The Hidden Princess 21

“Hello Cullens.”Sulpicia greeted Carlisle, Esme and Edward when she walked into the dungeon with her two mates, Bella and Rosalie. Carlisle and Edward both looked defiant while Esme looked scared. At least the queen thought that was the look Esme was going for. The problem was the Cullen matriarch was having a hard time disguising the fury in her eyes. Sulpicia knew that if looks could kill she would have been a pile of ashes. It made her wonder if Esme was finally going to dropped the act of being a meek housewife who followed her husband’s lead on everything. It didn’t matter if she did or not however. Sulpicia would read her after the others were done torturing them. Then the truth of what kind of person Esme was would come out.

“They don’t look very scared to see us.”Bella said.

“Why would we be scared of a bunch weak, pitiful women?”Edward wasn’t intimidated by the queens. They weren’t any kind threat to him.

Sulpicia wrapped her arm around Bella to keep her in place.”Be calm you will get your chance at him.”

“I’m going to enjoy showing you just how weak I am.”Bella was going to make Edward suffer for calling her mothers and her mate weak.

“You need to release me so it’s far fight. Then when I beat you I should earn my freedom.”Edward knew he could beat Bella in fight. Not only was she a woman but she hadn’t done anything special against the newborns.

“Although I would love to see my daughter in action that is not why we are here today.”Athenodora loved to watch Bella fight but the queen wanted her chance to torture the prisoners.

“Yes we are here to ask you some questions.”Sulpicia told them.

“We aren’t going to tell you anything.”Carlisle was of the same thought as Edward. The queens weren’t any kind of threat. Looking the group over he paused seeing Rosalie standing next to Bella sporting bright red eyes and a mating mark.”Rosalie what have they done to you?”

Rosalie smirk at her sire.“They allowed me to finally be my true self.”

“You think your true self is drinking human blood and being mated to a Volturi guard member?”Carlisle was outraged that one of his children would make such choices. Especially Rosalie who was his greatest success. He had used her as an example of how his venom could create an animal drinking vampire who had never been tempted by human blood. Now his achievement was ruined.

“It definitely isn’t being a weak willed, animal drinking, loser who thinks they’re gods gift to the world.”Rosalie smiled when she heard Bella laugh.

“I am your sire you will show me the respect I deserve!!”Carlisle was outraged Rosalie would say such a thing to him.

“Don’t worry she will. With her fist.”Bella told him.

“Let’s get to the reason we are here. Who should we start with?”Athenodora wanted to get to the good stuff.

“I think we should question Carlisle first. Isabella open Esme’s cell.”Sulpicia figured they would deal with mates to begin with.

“Yes mother.”Bella opened Esme’s cell and grabbed the woman to prevent her from trying to escape.

“What are you doing?! Let her go!!”Carlisle rammed the bars of his cell trying to get to Esme. He couldn’t allow them to hurt his mate.

“Here’s how this is going to work. We will ask you questions. Esme will pay the price for any lies you tell or questions you refuse to answer.”Sulpicia explained.

“You can’t do this. It’s inhumane!!”Carlisle could let this happen.”Edward help!”

“Let her go you monsters!!”Edward fought against the bars but they wouldn’t budge.

“First question what were your plans for the children of the moon?”Sulpicia and the others already knew the answer they just wanted to see if Carlisle would be honest. When he starred at her in shock and didn’t answer she motioned to Esme.”My love if you would.”

“Of course.”Athenodora happily punched the woman in the stomach.

Seeing Esme being hit Carlisle shook off his shock. He wasn’t sure how the queens found out about the werewolves but he wasn’t going to tell them anything. That meant he had to come up with a good lie. As Sulpicia hadn’t used her gift on them since there were brought to the castle he didn’t think it would be to hard.”I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“That’s a lie.”Athenodora punched Esme in the face this time.

“It’s not a lie. I have never even seen any children of the moon.”Carlisle told her.

“Rosalie hold her arm.”Athenodora said.

“Of course.”Rosalie didn’t even hesitate to grab Esme’s arm and hold it out for the queen.

“Rosalie don’t do this. I’m your mother. Have mercy.”Esme pleaded.

“You’re not my mother. The queens are my mothers.”Rosalie smiled shyly at Athenodora when she realized what she had said.

