52 Weeks
by Wizardtho
Chapter 24:
Aro and Marcus have already entered the throne room with their personal guards. The Whitlocks follow, but only after I give Major a nod, assuring him I can handle this. That leaves me in the private hallway with Caius, Demetri, and Jane.
I can hear the room is more full than it should be, so I look at Caius. He must sense my sudden unease, so he assures me, “Trials are usually open for any vampire to witness, Sweetling. Your status as my human mate made this trial closed to all but Volturi staff. The sentencing portion of this trial will be open to all, because not only are you now a vampire at my side, but Carlisle’s coven was the one on trial. Many vampire clans will want to know the truth of the situation, and make sure justice is being served.”
I understand now, but that doesn’t calm my fears, so I say, “But… Major said there wouldn’t be any physical powers here to worry about. Did he actually check, or could there be a vampire in that room with a physical power?”
Just then, Major comes back into the hallway, quickly closing the doors behind him. “Isabella, I was assured that the ones I know of with physical powers wouldn’t be here, but it looks like all 3 showed. The Egyptian coven has an elemental manipulator named Benjamin. The Denali clan has Kate, who can electrically shock people through touch. The last was trained by me while with Maria, before he escaped. Dom is a fire starter. Other than that, I know of no other physical powers in the room that aren’t Volturi.”
I nod and let out a breath, then ask, “And you are 100% positive none of them will try to use their power on me in that room? My shield sapped my strength last time against a physical power.”
Major laughs, then holds both my shoulders while looking into my eyes, “They would be cuttin’ off their own heads if they did, Little Darlin’. We’ll keep an eye out, though. Ya have my word.”
When I let out a huge breath and nod, he returns to the throne room, quickly closing the doors behind him.
Caius looks at me, lightly kisses my lips, and asks, “Do you need another minute, Sweetling?”
I nod, but promise, “I have Jane and Demetri. You need to get in there so Aro can start. I’ll only be another minute or two, since Aro wants me to make a dramatic entrance.”
He nods, then touches his forehead to mine, “Breathe, Sweetling. If you feel you need your shield at any time, do not hesitate to use it. I would rather you feel safe, no matter how many people are in that room.”
With another light kiss to my lips, Caius disappears through the doors into the throne room. When they close softly, I look at both Jane and Demetri. It takes only a moment before I hear Aro briefly recapping the previous phases of the trial.
I carefully smooth my hands down my skirt, take a deep breath, then hear Esme crying out that she only did it to make her son happy. I shake my head, say softly, “That’s our cue,” then turn and push the doors open.
The sound of the doors bumping against the walls makes Aro stop, and all eyes are on me as Jane and Demetri stop at the bottom of the dais. Again, I place myself on the arm of Caius’ throne, my Volturi cuff clearly visible on my wrist, which rests on the top of his throne.
Though many gasps can be heard throughout the room, I happen to see Alice, who isn’t hiding the pure relief that’s taking over her facial features, standing with the rest of the Cullens. My eyes meet hers for a split second before I say aloud to Aro. “Please continue, Aro.”
Caius wraps his arm around my waist, then Aro turns to the crowd, “As I was stating, this portion of the trial is for the 3 who were found guilty in the plot against Lord Caius’ mate, Isabella, to be sentenced. Edward Masen, Esme Platt, and Corin have all been found guilty of conspiring to separate known mates, and each having a part to play in the abduction and murder of human Isabella.”
Esme rages that I’m Edward’s, and that I’m clearly not dead, so this whole thing is a farce. I look over the 3 conspirators, and instantly my physical shield comes forward. It slithers on top of my skin like a snake, letting me know it’s my second skin.
Several in the room gasp, but as Aro sees what happened, he offers me his hand. I take it and stand, then he leads me down the steps to the dais. He remains at the bottom step as I continue forward.
