
No one says a word, so I continue. “First, the rare medical condition you spout about, yet never give details for? That only works for certain things. If it’s so rare, how do you all supposedly have it? You make it sound to the townsfolk as if you purposely seek out ‘children’ to adopt only with this supposed condition, which is really creepy. Honestly, you need to use contacts. Your gold eyes stick out too much with you having daily contact with humans, but using different colored contacts would help explain the adopted family you try to portray, not add more questions.
“Second, Carlisle... you especially, but all of you really, need to think about keeping hand warmers in your pockets. That way, when you need to have human contact, they aren’t shocked into thinking you are an iceberg on a summer day. Third is the clothes and cars. You say you try to fit in, but brand new pricey vehicles and designer labels will never fit into small towns like Forks. While I understand that vampire nature dictates showing your wealth as a status ranking symbol of covens, it only further sets you apart in small towns.”
Rosalie rolls her eyes with a huff, but I’m not done, “Rosalie, shut the fuck up. Turn your permanent bitch switch off for just one damn second, and you’ll see that I’m right. I don’t care that I’m human and you’re pissed off that you can’t have a child. Suck it up, Babydoll, because even though I’m human, I can’t either. If you would have taken two seconds of your precious time to actually speak to me, instead of being jealous of my humanity, I would have explained to you that I was born incapable of ever being able to carry a child. You need to realize that Emmett, who you say you love so much, is hurt emotionally each time you treat him badly. Every single time you say you hate this life or that you wish you had never been turned, it tears at him inside, thinking he’s not enough for you.”
Before she can even turn toward Emmett, I’m speaking again, “Carlisle, I understand that you don’t want to kill humans. I get that, I do… but your coven wouldn’t have the problems they do, if you would realize that with the passing of time, there are more options available to you now. You wouldn’t have to fight so much on a daily basis if you would allow yourself your natural food source without the loss of life. Demetri, come here please.”
Carlisle is giving me a confused look, but I wait. When Demetri stops at my side, I say, “Donated blood works, Carlisle. It’s your natural food source, yet no one has to die for you to have it. I know it works because Demetri drinks it on a frequent basis. How long have you been drinking donated blood, Dem?”
He smiles at my nickname for him, “Since it was first widely available. Most in the castle use it to at least supplement their diet, if not as their sole source of nutrition.” I look back to Carlisle, who seems shocked by this revelation.
I pat Demetri’s arm, then turn to walk back to Caius, saying, “I would have never figured out what you all were, had you used some of these very common sense things in your daily lives. Think about that before you continue with your old ways, as today is the only warning you will be allowed. Personally, after the way I was treated and discarded, I don’t want to see any of your faces again. Jasper, you can exclude yourself from my last statement, because you were never at fault for the night of my birthday.”
Every Cullen is looking at me with incredulity, but Jasper is just curious. I perch myself back on the arm of Caius’s throne, where he wraps his closest hand around my hip, then offer, “It goes back to fighting instincts. First off, I was Edward’s singer. For Christ’s sake, people, think! Jasper’s an empath. If he feels every single one of your other emotions 24/7, no matter how big or small, did you not think it was possible for him to feel your thirst? Did you ever take the time to simply ask him?”
At their shocked but guilty expressions, I shake my head in disgust, “I swear to God, animal blood must be making you lot lose brain cells. Every single pair of eyes changed color in the room that night, and Jasper had to feel all of your thirst on top of Edward’s. Tell me, with absolute certainty, that any single one of you would not have snapped under that kind of pressure.”
Each set of gold eyes hit the floor, their facial features going from only slight guilt to completely guilt-ridden. I huffed, then said cockily, “No one has anything to say to the contrary? Yeah, I thought not. So as I said, I can not fault Jasper for feeling pressured to leave, after you all blamed him needlessly… but the rest of you had better remember to walk the other way if you ever see me again.”