Sulpicia walked into the cell and put her hand on Rosalie’s back.” And we are proud to have you as a daughter.”

“Thank you.”Rosalie was happy it seemed the queens were willing to accept her. After spending time with Athenodora and being shown not only respect but that what she said mattered and she was valuable to the queens for more than just her looks Rosalie had felt cared for. She didn’t know the other two queens as well as she did the warrior queen but Athenodora had made Rosalie feel like she had worth. It was something Rosalie never felt when she was with the Cullens and Rosalie knew that the queens wouldn’t have let her be involved with the investigation if they didn’t trust her. In her former coven Rosalie wasn’t trusted with anything.

“No back to Carlisle. What were your plans with the children of the moon?”Sulpicia asked.

“There were no plans as I had no involvement with the children of the moon.”Carlisle lied again.

Athenodora didn’t even wait for the order and pulled two of Esme’s fingers off.”You want to another chance to answer?”

“I’m telling the truth.”Carlisle wasn’t going to admit what they were up to. It didn’t matter if his mate was being hurt. He and his allies were too close to their goal to give up the information to the queens.

“My love let Isabella take over. This is the perfect chance for her to learn how to get a prisoner to talk.”Didyme said.

Athenodora rolled her eyes.”She knows how to get a prisoner to talk.”

“Still she needs the experience.”Didyme told her.

“Fine but I get to work on Edward.”Athenodora was only turning Esme over to Bella because she didn’t want to listen to Didyme complain.

“Good now Isabella you know what to do right?”Didyme asked her daughter.

“Yes mother.”Bella was more than happy to take over from her mother.

“Once again Carlisle what were your plans with the children of the moon?”Sulpicia knew with Isabella taking over that Carlisle would crack quickly.

“There were no plans.”Carlisle was feeling a lot better now that Athenodora was not in charge of Esme. The queen was the most dangerous out of the group so with her stepping back Esme would be fine.

“Isabella.”Sulpicia said.

Isabella grabbed Esme by the throat slammed her against wall then thrust her hand into her chest and ripped out her heart. She held the dead organ out to her mother.”Should I destroy it?”

“What the fuck?!”Carlisle screeched.

Rosalie starred at the heart in shock. She didn’t even know you could remove a vampire’s heart. That shock doubled hearing Carlisle swear.”That’s the first time I’ve ever heard him curse.”

“Don’t destroy it yet.”Sulpicia was unsurprised that Bella had pulled out Esme’s heart. It was one of the young vampire’s favorite techniques to put fear in others. The fact that she was the only vampire known to be able to do it heightened that fear.”Carlisle do you want to try a different answer?”

Carlisle couldn’t believe his eyes. Never before had he seen a vampire take the heart of another vampire. He hadn’t even known it was possible. Looking to Esme he noticed that although in pain she wasn’t on the verge of death.”I had nothing to do with the children of the moon.”

Bella moved without being told and reached into Esme’s stomach and pulled out her liver causing the woman to scream in pain.”Should I take something else?”

“I don’t know what do you think Carlisle. Should Isabella continue or do you want to tell us the truth?”Sulpicia asked.

“I was telling the truth.”Carlisle was to far gone to backtrack. Even with Esme in pain he couldn’t give up his allies. He knew his mate would understand his decision as she was just as committed to the cause.

“How about you Esme? Would you like to tell us what Carlisle’s plans were for the children of the moon?”Sulpicia wondered if the woman would take the chance for the torture to end.

“I don’t know anything.”Ease gasped out. She wasn’t going to say anything because if she did she would be tortured a lot worse by the people they were working with then what she was receiving now.

“That’s disappointing to hear.”Sulpicia motioned to Isabella.”Do what you need to do.”

“Yes mother.”Bella wasted no time as she grabbed Esme, slammed her face first into the wall and with the help of her shield ripped out Esme’s spine.

“Holy shit!!”Rosalie thought that seeing a vampire’s heart removed was the craziest thing she had seen but watching as Esme slumped to the ground with a line of bones missing from her back was by far the most crazy and disturbing thing she had ever seen and it would probably be for the rest of her life.

“No!!!”Carlisle slammed as hard as he could against the bars but they weren’t budging.

“Once again Carlisle would you like to change your answer?”Sulpicia asked.

