This Time Of Year
Written by: wizardtho
Story dedicated to: Bella MacLeod
Chapter 04:
After speaking with his brothers for nearly twice as long, Aro turned, but he chose to stay on the raised platform as he said, “I am sorely disappointed in you, Carlisle. The needed deaths from this situation -all 9 of them- truly rest on your shoulders. You saw, when young Edward was with Isabella, the initial signs of his deteriorating mental state. Instead of forcing your childe to see that him keeping his singer as a pet was the reason his thoughts and thirst had turned so dramatically, you encouraged him to turn her and keep her as a mate. How -when you knew he would never be able to overcome his thirst to change his singer- did you expect that scenario to play out?”
With a disgusted huff, Aro didn’t wait for an answer to his question. “You knowingly let this go on… stood back and watched your first companion in this life go insane… all because you didn’t have it in you to control your coven. You refused to use your sire bond to help your childe, instead only using it to mold them all into the perfect human family image. Our ruling is as follows. Your coven is now disbanded. Neither you nor Esme are allowed to sire another childe… ever. You have proven that you can not handle the responsibilities of being a sire. You are also sentenced to a term of 100 years service at our outpost in Russia. You may keep your diet if you so choose, but you will be working as a doctor healing vampire injuries, so donated blood will be plentiful should you choose to switch.”
Aro paused for a moment before stressing his next statement, “Your days of constant human contact are over with, Carlisle. You need to let one simple truth sink in. You. Are. Not. Human. You have not been human in nearly 400 years. These are the consequences of your desire to play human on a daily basis. This situation… these 9 deaths... never would have been needed, had you followed the rules of our species and guided your childe as any sire should.”
I was shocked and honestly thought Carlisle had gotten off easy. I kept my mouth shut, though, because I knew it was down to me, being the only one not dealt a sentence yet. I bit my lip as Aro came back to me, but he offered, “I have seen from Demetri that you remain silent… even now.”
He looked deliberately at my bag, now next to my feet as Demetri stood beside me. I nodded, “Yes. My silence is firm, as it always has been. I didn’t want my family caught up in this world. All I received while with the Cullens were broken bones, scars I can’t explain, lies, and heartbreak. My family doesn’t need that or worse… a death sentence. They have good lives, and I won’t ruin that for them no matter what it costs me.”
Aro nodded, then said seriously, “You have a choice to now make, Isabella. I will not have you turned if you wish the alternative, though I will say I think you would be an exceptional vampire, My Dear. Know that if you should choose to be turned, I will be deciding who your sire is to be, and you will have a bond with that vampire for your eternity. Until you choose to take a mate, you will instinctively seek that vampire for protection, comfort, and guidance. It will be that vampire’s duty as your sire to provide all those things to you, and for the first 12 to 18 months, you will be solely dependent on him or her for even your most basic needs.”
I bit my lip again in thought, glanced quickly at Demetri, then asked Aro, “Would I be able to know anything about the vampire chosen before I’m to be bitten? Would it be a direct order, or would this vampire have the option to decline?”
Aro chuckled, “Fear not asking as many questions as you need to feel comfortable, Isabella. Yes, you would be given 48 hours to get to know a bit about your sire before they are to make the bite, and only a consensual match is allowed inside the castle walls. I would not make someone sire you who could not see caring for you long term, nor would I put you with someone who makes you uncomfortable.”
I nodded to myself, then again as I looked into Aro’s eyes. My voice was soft but sure as I said, “I’m not ready for my life to end, Sir. There’s still so much I want to see and do. If I’m truly being given the option, I want to be turned.”
Aro clapped happily, “Wonderful. Demetri, as I know you’ve already had some interaction with Isabella, would you be willing to sire her?”
Demetri nodded after a long moment, “She’s intelligent, knows when it’s important to listen, and already looks to me for protection. Though she’s tiny, I have no doubt her beauty will cause my next several years to be anything but boring. Even so, I am willing, Sir.”