Without my direction, my shield turns a transparent yet angry red, then 3 ghost-like snakes slither away from the main bubble of my shield. One travels to each guilty vampire, curls around their legs, and they drop to their knees while crying out. Once on their knees, the red ghostly snakes continue on their path, ending when they wrap around the necks of the guilty like ghostly red shackles.
I step forward, addressing Esme. “Tell me, Esme… do I still have a heartbeat?”
She gapes at me, so I say, “It’s a simple question, really.” My voice turns to a deadly growl as I continue, “Is. My. Heart. Beating!”
I can see the shackle tightening around her neck as she fights against it. She finally cries out, “No!”
I nod, then growl, “That is because human Bella was murdered by Edward on the field just inside the castle walls. My heart stopped. Not just stuttered, it fucking stopped. All three of you had a part in my human murder. Caius was doing chest compressions for over an hour to make sure his venom would travel far enough to change me.”
There are several little gasps and murmurs, but I continue as if they don’t happen. “You knew the day you first got here for the abandonment sentencing that I was Caius’ mate. This bracelet has been on my wrist every moment I’ve been out of my chambers since I first received it. All three of you KNEW, yet you conspired to separate us.”
I make my way to Corin, then walk around her slowly, studying her. Someone in the crowd decides to make his move while my back is to him, but my shield warns me before he can reach me. My hand shoots out and my fist closes tightly, separating his head from his neck with a sickening scraping metal sound. I growl without even turning, “The next one to try that spineless shit is ash.”
I continue to walk around Corin until I face her again, saying as my heels click against the floor, “Somebody get that fucker off my floor and take him to the cells. He's leaking venom all over the pretty marble.”
Corin’s eyes widen, so I say with a sickeningly sweet smile, “Oh, are you starting to get the picture now, Sweetie? Yes… right now, I am who you need to worry about. Caius is my mate, and you've royally pissed him the fuck off by coming after me. He likes seeing me have fun, though, so you get the pleasure of dealing with me... and you see, I really don't take kindly to people fucking with my life or plotting to separate me from my mate. Although it may not have been a premeditated murder, my abrupt death put a serious kink in our plans.”
As I pace back and forth in front of all 3 again, I say, “Corin, you knowingly tried to use your powers against us, and when that didn’t work, you got Edward secret access to the castle. Esme, instead of understanding that Edward was the one to leave me in the woods, or that I was declared as the mate to one of your kings, you pushed Edward to abduct me and ‘bring me home where I belonged’. You’ve got some seriously messed up views of motherhood. Did you even take into account that I was his singer, for Christ’s sake? Or that only after desensitizing himself by nearly constant interaction was he able to be near me? Edward had been away from me for more than 6 months at the point of my abduction! Or you, Edward… how do you explain still claiming me as yours, when I showed you my mate mark? Instead of seeing reason, you chose to drain me, knowing Caius would never give me up. He would hunt you to the ends of the Earth, to get his mate back.”
All I get from him are snarls. There is no comprehension in his black eyes, so I look around the room. “Even now, there is no reason left in him. If let loose, he would seek my death.” Edward snaps at me unsuccessfully, proving my point.
I turn back to Corin, shaking my head. “I’ve heard what Edward and Esme’s motives were in all this, but I want to hear yours. Actually, wait… let me guess. Was it anger that Caius never gave you a second glance? How about jealousy that I was in the position you thought you deserved? Was it that your precious little gift didn’t work on me, and you wanted me out of your hair?”
I act as if I’m thinking for a second, then point to the ceiling as I gasp, “I’ve got it! It was all of the above… and what? What did Edward promise you? Did he tell you Caius would be all yours if you helped get me away from him?”
Her eyes quickly find the floor, so I chuckle, “Silly little vampire. That’s not how it works with mates, and you should know that by now. Hell, I knew that while I was still human.”
I look out to the crowd again, saying in nearly a growl, “Every single one of you should know that. The number one vampire rule is that mates aren’t to be trifled with. Anyone who tries to separate or harm the mate of a vampire is sentenced to death by fire. End of story.”