Carlisle sobbed as he saw the state of his mate’s body. Even if she healed she would never be able to recover from the damage Bella inflicted. He was so overcome with grief he was second guessing if being quiet was worth it.”I don’t know.”

“Carlisle keep your mouth shut.”Edward could see that Carlisle was close to breaking and he couldn’t let that happen. Yes what happened to Esme was tragic but they couldn’t let it break the loyalty they had to the cause.

“There is only so much more Isabella can take from her Carlisle.”Sulpicia could see that Carlisle was wavering.”I think we should focus on Edward now.”

“Wonderful idea.”Athenodora happily opened Edward’s cell. The boy tried to rush her but she punched in the face causing his to slam into the wall. She followed up by ripping his arm off.

“I..will…give…you…one..chance to…surrender.”Edward gasped out.

Athenodora laughed.”You think you can beat me.”

“You are no match for me.”Edward wasn’t afraid. The queen had just caught him off guard.

“Leave him alone!!”Carlisle couldn’t understand how everything had gotten so out of control. He had covered his tracks and knew that no one would have told the queens of their plans with the children of the moon and didn’t know how they found out. Even being sentenced to death didn’t scare him as he expected his allies to save him, his mate and Edward. None of that was happening and he started to feel very afraid for the three of them.

Athenodora ignored Carlisle’s pleas and kicked Edward in the chest.”I believe you meant that you are no match for me.”

“This can all stop once you tell us the truth Carlisle.”Sulpicia told him.

“Carlisle say nothing.”Edward regrouped and rushed the queen again grunting when it earned him a punch to the face.

“Yes Carlisle say nothing so I can continue beating on your son.”Athenodora blocked a punch from Edward causing him to lose balance. When he was on the ground she stomped on his knee separating his bottom leg from his thigh.

“Just stop I’ll tell you anything you want to know.”Carlisle couldn’t let this keep going. If he did they would come for him once they finished with Edward.

Athenodora sighed.”How disappointing. I was hoping we would get a chance at Carlisle as well.”

“Carlisle no.”Edward couldn’t let his father speak. Yes he was in pain but he couldn’t let Carlisle betray their allies.

“It’s the only way to save all of us.”Carlisle wasn’t going to take the chance to get the same treatment as Esme or Edward. His mate who was still slumped on the ground not moving at all. He wasn’t sure if she had passed out or was just in shock but she wasn’t even making a sound and he knew she must be in extreme pain.

“I’m glad you understand the seriousness of your situation.”Sulpicia wasn’t going to tell him that he was still going to die as that would just cause him to stonewall them again.”Now what were your plans for the children of the moon?”

“We were trying to bread the females with male vampires.”Carlisle told them.

“What was your purpose for this?”Sulpicia asked.

“We were trying to create an army of hybrids to overthrow you.”Carlisle flinched when all five of the women growled at him.

“You think you can create a bunch of abominations to overthrow us!”Athenodora figured that was the plan but was still outraged that the man thought he could do such a thing.

“Who are your allies?”When Carlisle didn’t answer Sulpicia motioned to Edward.”My love.”

“Of course.”Athenodora put her foot on Edward’s chest and ripped his other arm off.

“Wait!”Carlisle didn’t want to give any names but he had to say something to get them to leave Edward and himself alone.”The Egyptian coven.”

“Who else?”Sulpicia knew it wasn’t just the Egyptian coven that was helping them.

“A handful of nomads.”Carlisle told her.

“How did you find the children of the moon?”Sulpicia asked.

“We didn’t the Egyptian coven reached out to us for help. They were the ones that had contact with the children of the moon.”Carlisle pushed the blame on the Egyptians to protect the real people in charge. Plus he wasn’t a big fan of Amun. The man was arrogant and thought he was better than everyone.

“Isabella open his cell and contain him.”Sulpicia knew Carlisle wasn’t telling the whole truth and that she would need to use her gift to get answers.

“Yes mother.”Bella opened Carlisle’s cell, grabbed him and held him close to her body.

“What are you doing?”Carlisle struggled against Bella but it only made the young vampire tighten her hold on him.

“You didn’t honestly think that we would take your word for it did you?”Sulpicia moved into the cell and grabbed Carlisle’s hand.

“Let go of me!!”Carlisle couldn’t let this happen. It would ruin everything.

“I see.”Sulpicia said once she was done.