The whole room is shocked into silence at my words, including the guards present. Hopefully, I got through to at least a couple of the Cullens. Jasper nods to me gratefully, so I simply nod back before looking to my right. Aro and Marcus are both watching me with huge grins on their faces. I shrug, then dart my eyes toward the main floor, which thankfully prompts him to move.
Aro stands before clasping his hands behind his back, “Alas, it seems my own warnings to you are unneeded. They could not have been voiced more precisely than Isabella has already done. I do have just a few more points to make clear to you. Take today’s warnings to heart, dear Cullens. You will not be given leniency the next time you break vampire law, and you should count yourselves lucky that you are leaving today with your heads attached. You will all undergo intermittent monitoring by the Volturi, even if you choose to break yourself away from the coven, for the next 100 years. Volterra is off-limits to each of you for the same amount of time. Isabella has chosen to not want contact with anyone but Jasper. If you should decide not to abide by her wishes, know that it will be considered as breaking the law. You have 2 hours to sign the final paperwork, gather your belongings, and exit Volterra.”
After three full minutes, the Cullens are all still standing there dumbfounded, so Caius waves a hand dismissively, “Felix, Alec… help the coven retrieve their belongings and find the waiting room. This meeting is adjourned. Jasper, you may stay. I would like to speak with you privately.”
I watch as the coven is ushered out of the throne room, Jasper curiously not even looking at Alice before she’s taken from the room, then the atmosphere lightens considerably. I give Caius’s neck a gentle rub, to which he smiles before standing and holding his hand out to me. When I take it, he turns to Jasper, saying simply, “Follow me.”
Once in the private study, Caius sits with me on the small loveseat, then waves for Jasper to take a seat opposite us. “I want to thank you privately for protecting Isabella in Phoenix.”
Jasper shakes his head, then runs his fingers through his hair, “No thanks needed, honestly. I’m just glad I was there in time. I don’t know if Bella told ya, but my beast was mighty pissed at the condition we found her in. Bella’s family, Sire, and I don’t take that lightly. It’s why I felt so torn the night of her birthday. Looks to me like she’s where she belongs now, though, so all’s right in the end.”
He looks between the two of us, then nods his head, “Yeah, Sugar… you’re in a good place now. Listen, I think what ya said is startin’ to sink in… it’ll just take time for ‘em to accept it on their own. I’d honestly been leanin’ toward spendin’ some time away from the lot of ‘em… Alice included. Things haven’t been right between us for a while now, so I was thinkin’ of headin’ to my brother’s place, especially after this. If either of ya needs anythin’, I’m only a phone call away. Please remember that.”
I pull Caius’s phone from his robe, causing Jasper to smile. He recites his number, so I input the information before saving it, then dial the number. Seconds later, Jasper’s phone rings. He saves the number, and I offer, “I’ll text my number to you once I get a new phone. It’s the one place I didn’t stop today while I was out.”
He nods, then all of us stand. I smile as I walk him toward the door, “I think you should take that time away. I loved Alice like a sister, but I never could see a balance between the two of you. They’ve clipped your wings, Jasper, but a change of environment might help them grow again. Find your wings... but don’t forget to call once in a while.”
In response, he sends me a bit of gratitude and familial love, then hugs me while whispering, “You’ve already found yours, and they’re beautiful, Bella. Let yourself soar.”
Pulling back, he squeezes both of my hands, then nods respectfully to Caius before leaving the room. I quickly make my way back to Caius, then settle myself in his lap. Running my fingers through his hair, I catch his eyes. They are light and sparkling, so I know he’s content right now.
He smiles, kisses me sweetly, then says, “It was incredibly sexy to watch you take control in that room, Isabella. No one, in the history of us being kings, has ever taken over Aro’s position of being the collective voice. Watching you take the reigns… seeing your confidence and determination… it was brilliant, Darling.”
I chuckle, then there is a soft knock on the study door. Caius calls, “Enter,” before Jane pokes her head in.
“Lady Isabella? With the Cullen coven’s arrival earlier and us just getting back, one of your bags got mixed with mine. Shall I give it to you now, or place the bag in your suite?”