Without looking away from the crowd, I put my arm out to my side and squeeze my hand into a fist. I don’t have to look at the 3 guilty vampires to know that my ghostly shackles are now tightening around their throats.
It takes less than a second for 3 terrified screams to echo around the room, and another 5 seconds for me to hear a sickening nails on a chalkboard sound.
When I hear 3 wet thuds, I release my hand, and I can feel my ghostly snakes coming back to my main shield. I say as I look out into the crowd to gauge their reactions, “Demetri, if you wouldn’t mind handing me your lighter, these 3 will be ash before I leave this room.”
Before he can step away from the dais steps, a vampire near the front of the crowd snaps his fingers, and the 3 decapitated vampires go up in flames. He bows his head when my eyes find his, “My Queen.”
The vampire in question is clearly a fighter, so I nod in reply, “Dom.”
After letting the situation sink in for a few seconds, I address the crowd, “The Volturi will not stand for interference between mates. Whether you are the one doing it or are part of the plot, you will be sentenced to death. Let me be clear. There is no level of plotting or conniving that will garner you a lesser sentence than the one carrying it out. If you are involved, you die. Period. If you are mated, understand that you will be sentencing your mate to death along with you, if you are caught trying to come between another mated pair. Spread the word, as this is the only time we will say this. From this day forward, if you have a grievance with a mated vampire, you deal with it in a civil manner, or you bring your case here to be heard.”
I turn without saying another word, then take Aro’s hand as he guides me back up to Caius. My shield dissipates as soon as I reach my mate. He immediately wraps his arm around me as I sit on the arm of his throne in my former position.
Aro claps his hands together as the last of the flames die out, wisps of purple smoke still rising to the 3-story tall ceiling. “Alas, Dear Ones. The guilty have met their end. Please take your new queen’s words to heart, as she has spoken for all of us today. This trial is concluded. Feel free to enjoy the public areas of the castle and grounds before taking your leave. Keep in mind that there is no feeding allowed inside Volterra at any time.”
It was several minutes before the silence broke in the room, then conversations broke out as the crowd went their separate ways.
Aro and Marcus have already entered the throne room with their personal guards. The Whitlocks follow, but only after I give Major a nod, assuring him I can handle this. That leaves me in the private hallway with Caius, Demetri, and Jane.
I can hear the room is more full than it should be, so I look at Caius. He must sense my sudden unease, so he assures me, “Trials are usually open for any vampire to witness, Sweetling. Your status as my human mate made this trial closed to all but Volturi staff. The sentencing portion of this trial will be open to all, because not only are you now a vampire at my side, but Carlisle’s coven was the one on trial. Many vampire clans will want to know the truth of the situation, and make sure justice is being served.”
I understand now, but that doesn’t calm my fears, so I say, “But… Major said there wouldn’t be any physical powers here to worry about. Did he actually check, or could there be a vampire in that room with a physical power?”
Just then, Major comes back into the hallway, quickly closing the doors behind him. “Isabella, I was assured that the ones I know of with physical powers wouldn’t be here, but it looks like all 3 showed. The Egyptian coven has an elemental manipulator named Benjamin. The Denali clan has Kate, who can electrically shock people through touch. The last was trained by me while with Maria, before he escaped. Dom is a fire starter. Other than that, I know of no other physical powers in the room that aren’t Volturi.”
I nod and let out a breath, then ask, “And you are 100% positive none of them will try to use their power on me in that room? My shield sapped my strength last time against a physical power.”
Major laughs, then holds both my shoulders while looking into my eyes, “They would be cuttin’ off their own heads if they did, Little Darlin’. We’ll keep an eye out, though. Ya have my word.”
When I let out a huge breath and nod, he returns to the throne room, quickly closing the doors behind him.
Caius looks at me, lightly kisses my lips, and asks, “Do you need another minute, Sweetling?”
I nod, but promise, “I have Jane and Demetri. You need to get in there so Aro can start. I’ll only be another minute or two, since Aro wants me to make a dramatic entrance.”