Though I was shocked for a split second that Demetri would actually agree to be my sire, when I took a second to think about it, it did fit. I didn’t mind Demetri. Granted, he was doing his job when he came to Forks to retrieve me, but he hadn’t been ordered to let me hide behind him when Edward attacked. Not only had he let me, but he chose his king to protect me when he knew he needed to stop Edward from getting to me. He hadn’t fought Edward on an order. He’d done that on his own to protect me.
I looked at Aro as that realization settled, then said softly, “I’d still like to get to know a little more about how things will work, but I consent to Demetri being my sire.”
Aro clapped happily again. “Wonderful news. Now then… Chelsea, if you would please take care of the sire bonds concerning the Cullen coven, we can move on to making sure all of them start their sentences. Rosalie and Emmett will be free to leave once the bonds have been severed and they sign their paperwork.”
Demetri pulled me gently so that my back was against his chest, then whispered in my ear, “Chelsea can weaken or strengthen all but mate bonds. It is her gift. Since Rosalie and Emmett were the ones wronged by Carlisle’s twisting of the sire bonds, Carlisle must endure all the pain of the bonds being severed as part of his punishment. This is standard protocol when a bond must be severed.”
I nodded silently, daring not to move, then saw twisted, gnarled ropes of color appear. They led from Carlisle straight to Rosalie and Emmett. Though I felt deep inside that they should be a vibrant jade green for some reason, they seemed sick to me, appearing an almost hunter green with thick strands of black intertwined in their twisted strands.
I felt myself shudder and turn into Demetri’s chest at the feeling it gave me. He hummed into the top of my head in a calming manner as his arm went around me protectively. His voice was almost too soft for me to hear as he promised, “Our bond will not be like that, Isabella, I promise you. Carlisle has twisted his sire bonds to them for his own gain, causing them to sicken. For the McCarty mates to have any real chance to make it in this world, Carlisle’s bonds to them must be severed.”
I understood but still didn’t move from my position as I watched Chelsea start to pick apart and unwind the twisted strands of rope. Though at first Carlisle only looked uncomfortable, all too soon he started crying out in pain. My fingers clutched at Demetri’s tailored shirt as I buried my cheek further against his chest. I closed my eyes tight, not wanting to see what was happening.
Each time Carlisle cried out over the next while, I cringed impossibly further into Demetri. Then, just as I thought it would finally end, Carlisle let out a piercing scream, and my eyes shot open as I jolted. Demetri held me tight to him as I watched Rosalie’s severed bond disappear, and Emmett’s bond being severed. The straightened strands seemed to look as if they were all gathered and snipped with scissors before they disappeared altogether. With another loud cry, Carlisle’s knees hit the marble floor, breaking several tiles with a loud crack that echoed through the room. He clutched at his mate’s legs as he sobbed, but it looked as though Esme had no clue how to comfort him.
Chelsea visibly sagged a bit as Emmett’s bond disappeared, but a male guard nearby was quick to gather her in his arms and disappear from the room. Aro took command quickly, saying, “Santiago, if you would please escort Rosalie and Emmett to the waiting room, Gianna will get their signatures on the final ruling.”
Next was Jasper and Alice. Aro offered, “Felix, as Jasper will be teaching while with us, you may escort him and his mate to their new quarters. They will be residing in the southern tower, close enough to keep an eye on his students.”
He took one look at Carlisle, then ordered, “Jane, Alec… guide Carlisle and his mate to the medical wing, and find them a suite near Heath’s. Once they are settled, inform Heath that he will be quizzing Carlisle on his medical knowledge of vampires over the next week. He may have extensive human medical knowledge, but he will no longer be seeing to the needs of humans.”
Finally, Aro’s eyes landed on Demetri and me again. His features softened a bit as he noticed my position clutched to Demetri’s chest, “Already protecting her, twice now, and you haven’t even bitten her. You will make an excellent sire for this little one. Go… take Isabella to get something to eat, then get her settled in your rooms. One of us will check on the two of you tomorrow.”