“What did you see?”Didyme wanted to know who was responsible for this whole situation. That way she could punish all those that were responsible for putting her daughter in danger.

“We will discuss it in private once I read the other two.”Sulpicia moved to Esme cell taking the woman’s hand in her own and closing her eyes. It was just as the queens suspected. Esme was just as involved as Carlisle and Edward. Once she was done with the Cullen matriarch she repeated the process with Edward.”We have all we need here.”

“Do you want me to kill them now?”Bella asked.

“Yes, they are of no use to us anymore.”Sulpicia didn’t want deal with keeping them alive.

“Rosalie would you like the honor of killing one?”Athenodora was going to be involved but wanted Rosalie to get a chance to pick a victim first.

“I would like to kill Carlisle.”Rosalie would be more than happy to kill the man who controlled her life. Especially after speaking to Bella and the others and realizing that Carlisle only lived for himself. He forced his coven to live a life that suited his need to do what he wanted. He never cared how effected anyone but himself, Esme and Edward.

“What Rosalie, you can’t do that. I am your sire I order you to free me!”Carlisle demanded.

“Just because you are my sire doesn’t mean you have control over me.”Rosalie was happy that even thought she was changed by Carlisle he had no kind of influence over her. The sire bond was more of title than an actual bond. Rosalie felt no attachment to the man and could easily kill him.

“I have always treated you as my own daughter. You wouldn’t kill your father would you?”Carlisle asked.

“I would have killed my human father in a heart beat and you are worse than he ever was.”Rosalie entered Carlisle’s cell and approached the man who was still being held by Bella.

“Put your foot on his chest to use as leverage and make sure you twist as you pull his head off. It will make it easily.”Bella instructed.

“OK.”Rosalie follow Bella’s instructions and ignoring Carlisle’s pleas and begging pulled his head off. Tossing it to the ground she laughed.”I can’t believe I did it.”

Bella dropped Carlisle’s body and pulled Rosalie into a deep kiss. As she moved to remove Rosalie’s shirt a throat clearing stopped her. Looking over to her mothers Bella averted her gaze at the smiles she was getting. This would just give them much more teasing material.“Sorry.”

“It’s perfectly understandable. However it is not suitable to have sex in front of your mothers.”Athenodora’s smile brightened when Rosalie followed Bella’s lead and looked away in embarrassment. The queen was going to have a lot of fun with the pair if they were this bashful in the future.

“Let’s take a break for now. I need to feed. Then we will get together afterwards and discuss what we have all learned.”Sulpicia actually didn’t need to feed she just wanted to have some privacy with her mates and having human blood heightened the experience.

“That’s a good idea.”Athenodora knew exactly what her mate was hinting at and was more than willing to go along with it.

“Isabella burn the bodies. When we are finished with feeding we will send for you and Rosalie.”Sulpicia took Didyme’s hand and led her out of the dungeon not waiting for a reply from her daughter. The feeding room was at the other side of the castle and she desperately wanted to get her mates naked.

“Why are you in such a hurry?”Didyme wanted to properly say goodbye to Bella but Sulpicia was almost dragging her out of the room.

“Because I would like to get both of you naked and I know you would be to shy to do that in front of other people.”Sulpicia told her.

“That would be highly improper.”Didyme said.

“I knew you would say that. That’s why we are going to our feeding room.”Sulpicia quickened her steps when Didyme stopped resisting following her. It seemed her mate was in agreement that getting to their destination quickly was a good idea. Not that Sulpicia thought she would be against having sex with her mates. Didyme may have been the more peaceful queen who wasn’t involved in violence but she like Sulpicia loved to watch Athenodora in action. They both got quite worked up watching Athenodora in the training rooms and were known to get Athenodora angry just to see her reaction. Sulpicia wished that they had a few days to spend alone but they had to deal with the children of the moon situation. A situation that was more complicated than they initially thought. The queen was not happy with what she found out because the information confirmed that Bella would have to be involved to defeat the threat. Her daughter was to valuable of a fighter and with her gift would be on the front lines and have a pivotal role in this upcoming conflict. As they came upon the room they held the human prisoners Sulpicia shook away the thought. Many things were going to happen but before they did she was going to take a chance to enjoy time with her mates. It may be the last time they would have without the stress of the situation on their shoulders and Sulpicia wanted to enjoy it while she could.