I chuckle, then assure her, “It’s fine, Jane. I actually think right now is the perfect time to give Caius his surprise. Leave the box with me, then the bag can be placed in our suite. Thank you.”
She bows her head, quickly brings me the box, and offers, “Master, Milady. Have a good evening,” before hurrying from the room.
Caius curiously looks from the door to me, then asks, “Surprise? When did you have time to get me something?”
I chuckle, since I can’t help it, then give him a slow, tender kiss. When I pull back, I look at the small yet elegant gold signet on the black box while touching my pendant. “From the moment you gave me my necklace, I have cherished its meaning. I didn’t like the thought of you not having something to represent our journey, so my true reason for visiting Jerran today was to ask for his help in making you something special. This is so you have a special reminder when we are parted during the day… like I have my necklace… and now my bracelet.”
I hand him the box; he looks at me in awe before opening the lid carefully. His eyes widen as he gasps, then he pulls me into an emotion-filled kiss before whispering, “Thank you, Isabella. These are beautiful… the perfect complement to your pieces.”
I peek inside the box, then smile widely. The pieces are even more stunning in real life. “Now, even when we are apart, we both have a physical representation of our journey together. Jerran assured me that the stones and materials for your set would be from the same lot my set was made from. I thought it fitting.”
Caius wraps his arms around me before kissing me again, but soon I hear the door to the study opening. Caius breaks away to look at the door, just after Aro enters with a smile. “Oh, how lovely.”
I chuckle in reply, “It was, until you interrupted, Brother. Or were you talking about Caius’s surprise?”
Aro laughs heartily, then sits across from us, “The pieces, Isabella. I was referring to them. Do forgive me for interrupting, as you call it. I just came to inform you both that the Cullens are out of Volterra. Little Alice was highly upset when Jasper joined the coven in the waiting room. Marcus assured me that their lover bond had been fraying for quite some time, by the looks of it, so I was not surprised when he left on his own after signing his name as Jasper Whitlock on the paperwork. It will be interesting to see if he returns to his roots, now that he has freed himself from the coven’s stifling nature.”
I hum in response, then offer, “I don’t see him ever returning to Maria, if that was your worry, Aro. He told me a bit about his history after Phoenix, to help me understand that his beast recognized me as family, causing him to deal with the threat to my safety harshly. He was adamant that should Maria ever cross his path again, she would be dealt with even more harshly than James. He did say something about spending some time with his brother, though, so I suspect there will be one less vampire fighting their thirst soon. Peter has his hands in just about everything, from what I’ve heard, so it wouldn’t surprise me to hear that he has already acquired a stock of donated blood for Jasper.”
Aro chuckles at that, agreeing with me, then smirks before adding, “Quite the performance today, by the way. Very impressive. I am almost tempted to have you sit in on throne room meetings from now on. You did very well presenting only facts, without allowing emotion to cloud you.”
I nod in acknowledgment, but assure him, “Thank you, though I have no designs on ruling, Aro. I may be a Lady of the castle now, but I have no desire to use that station for handing out judgments or punishing criminals. Now James, if he were still alive, I would love to have tortured to within an inch of his miserable existence… but that’s beside the point.”
Aro nods in understanding, then stands. “I believe Caius would agree with you, Isabella. Thankfully, we will never have to worry about your safety where he is concerned. I believe it is time for you to nourish yourself if my hearing is correct, so I will bid you both a good night now.”
I nod, feeling my stomach rumble, then Caius stands with me. “Goodnight, Brother. I will see you in the morning.”
He takes my hand, then guides me out of the room, telling me he wants to take me somewhere.
When Caius and I reach the throne room, I hear an argument ensuing on the other side of the doors. Edward is pretty much calling Aro a liar, though he’s spinning his words to veil their intent. Aro, on the other hand, is warning Carlisle that he needs to keep his coven in hand, or the guards will do it for him. I shake my head, then Caius opens the doors while holding my hand.