Demetri bowed his head without letting go of me, then pulled me up into his arms before dashing from the room. When we stopped, he let me down, only for me to see that we were in a private sitting area. I looked up at him in question, so he chuckled, “I can feel the questions you must have practically burning a hole through me. Given that, taking you out to eat would just piss you off. Seeing as we will be bound together for eternity, and I’m probably going to piss you off many times over the coming years, I didn’t see a rush to start now. I figured it would be easier for both of us if I ordered your dinner from the chef on staff.”
I gave him a genuine smile in response. “Thanks for that. I’m not very picky, just please don’t order me frog legs or squid.”
Demetri’s nose wrinkled slightly as he promised, “Wouldn’t think of it.” When I followed up with a question as to where the bathroom was, he pointed as he picked up the phone, “Up the stairs. Your room will be -one second, Indra- the door on the left. Don't forget your bag.”
I quickly made my way up as I heard him start talking to whoever Indra was, again. It sounded like he was giving my dinner order, so Indra must be kitchen staff.
Opening the large door on the left at the top of the stairs, I saw it was a very nice bedroom suite. I went to one of the only two doors left, hoping it was the bathroom. I set my bag down before turning around around when I saw I had opened the door to a large but empty closet. Making my way to the other door, I sighed happily when I saw I had a private bathroom that was pretty luxurious. Necessities taken care of, I took a few minutes to wash my hands and face. While I did, I thought about what my most important questions should be.
By the way Aro and Demetri had talked about a sire’s bond to his or her childe, it was pretty significant… and really important that I know about. So that was number 1. If there happened to be time before I was completely exhausted, I guess my next topic should be finding out just exactly what my next 18 months or so would consist of.
Just as I turned off the water and patted my face dry on the hand towel, I heard Demetri call up to me, “Isabella, your dinner has arrived.”
My call-out was slightly muffled through the towel, but I got a chuckle in response. “I’ll be down in a sec. Just need to finish drying my face.”
After speaking with his brothers for nearly twice as long, Aro turned, but he chose to stay on the raised platform as he said, “I am sorely disappointed in you, Carlisle. The needed deaths from this situation -all 9 of them- truly rest on your shoulders. You saw, when young Edward was with Isabella, the initial signs of his deteriorating mental state. Instead of forcing your childe to see that him keeping his singer as a pet was the reason his thoughts and thirst had turned so dramatically, you encouraged him to turn her and keep her as a mate. How -when you knew he would never be able to overcome his thirst to change his singer- did you expect that scenario to play out?”
With a disgusted huff, Aro didn’t wait for an answer to his question. “You knowingly let this go on… stood back and watched your first companion in this life go insane… all because you didn’t have it in you to control your coven. You refused to use your sire bond to help your childe, instead only using it to mold them all into the perfect human family image. Our ruling is as follows. Your coven is now disbanded. Neither you nor Esme are allowed to sire another childe… ever. You have proven that you can not handle the responsibilities of being a sire. You are also sentenced to a term of 100 years service at our outpost in Russia. You may keep your diet if you so choose, but you will be working as a doctor healing vampire injuries, so donated blood will be plentiful should you choose to switch.”
Aro paused for a moment before stressing his next statement, “Your days of constant human contact are over with, Carlisle. You need to let one simple truth sink in. You. Are. Not. Human. You have not been human in nearly 400 years. These are the consequences of your desire to play human on a daily basis. This situation… these 9 deaths... never would have been needed, had you followed the rules of our species and guided your childe as any sire should.”
I was shocked and honestly thought Carlisle had gotten off easy. I kept my mouth shut, though, because I knew it was down to me, being the only one not dealt a sentence yet. I bit my lip as Aro came back to me, but he offered, “I have seen from Demetri that you remain silent… even now.”
