Dark Places
by Laura Spudzmom
Chapter 03
"My King," she whispered, "I would be honored to be your Queen. I will marry you."
She looked down in uncertainty then causing Aro's brow to furrow in concern as he awaited what she had to say.
"What troubles you my beautiful one?"
She reached up, caressing his cheek as she met his eyes with a serious gaze.
"I haven't earned my place here Aro. I know nothing of your laws. I would hate to begin my life at your side in ignorance. It will be difficult enough to earn the respect of the rest of the Volturi simply because I am still human, but for me to do so while knowingly ignorant of Vampire society would be wrong of me and a disservice to you, your brothers and the whole vampire race. I realize that I can't possibly please everyone, but I certainly don't want to give anyone a legitimate reason to resent me."
She kissed him gently when she saw the disappointment in his eyes, smiling at him in reassurance.
"I'm not turning you down my handsome King. I'm merely saying that I have so much to learn and until I do, I can't possibly rule with you. I can still be your wife and the mother to your child while I learn though."
She smiled widely as she saw the joy reenter his eyes, laughing aloud when he gathered her close and rolled over so that she was looking down at him once again.
Cupping the back of her head gently, he brought her in for a long and sensuous kiss.
"You have made me so very happy my beautiful Isabella, and so very proud of your foresight. You are wise beyond your years my future Queen, and it makes me even more eager to have you by my side in every way."
He stroked her cheek with gentle fingers. "You are perfect for me and I rejoice in the day that I found you standing before me, shivering in your wet clothes, filled with apprehension and uncertainty and fear. I will be forever grateful that I was able to see the bravery and keen intellect that shown through despite your circumstances. You are a true gem and I thank all the gods that I was allowed to see it."
She leaned down and kissed him, her dark locks curtaining around them as she broke the kiss, staring into his eyes.
"I suffered so with what Edward put me through, but now I wouldn't change a thing because all of that brought me to you, my noble and handsome King. And now I carry your child and while I had always thought that I would never want children, I find myself so happy at the prospect of a tiny baby that looks just like his daddy cuddled in my arms."
She leaned up a bit, studying his face. "What color were your eyes Aro? Do you remember?"
He smiled. "I do remember, because my sister's eyes had been identical to my own. They were gray."
She smiled, stroking his hair back from his face. "What a striking combination. I do hope that he looks like you."
Aro looked down at her flat belly, caressing it with one hand. "So sure that it's a boy are you?" He smiled up at her as she nodded.
"Yes, I am." She shrugged a shoulder. "I'm not sure I can explain it, but it's as if I can feel him already; his presence, his energy."
Aro's brow furrowed in thought. "Perhaps he will be gifted and this is why you can feel him Cara."
She leaned down, kissing him slowly, sweetly, reveling in their connection, whatever this strange connection was. She had the most overwhelming need in that moment to tell him that she loved him but she fought it back.
Such feelings were ridiculous.
It had only been a month ago that she had thought she couldn't live without Edward, and yet here she was, ready to declare her everlasting love to her handsome King.
No, she would wait. She would never be so stupid and naïve as that ever again. She would make sure that what she felt was real and lasting and reciprocated before ever voicing such things ever again.
She owed a solid, healthy relationship to herself but now, she also had a child on the way to think of. She would do everything in her power to raise her son in an honest and healthy environment and if that meant that his parents were merely friends who respected each other, then so be it. She saw that as a better alternative to parents who had tried and failed to love and all the bitterness that usually came with such a situation.
Yes, she had agreed to marry Aro, but she saw it as more of a necessity for her future than a romantic overture and due to the pregnancy, she supposed that Aro felt the same.
Aro's hand gently stroking her cheek brought her out of her thoughts and she focused back on his face.
"What is it Cara? What troubles you?"
She smiled, trying to reassure him. "Nothing troubles me my King. I was merely lost in thought of the future. There's so much for me to take in and so much has changed in my life in a very short time…" She sat up straight then, blowing out a long breath, one hand running through her hair. "It's almost overwhelming."
He gathered her to him then, rolling to his side as he studied her face. "Do not worry for the future sweet one. I will take care of you and our child. You will have the best of everything and will never want for anything, I vow it."
"I understand Aro, and while I appreciate all that you do and will do for me and our child, I have a need to do and be more than just a trophy that you keep on a shelf."
He smiled. "I agree, and this is why I want you ruling by my side Cara. I realize that you are one who would never be happy unless you are learning new things and being challenged and so I have arranged for my brothers to teach you! Marcus and Caius have agreed to teach you the law, war tactics and strategy. Also, Jane has agreed to be your personal guard and escort you wherever you need or wish to go. You will have the freedom to explore as you wish Cara. She will keep you safe."
He smiled at Bella's shocked but excited expression.
"Aro, this is wonderful!" She smiled widely, leaning forward to give him a sweet, lingering kiss. "You are so good to me my handsome King."
She studied his eyes for moments as they met hers, the sheer happiness in them nearly taking her breath away.
Again, she had the urge to tell him of her love for him, but stifled it, caressing his face instead.
Rolling over, she maneuvered herself to straddle him and began to show him with her lips, her hands, her body what she could not manage yet with words.