“Ah, there they are. Now that all parties are accounted for, we shall begin,” Aro states as he retreats to his throne. Caius gently squeezes my hand, then lets go of it before climbing the stairs and taking his throne. He’s giving me the option of where to stand, which I appreciate, but there’s only one place I want to be.
I smile at both Marcus and Aro, walk over to kiss each of their cheeks with a whispered, “Thank you,” then perch myself on the arm of Caius’ throne. My arm rests on the top of his throne, my Volturi cuff on display for all to see.
Before anything more than a few gasps can be uttered, Aro speaks. “Cullen coven, you are here to answer for charges brought against you. The abandonment of a human who knew of our secret… one you claimed as part of your coven, not only to said human, but also to others of our kind… is a violation of our laws. Do you admit to claiming Isabella Swan as part of your coven -or family, as you like to call yourselves?”
Carlisle bows his head, then lifts it to say, “Yes, Aro. We love Bella as one of our own.”
Aro hums before continuing, “Yet… though you claim to love her as such, you left her with knowledge she should not possess, and without any means to reach you in an emergency. There is a reason that anyone who knows of our world is to be turned or drained, Carlisle… you know this. You have seen what it does to humans who have lived in the world of the supernatural, then have it ripped away from them. Either they go insane, not having anyone ‘safe’ to turn to, or they reveal our secret. Are you not teaching your fledglings the rules, or do you just believe that they do not apply to you?”
Edward growls deeply at Aro’s words, but Carlisle sighs, “No, Edward. He’s right. I’ve seen it happen, over and over. Aro, I can only say that we thought we were doing what was best at the time. Edward felt our family was a danger to his mate. We left on his request, believing we would be returning once he realized he couldn’t be parted from her.”
Caius growled slightly at that statement, but Aro says, “Isabella Swan is not now, nor has she ever been, Young Edward’s mate. You very well know this, Carlisle. He may have twisted the call of her blood and his infatuation with her into believing they were mates, but the plain fact is, he used her before throwing her away. I have seen his treatment of Isabella, as well as the heinous words he spoke to her when he abandoned her in the woods. No vampire would be able to, physically or emotionally, treat their mate in that manner.”
By this time, Edward is ranting and raving, calling Aro a liar outright while swearing I’m his mate. I place a hand on the back of Caius’s neck to help keep him calm, then Marcus says clearly, “Enough! Aro speaks the truth, young Cullen. The lines I see between you and Isabella were never those of mates. While once they might have been those of blooming lovers, now they have been poisoned by your deeds. Stop your sniveling and deal with the consequences of what your actions have wrought.”
Aro takes the lead again, pushing things back on track, “As enlightening as this has been, you are here for us to hand down sentence on the abandonment charge, as well as the fact that Isabella is still a human with knowledge of vampires. I have seen through Edward’s mind, and Isabella has also stated in her own words, that she put the pieces together on her own before confronting Edward about his vampire nature. As such, the charge of revealing yourselves to a human has been dropped.”
There are cries of outrage from Emmett and Esme, angry sneers from Rosalie and Edward, as well as pleas to allow the Cullens to change me from Alice and Carlisle… all when Aro hints about my humanity. Not surprisingly, Jasper is standing calm and silent, trying to assess my emotions. I let him read me fully, my eyes never wavering from his.
When his gaze moves to Caius, mine follows. Without thought, I rub Caius’s neck as he looks into my eyes. Our exchange only lasts a few seconds, but when I look back at Jasper, his eyes are darting between our faces.
Finally, they land on me and stay, then he nods before capturing Alice’s hand. Her arguments stop as she looks up at him, then I see her eyes lose their previous fire. They hold a silent conversation for only a split second, then he steps forward before making a loud whistle. All Cullens still, then Jasper says, “Bella is stayin’, and of her own free will. She wasn’t forced to sit up there on that throne with him, Edward. She chose. While all of ya stand here bickerin’ like Bella’s some kind of possession, I’ve been monitorin’ her emotions. Let this go, now, because it’ll only end badly if ya continue this path.”