He nods, then touches his forehead to mine, “Breathe, Sweetling. If you feel you need your shield at any time, do not hesitate to use it. I would rather you feel safe, no matter how many people are in that room.”
With another light kiss to my lips, Caius disappears through the doors into the throne room. When they close softly, I look at both Jane and Demetri. It takes only a moment before I hear Aro briefly recapping the previous phases of the trial.
I carefully smooth my hands down my skirt, take a deep breath, then hear Esme crying out that she only did it to make her son happy. I shake my head, say softly, “That’s our cue,” then turn and push the doors open.
The sound of the doors bumping against the walls makes Aro stop, and all eyes are on me as Jane and Demetri stop at the bottom of the dais. Again, I place myself on the arm of Caius’ throne, my Volturi cuff clearly visible on my wrist, which rests on the top of his throne.
Though many gasps can be heard throughout the room, I happen to see Alice, who isn’t hiding the pure relief that’s taking over her facial features, standing with the rest of the Cullens. My eyes meet hers for a split second before I say aloud to Aro. “Please continue, Aro.”
Caius wraps his arm around my waist, then Aro turns to the crowd, “As I was stating, this portion of the trial is for the 3 who were found guilty in the plot against Lord Caius’ mate, Isabella, to be sentenced. Edward Masen, Esme Platt, and Corin have all been found guilty of conspiring to separate known mates, and each having a part to play in the abduction and murder of human Isabella.”
Esme rages that I’m Edward’s, and that I’m clearly not dead, so this whole thing is a farce. I look over the 3 conspirators, and instantly my physical shield comes forward. It slithers on top of my skin like a snake, letting me know it’s my second skin.
Several in the room gasp, but as Aro sees what happened, he offers me his hand. I take it and stand, then he leads me down the steps to the dais. He remains at the bottom step as I continue forward.
Without my direction, my shield turns a transparent yet angry red, then 3 ghost-like snakes slither away from the main bubble of my shield. One travels to each guilty vampire, curls around their legs, and they drop to their knees while crying out. Once on their knees, the red ghostly snakes continue on their path, ending when they wrap around the necks of the guilty like ghostly red shackles.
I step forward, addressing Esme. “Tell me, Esme… do I still have a heartbeat?”
She gapes at me, so I say, “It’s a simple question, really.” My voice turns to a deadly growl as I continue, “Is. My. Heart. Beating!”
I can see the shackle tightening around her neck as she fights against it. She finally cries out, “No!”
I nod, then growl, “That is because human Bella was murdered by Edward on the field just inside the castle walls. My heart stopped. Not just stuttered, it fucking stopped. All three of you had a part in my human murder. Caius was doing chest compressions for over an hour to make sure his venom would travel far enough to change me.”
There are several little gasps and murmurs, but I continue as if they don’t happen. “You knew the day you first got here for the abandonment sentencing that I was Caius’ mate. This bracelet has been on my wrist every moment I’ve been out of my chambers since I first received it. All three of you KNEW, yet you conspired to separate us.”
I make my way to Corin, then walk around her slowly, studying her. Someone in the crowd decides to make his move while my back is to him, but my shield warns me before he can reach me. My hand shoots out and my fist closes tightly, separating his head from his neck with a sickening scraping metal sound. I growl without even turning, “The next one to try that spineless shit is ash.”
I continue to walk around Corin until I face her again, saying as my heels click against the floor, “Somebody get that fucker off my floor and take him to the cells. He's leaking venom all over the pretty marble.”
Corin’s eyes widen, so I say with a sickeningly sweet smile, “Oh, are you starting to get the picture now, Sweetie? Yes… right now, I am who you need to worry about. Caius is my mate, and you've royally pissed him the fuck off by coming after me. He likes seeing me have fun, though, so you get the pleasure of dealing with me... and you see, I really don't take kindly to people fucking with my life or plotting to separate me from my mate. Although it may not have been a premeditated murder, my abrupt death put a serious kink in our plans.”