He looked deliberately at my bag, now next to my feet as Demetri stood beside me. I nodded, “Yes. My silence is firm, as it always has been. I didn’t want my family caught up in this world. All I received while with the Cullens were broken bones, scars I can’t explain, lies, and heartbreak. My family doesn’t need that or worse… a death sentence. They have good lives, and I won’t ruin that for them no matter what it costs me.”
Aro nodded, then said seriously, “You have a choice to now make, Isabella. I will not have you turned if you wish the alternative, though I will say I think you would be an exceptional vampire, My Dear. Know that if you should choose to be turned, I will be deciding who your sire is to be, and you will have a bond with that vampire for your eternity. Until you choose to take a mate, you will instinctively seek that vampire for protection, comfort, and guidance. It will be that vampire’s duty as your sire to provide all those things to you, and for the first 12 to 18 months, you will be solely dependent on him or her for even your most basic needs.”
I bit my lip again in thought, glanced quickly at Demetri, then asked Aro, “Would I be able to know anything about the vampire chosen before I’m to be bitten? Would it be a direct order, or would this vampire have the option to decline?”
Aro chuckled, “Fear not asking as many questions as you need to feel comfortable, Isabella. Yes, you would be given 48 hours to get to know a bit about your sire before they are to make the bite, and only a consensual match is allowed inside the castle walls. I would not make someone sire you who could not see caring for you long term, nor would I put you with someone who makes you uncomfortable.”
I nodded to myself, then again as I looked into Aro’s eyes. My voice was soft but sure as I said, “I’m not ready for my life to end, Sir. There’s still so much I want to see and do. If I’m truly being given the option, I want to be turned.”
Aro clapped happily, “Wonderful. Demetri, as I know you’ve already had some interaction with Isabella, would you be willing to sire her?”
Demetri nodded after a long moment, “She’s intelligent, knows when it’s important to listen, and already looks to me for protection. Though she’s tiny, I have no doubt her beauty will cause my next several years to be anything but boring. Even so, I am willing, Sir.”
Though I was shocked for a split second that Demetri would actually agree to be my sire, when I took a second to think about it, it did fit. I didn’t mind Demetri. Granted, he was doing his job when he came to Forks to retrieve me, but he hadn’t been ordered to let me hide behind him when Edward attacked. Not only had he let me, but he chose his king to protect me when he knew he needed to stop Edward from getting to me. He hadn’t fought Edward on an order. He’d done that on his own to protect me.
I looked at Aro as that realization settled, then said softly, “I’d still like to get to know a little more about how things will work, but I consent to Demetri being my sire.”
Aro clapped happily again. “Wonderful news. Now then… Chelsea, if you would please take care of the sire bonds concerning the Cullen coven, we can move on to making sure all of them start their sentences. Rosalie and Emmett will be free to leave once the bonds have been severed and they sign their paperwork.”
Demetri pulled me gently so that my back was against his chest, then whispered in my ear, “Chelsea can weaken or strengthen all but mate bonds. It is her gift. Since Rosalie and Emmett were the ones wronged by Carlisle’s twisting of the sire bonds, Carlisle must endure all the pain of the bonds being severed as part of his punishment. This is standard protocol when a bond must be severed.”
I nodded silently, daring not to move, then saw twisted, gnarled ropes of color appear. They led from Carlisle straight to Rosalie and Emmett. Though I felt deep inside that they should be a vibrant jade green for some reason, they seemed sick to me, appearing an almost hunter green with thick strands of black intertwined in their twisted strands.
I felt myself shudder and turn into Demetri’s chest at the feeling it gave me. He hummed into the top of my head in a calming manner as his arm went around me protectively. His voice was almost too soft for me to hear as he promised, “Our bond will not be like that, Isabella, I promise you. Carlisle has twisted his sire bonds to them for his own gain, causing them to sicken. For the McCarty mates to have any real chance to make it in this world, Carlisle’s bonds to them must be severed.”