The Cullens all seem shocked as they look between Jasper and me. I turn to Aro with a raised eyebrow, silently asking if I can speak now. After a silent nod, he holds his hand out to me. I stand, take his hand, and let him lead me to the center of the raised platform. “Jasper is correct. I am staying. None of you will be able to sway me otherwise, so it would be in your best interest not to try. No, I am not being forced. I was asked, and I agreed. End of story. You all, on the other hand, need to really think over your choices if you choose to continue interacting with humans. Did you not ever wonder how I figured it all out? Really think about it for a second.”
No one says a word, so I continue. “First, the rare medical condition you spout about, yet never give details for? That only works for certain things. If it’s so rare, how do you all supposedly have it? You make it sound to the townsfolk as if you purposely seek out ‘children’ to adopt only with this supposed condition, which is really creepy. Honestly, you need to use contacts. Your gold eyes stick out too much with you having daily contact with humans, but using different colored contacts would help explain the adopted family you try to portray, not add more questions.
“Second, Carlisle... you especially, but all of you really, need to think about keeping hand warmers in your pockets. That way, when you need to have human contact, they aren’t shocked into thinking you are an iceberg on a summer day. Third is the clothes and cars. You say you try to fit in, but brand new pricey vehicles and designer labels will never fit into small towns like Forks. While I understand that vampire nature dictates showing your wealth as a status ranking symbol of covens, it only further sets you apart in small towns.”
Rosalie rolls her eyes with a huff, but I’m not done, “Rosalie, shut the fuck up. Turn your permanent bitch switch off for just one damn second, and you’ll see that I’m right. I don’t care that I’m human and you’re pissed off that you can’t have a child. Suck it up, Babydoll, because even though I’m human, I can’t either. If you would have taken two seconds of your precious time to actually speak to me, instead of being jealous of my humanity, I would have explained to you that I was born incapable of ever being able to carry a child. You need to realize that Emmett, who you say you love so much, is hurt emotionally each time you treat him badly. Every single time you say you hate this life or that you wish you had never been turned, it tears at him inside, thinking he’s not enough for you.”
Before she can even turn toward Emmett, I’m speaking again, “Carlisle, I understand that you don’t want to kill humans. I get that, I do… but your coven wouldn’t have the problems they do, if you would realize that with the passing of time, there are more options available to you now. You wouldn’t have to fight so much on a daily basis if you would allow yourself your natural food source without the loss of life. Demetri, come here please.”
Carlisle is giving me a confused look, but I wait. When Demetri stops at my side, I say, “Donated blood works, Carlisle. It’s your natural food source, yet no one has to die for you to have it. I know it works because Demetri drinks it on a frequent basis. How long have you been drinking donated blood, Dem?”
He smiles at my nickname for him, “Since it was first widely available. Most in the castle use it to at least supplement their diet, if not as their sole source of nutrition.” I look back to Carlisle, who seems shocked by this revelation.
I pat Demetri’s arm, then turn to walk back to Caius, saying, “I would have never figured out what you all were, had you used some of these very common sense things in your daily lives. Think about that before you continue with your old ways, as today is the only warning you will be allowed. Personally, after the way I was treated and discarded, I don’t want to see any of your faces again. Jasper, you can exclude yourself from my last statement, because you were never at fault for the night of my birthday.”
Every Cullen is looking at me with incredulity, but Jasper is just curious. I perch myself back on the arm of Caius’s throne, where he wraps his closest hand around my hip, then offer, “It goes back to fighting instincts. First off, I was Edward’s singer. For Christ’s sake, people, think! Jasper’s an empath. If he feels every single one of your other emotions 24/7, no matter how big or small, did you not think it was possible for him to feel your thirst? Did you ever take the time to simply ask him?”
At their shocked but guilty expressions, I shake my head in disgust, “I swear to God, animal blood must be making you lot lose brain cells. Every single pair of eyes changed color in the room that night, and Jasper had to feel all of your thirst on top of Edward’s. Tell me, with absolute certainty, that any single one of you would not have snapped under that kind of pressure.”