"My King," she whispered, "I would be honored to be your Queen. I will marry you."
She looked down in uncertainty then causing Aro's brow to furrow in concern as he awaited what she had to say.
"What troubles you my beautiful one?"
She reached up, caressing his cheek as she met his eyes with a serious gaze.
"I haven't earned my place here Aro. I know nothing of your laws. I would hate to begin my life at your side in ignorance. It will be difficult enough to earn the respect of the rest of the Volturi simply because I am still human, but for me to do so while knowingly ignorant of Vampire society would be wrong of me and a disservice to you, your brothers and the whole vampire race. I realize that I can't possibly please everyone, but I certainly don't want to give anyone a legitimate reason to resent me."
She kissed him gently when she saw the disappointment in his eyes, smiling at him in reassurance.
"I'm not turning you down my handsome King. I'm merely saying that I have so much to learn and until I do, I can't possibly rule with you. I can still be your wife and the mother to your child while I learn though."
She smiled widely as she saw the joy reenter his eyes, laughing aloud when he gathered her close and rolled over so that she was looking down at him once again.
Cupping the back of her head gently, he brought her in for a long and sensuous kiss.
"You have made me so very happy my beautiful Isabella, and so very proud of your foresight. You are wise beyond your years my future Queen, and it makes me even more eager to have you by my side in every way."
He stroked her cheek with gentle fingers. "You are perfect for me and I rejoice in the day that I found you standing before me, shivering in your wet clothes, filled with apprehension and uncertainty and fear. I will be forever grateful that I was able to see the bravery and keen intellect that shown through despite your circumstances. You are a true gem and I thank all the gods that I was allowed to see it."
She leaned down and kissed him, her dark locks curtaining around them as she broke the kiss, staring into his eyes.
"I suffered so with what Edward put me through, but now I wouldn't change a thing because all of that brought me to you, my noble and handsome King. And now I carry your child and while I had always thought that I would never want children, I find myself so happy at the prospect of a tiny baby that looks just like his daddy cuddled in my arms."
She leaned up a bit, studying his face. "What color were your eyes Aro? Do you remember?"
He smiled. "I do remember, because my sister's eyes had been identical to my own. They were gray."
She smiled, stroking his hair back from his face. "What a striking combination. I do hope that he looks like you."
Aro looked down at her flat belly, caressing it with one hand. "So sure that it's a boy are you?" He smiled up at her as she nodded.
"Yes, I am." She shrugged a shoulder. "I'm not sure I can explain it, but it's as if I can feel him already; his presence, his energy."
Aro's brow furrowed in thought. "Perhaps he will be gifted and this is why you can feel him Cara."
She leaned down, kissing him slowly, sweetly, reveling in their connection, whatever this strange connection was. She had the most overwhelming need in that moment to tell him that she loved him but she fought it back.
Such feelings were ridiculous.
It had only been a month ago that she had thought she couldn't live without Edward, and yet here she was, ready to declare her everlasting love to her handsome King.
No, she would wait. She would never be so stupid and naïve as that ever again. She would make sure that what she felt was real and lasting and reciprocated before ever voicing such things ever again.
She owed a solid, healthy relationship to herself but now, she also had a child on the way to think of. She would do everything in her power to raise her son in an honest and healthy environment and if that meant that his parents were merely friends who respected each other, then so be it. She saw that as a better alternative to parents who had tried and failed to love and all the bitterness that usually came with such a situation.
Yes, she had agreed to marry Aro, but she saw it as more of a necessity for her future than a romantic overture and due to the pregnancy, she supposed that Aro felt the same.
Aro's hand gently stroking her cheek brought her out of her thoughts and she focused back on his face.
"What is it Cara? What troubles you?"
She smiled, trying to reassure him. "Nothing troubles me my King. I was merely lost in thought of the future. There's so much for me to take in and so much has changed in my life in a very short time…" She sat up straight then, blowing out a long breath, one hand running through her hair. "It's almost overwhelming."
He gathered her to him then, rolling to his side as he studied her face. "Do not worry for the future sweet one. I will take care of you and our child. You will have the best of everything and will never want for anything, I vow it."
"I understand Aro, and while I appreciate all that you do and will do for me and our child, I have a need to do and be more than just a trophy that you keep on a shelf."
He smiled. "I agree, and this is why I want you ruling by my side Cara. I realize that you are one who would never be happy unless you are learning new things and being challenged and so I have arranged for my brothers to teach you! Marcus and Caius have agreed to teach you the law, war tactics and strategy. Also, Jane has agreed to be your personal guard and escort you wherever you need or wish to go. You will have the freedom to explore as you wish Cara. She will keep you safe."
He smiled at Bella's shocked but excited expression.
"Aro, this is wonderful!" She smiled widely, leaning forward to give him a sweet, lingering kiss. "You are so good to me my handsome King."
She studied his eyes for moments as they met hers, the sheer happiness in them nearly taking her breath away.
Again, she had the urge to tell him of her love for him, but stifled it, caressing his face instead.
Rolling over, she maneuvered herself to straddle him and began to show him with her lips, her hands, her body what she could not manage yet with words.
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