I understood but still didn’t move from my position as I watched Chelsea start to pick apart and unwind the twisted strands of rope. Though at first Carlisle only looked uncomfortable, all too soon he started crying out in pain. My fingers clutched at Demetri’s tailored shirt as I buried my cheek further against his chest. I closed my eyes tight, not wanting to see what was happening.
Each time Carlisle cried out over the next while, I cringed impossibly further into Demetri. Then, just as I thought it would finally end, Carlisle let out a piercing scream, and my eyes shot open as I jolted. Demetri held me tight to him as I watched Rosalie’s severed bond disappear, and Emmett’s bond being severed. The straightened strands seemed to look as if they were all gathered and snipped with scissors before they disappeared altogether. With another loud cry, Carlisle’s knees hit the marble floor, breaking several tiles with a loud crack that echoed through the room. He clutched at his mate’s legs as he sobbed, but it looked as though Esme had no clue how to comfort him.
Chelsea visibly sagged a bit as Emmett’s bond disappeared, but a male guard nearby was quick to gather her in his arms and disappear from the room. Aro took command quickly, saying, “Santiago, if you would please escort Rosalie and Emmett to the waiting room, Gianna will get their signatures on the final ruling.”
Next was Jasper and Alice. Aro offered, “Felix, as Jasper will be teaching while with us, you may escort him and his mate to their new quarters. They will be residing in the southern tower, close enough to keep an eye on his students.”
He took one look at Carlisle, then ordered, “Jane, Alec… guide Carlisle and his mate to the medical wing, and find them a suite near Heath’s. Once they are settled, inform Heath that he will be quizzing Carlisle on his medical knowledge of vampires over the next week. He may have extensive human medical knowledge, but he will no longer be seeing to the needs of humans.”
Finally, Aro’s eyes landed on Demetri and me again. His features softened a bit as he noticed my position clutched to Demetri’s chest, “Already protecting her, twice now, and you haven’t even bitten her. You will make an excellent sire for this little one. Go… take Isabella to get something to eat, then get her settled in your rooms. One of us will check on the two of you tomorrow.”
Demetri bowed his head without letting go of me, then pulled me up into his arms before dashing from the room. When we stopped, he let me down, only for me to see that we were in a private sitting area. I looked up at him in question, so he chuckled, “I can feel the questions you must have practically burning a hole through me. Given that, taking you out to eat would just piss you off. Seeing as we will be bound together for eternity, and I’m probably going to piss you off many times over the coming years, I didn’t see a rush to start now. I figured it would be easier for both of us if I ordered your dinner from the chef on staff.”
I gave him a genuine smile in response. “Thanks for that. I’m not very picky, just please don’t order me frog legs or squid.”
Demetri’s nose wrinkled slightly as he promised, “Wouldn’t think of it.” When I followed up with a question as to where the bathroom was, he pointed as he picked up the phone, “Up the stairs. Your room will be -one second, Indra- the door on the left. Don't forget your bag.”
I quickly made my way up as I heard him start talking to whoever Indra was, again. It sounded like he was giving my dinner order, so Indra must be kitchen staff.
Opening the large door on the left at the top of the stairs, I saw it was a very nice bedroom suite. I went to one of the only two doors left, hoping it was the bathroom. I set my bag down before turning around around when I saw I had opened the door to a large but empty closet. Making my way to the other door, I sighed happily when I saw I had a private bathroom that was pretty luxurious. Necessities taken care of, I took a few minutes to wash my hands and face. While I did, I thought about what my most important questions should be.
By the way Aro and Demetri had talked about a sire’s bond to his or her childe, it was pretty significant… and really important that I know about. So that was number 1. If there happened to be time before I was completely exhausted, I guess my next topic should be finding out just exactly what my next 18 months or so would consist of.
Just as I turned off the water and patted my face dry on the hand towel, I heard Demetri call up to me, “Isabella, your dinner has arrived.”
My call-out was slightly muffled through the towel, but I got a chuckle in response. “I’ll be down in a sec. Just need to finish drying my face.”