Each set of gold eyes hit the floor, their facial features going from only slight guilt to completely guilt-ridden. I huffed, then said cockily, “No one has anything to say to the contrary? Yeah, I thought not. So as I said, I can not fault Jasper for feeling pressured to leave, after you all blamed him needlessly… but the rest of you had better remember to walk the other way if you ever see me again.”
The whole room is shocked into silence at my words, including the guards present. Hopefully, I got through to at least a couple of the Cullens. Jasper nods to me gratefully, so I simply nod back before looking to my right. Aro and Marcus are both watching me with huge grins on their faces. I shrug, then dart my eyes toward the main floor, which thankfully prompts him to move.
Aro stands before clasping his hands behind his back, “Alas, it seems my own warnings to you are unneeded. They could not have been voiced more precisely than Isabella has already done. I do have just a few more points to make clear to you. Take today’s warnings to heart, dear Cullens. You will not be given leniency the next time you break vampire law, and you should count yourselves lucky that you are leaving today with your heads attached. You will all undergo intermittent monitoring by the Volturi, even if you choose to break yourself away from the coven, for the next 100 years. Volterra is off-limits to each of you for the same amount of time. Isabella has chosen to not want contact with anyone but Jasper. If you should decide not to abide by her wishes, know that it will be considered as breaking the law. You have 2 hours to sign the final paperwork, gather your belongings, and exit Volterra.”
After three full minutes, the Cullens are all still standing there dumbfounded, so Caius waves a hand dismissively, “Felix, Alec… help the coven retrieve their belongings and find the waiting room. This meeting is adjourned. Jasper, you may stay. I would like to speak with you privately.”
I watch as the coven is ushered out of the throne room, Jasper curiously not even looking at Alice before she’s taken from the room, then the atmosphere lightens considerably. I give Caius’s neck a gentle rub, to which he smiles before standing and holding his hand out to me. When I take it, he turns to Jasper, saying simply, “Follow me.”
Once in the private study, Caius sits with me on the small loveseat, then waves for Jasper to take a seat opposite us. “I want to thank you privately for protecting Isabella in Phoenix.”
Jasper shakes his head, then runs his fingers through his hair, “No thanks needed, honestly. I’m just glad I was there in time. I don’t know if Bella told ya, but my beast was mighty pissed at the condition we found her in. Bella’s family, Sire, and I don’t take that lightly. It’s why I felt so torn the night of her birthday. Looks to me like she’s where she belongs now, though, so all’s right in the end.”
He looks between the two of us, then nods his head, “Yeah, Sugar… you’re in a good place now. Listen, I think what ya said is startin’ to sink in… it’ll just take time for ‘em to accept it on their own. I’d honestly been leanin’ toward spendin’ some time away from the lot of ‘em… Alice included. Things haven’t been right between us for a while now, so I was thinkin’ of headin’ to my brother’s place, especially after this. If either of ya needs anythin’, I’m only a phone call away. Please remember that.”
I pull Caius’s phone from his robe, causing Jasper to smile. He recites his number, so I input the information before saving it, then dial the number. Seconds later, Jasper’s phone rings. He saves the number, and I offer, “I’ll text my number to you once I get a new phone. It’s the one place I didn’t stop today while I was out.”
He nods, then all of us stand. I smile as I walk him toward the door, “I think you should take that time away. I loved Alice like a sister, but I never could see a balance between the two of you. They’ve clipped your wings, Jasper, but a change of environment might help them grow again. Find your wings... but don’t forget to call once in a while.”
In response, he sends me a bit of gratitude and familial love, then hugs me while whispering, “You’ve already found yours, and they’re beautiful, Bella. Let yourself soar.”
Pulling back, he squeezes both of my hands, then nods respectfully to Caius before leaving the room. I quickly make my way back to Caius, then settle myself in his lap. Running my fingers through his hair, I catch his eyes. They are light and sparkling, so I know he’s content right now.