As I pace back and forth in front of all 3 again, I say, “Corin, you knowingly tried to use your powers against us, and when that didn’t work, you got Edward secret access to the castle. Esme, instead of understanding that Edward was the one to leave me in the woods, or that I was declared as the mate to one of your kings, you pushed Edward to abduct me and ‘bring me home where I belonged’. You’ve got some seriously messed up views of motherhood. Did you even take into account that I was his singer, for Christ’s sake? Or that only after desensitizing himself by nearly constant interaction was he able to be near me? Edward had been away from me for more than 6 months at the point of my abduction! Or you, Edward… how do you explain still claiming me as yours, when I showed you my mate mark? Instead of seeing reason, you chose to drain me, knowing Caius would never give me up. He would hunt you to the ends of the Earth, to get his mate back.”
All I get from him are snarls. There is no comprehension in his black eyes, so I look around the room. “Even now, there is no reason left in him. If let loose, he would seek my death.” Edward snaps at me unsuccessfully, proving my point.
I turn back to Corin, shaking my head. “I’ve heard what Edward and Esme’s motives were in all this, but I want to hear yours. Actually, wait… let me guess. Was it anger that Caius never gave you a second glance? How about jealousy that I was in the position you thought you deserved? Was it that your precious little gift didn’t work on me, and you wanted me out of your hair?”
I act as if I’m thinking for a second, then point to the ceiling as I gasp, “I’ve got it! It was all of the above… and what? What did Edward promise you? Did he tell you Caius would be all yours if you helped get me away from him?”
Her eyes quickly find the floor, so I chuckle, “Silly little vampire. That’s not how it works with mates, and you should know that by now. Hell, I knew that while I was still human.”
I look out to the crowd again, saying in nearly a growl, “Every single one of you should know that. The number one vampire rule is that mates aren’t to be trifled with. Anyone who tries to separate or harm the mate of a vampire is sentenced to death by fire. End of story.”
Without looking away from the crowd, I put my arm out to my side and squeeze my hand into a fist. I don’t have to look at the 3 guilty vampires to know that my ghostly shackles are now tightening around their throats.
It takes less than a second for 3 terrified screams to echo around the room, and another 5 seconds for me to hear a sickening nails on a chalkboard sound.
When I hear 3 wet thuds, I release my hand, and I can feel my ghostly snakes coming back to my main shield. I say as I look out into the crowd to gauge their reactions, “Demetri, if you wouldn’t mind handing me your lighter, these 3 will be ash before I leave this room.”
Before he can step away from the dais steps, a vampire near the front of the crowd snaps his fingers, and the 3 decapitated vampires go up in flames. He bows his head when my eyes find his, “My Queen.”
The vampire in question is clearly a fighter, so I nod in reply, “Dom.”
After letting the situation sink in for a few seconds, I address the crowd, “The Volturi will not stand for interference between mates. Whether you are the one doing it or are part of the plot, you will be sentenced to death. Let me be clear. There is no level of plotting or conniving that will garner you a lesser sentence than the one carrying it out. If you are involved, you die. Period. If you are mated, understand that you will be sentencing your mate to death along with you, if you are caught trying to come between another mated pair. Spread the word, as this is the only time we will say this. From this day forward, if you have a grievance with a mated vampire, you deal with it in a civil manner, or you bring your case here to be heard.”
I turn without saying another word, then take Aro’s hand as he guides me back up to Caius. My shield dissipates as soon as I reach my mate. He immediately wraps his arm around me as I sit on the arm of his throne in my former position.
Aro claps his hands together as the last of the flames die out, wisps of purple smoke still rising to the 3-story tall ceiling. “Alas, Dear Ones. The guilty have met their end. Please take your new queen’s words to heart, as she has spoken for all of us today. This trial is concluded. Feel free to enjoy the public areas of the castle and grounds before taking your leave. Keep in mind that there is no feeding allowed inside Volterra at any time.”
It was several minutes before the silence broke in the room, then conversations broke out as the crowd went their separate ways.