He smiles, kisses me sweetly, then says, “It was incredibly sexy to watch you take control in that room, Isabella. No one, in the history of us being kings, has ever taken over Aro’s position of being the collective voice. Watching you take the reigns… seeing your confidence and determination… it was brilliant, Darling.”
I chuckle, then there is a soft knock on the study door. Caius calls, “Enter,” before Jane pokes her head in.
“Lady Isabella? With the Cullen coven’s arrival earlier and us just getting back, one of your bags got mixed with mine. Shall I give it to you now, or place the bag in your suite?”
I chuckle, then assure her, “It’s fine, Jane. I actually think right now is the perfect time to give Caius his surprise. Leave the box with me, then the bag can be placed in our suite. Thank you.”
She bows her head, quickly brings me the box, and offers, “Master, Milady. Have a good evening,” before hurrying from the room.
Caius curiously looks from the door to me, then asks, “Surprise? When did you have time to get me something?”
I chuckle, since I can’t help it, then give him a slow, tender kiss. When I pull back, I look at the small yet elegant gold signet on the black box while touching my pendant. “From the moment you gave me my necklace, I have cherished its meaning. I didn’t like the thought of you not having something to represent our journey, so my true reason for visiting Jerran today was to ask for his help in making you something special. This is so you have a special reminder when we are parted during the day… like I have my necklace… and now my bracelet.”
I hand him the box; he looks at me in awe before opening the lid carefully. His eyes widen as he gasps, then he pulls me into an emotion-filled kiss before whispering, “Thank you, Isabella. These are beautiful… the perfect complement to your pieces.”
I peek inside the box, then smile widely. The pieces are even more stunning in real life. “Now, even when we are apart, we both have a physical representation of our journey together. Jerran assured me that the stones and materials for your set would be from the same lot my set was made from. I thought it fitting.”
Caius wraps his arms around me before kissing me again, but soon I hear the door to the study opening. Caius breaks away to look at the door, just after Aro enters with a smile. “Oh, how lovely.”
I chuckle in reply, “It was, until you interrupted, Brother. Or were you talking about Caius’s surprise?”
Aro laughs heartily, then sits across from us, “The pieces, Isabella. I was referring to them. Do forgive me for interrupting, as you call it. I just came to inform you both that the Cullens are out of Volterra. Little Alice was highly upset when Jasper joined the coven in the waiting room. Marcus assured me that their lover bond had been fraying for quite some time, by the looks of it, so I was not surprised when he left on his own after signing his name as Jasper Whitlock on the paperwork. It will be interesting to see if he returns to his roots, now that he has freed himself from the coven’s stifling nature.”
I hum in response, then offer, “I don’t see him ever returning to Maria, if that was your worry, Aro. He told me a bit about his history after Phoenix, to help me understand that his beast recognized me as family, causing him to deal with the threat to my safety harshly. He was adamant that should Maria ever cross his path again, she would be dealt with even more harshly than James. He did say something about spending some time with his brother, though, so I suspect there will be one less vampire fighting their thirst soon. Peter has his hands in just about everything, from what I’ve heard, so it wouldn’t surprise me to hear that he has already acquired a stock of donated blood for Jasper.”
Aro chuckles at that, agreeing with me, then smirks before adding, “Quite the performance today, by the way. Very impressive. I am almost tempted to have you sit in on throne room meetings from now on. You did very well presenting only facts, without allowing emotion to cloud you.”
I nod in acknowledgment, but assure him, “Thank you, though I have no designs on ruling, Aro. I may be a Lady of the castle now, but I have no desire to use that station for handing out judgments or punishing criminals. Now James, if he were still alive, I would love to have tortured to within an inch of his miserable existence… but that’s beside the point.”
Aro nods in understanding, then stands. “I believe Caius would agree with you, Isabella. Thankfully, we will never have to worry about your safety where he is concerned. I believe it is time for you to nourish yourself if my hearing is correct, so I will bid you both a good night now.”
I nod, feeling my stomach rumble, then Caius stands with me. “Goodnight, Brother. I will see you in the morning.”
He takes my hand, then guides me out of the room, telling me he wants to take me somewhere.