The Hidden Princess 16

“Isabella.”Didyme called out as she rushed towards Bella and pulled her into a bone crushing hug.As soon as she calmed down the queen realized what a mistake she made with letting Bella leave without saying goodbye.It was not something that she had ever done before and when Athenodora told her about what Bella had found at the Cullen’s house Didyme felt uncontrollable fear.If it wasn’t for her mates Didyme would have been on her way to Forks to make sure her daughter was safe.The only reason she didn’t insist was because to meet up with Bella she would have to stay in Forks longer and Didyme wanted Bella back at the castle where it was safe as soon as possible.

“Momma.”Isabella happily sank into her mother’s embrace.

“Oh sweetheart I’m so sorry.”Didyme told her.

“I’m sorry to.”Isabella said.

“My love let the girl breath.”Sulpicia wanted a chance to hug her daughter as well.After finding out about the danger Bella could have been in Sulpicia was just as panicked as her other two mothers.

“Leave me alone.I missed my little girl.”Didyme wasn’t going to let go of Bella for a very long time.

“We all missed her.”Sulpicia sighed when she put her hand on Didyme’s shoulder and her mate hissed at her.”Didyme if you insist on holding her then at least bring her to the couch so we can all discuss what happened in America.”

“Fine.”Didyme simply picked Bella up, cradled her in her arms and sat on the couch readjusting her so that she had a better hold on Bella.

Athenodora rolled her eyes at the action.She predicted that Didyme wasn’t going to let Bella stray far from her for the foreseeable future.Athenodora hoped that wouldn’t cause problems with Bella’s mate.”Now that you have returned tell us what you have found.”

“When we got there Jasper noticed right away that the door had been tampered with.That is when I messaged mother.Once done with the conversation I went and joined Rosalie in her room which had been ransacked like the rest of the house.While we were in Rosalie’s room Heidi came and told us about Carlisle’s study.”Bella said.

“Where any of you able to tell if something was missing from there?”Sulpicia asked.

Bella shook her head.”No one spent any time in there other than to borrow the odd book here or there.Of interest was a safe that had been pulled from the wall that none of the Cullens even knew was there.”

“What kind of safe was it?”Athenodora wondered if it was just a decoy safe.

“It was a simple wall safe.I don’t think anything truly important was in it.”Bella said confirming the queen’s theory.

“Did Carlisle have another safe?”Sulpicia asked.

“He did.It was hidden in his room.It wasn’t filled with anything I felt had to do with what they were up to with the children of the moon though.Mostly it was financial records and various trinkets.”Bella had been completely unimpressed with what Carlisle decided to protect.

“Tell us about the secret room you found.”Athenodora said.

“That was weird actually.Edward kept the room behind a wall shelf.I understand why the burglars didn’t find it as it was the only shelf in the house that was built into the wall.It only took me a couple of minutes to figure out how to trigger the opening mechanism. “Bella told them.

“Of course it did.Your mind is no match for Carlisle and Edward.”Didyme knew that Bella was far surpriser to those two idiots.”The fact that you figured out something those wolves couldn’t was just par for the course.”

“What was the room like?”Sulpicia asked.

“It was a room the size of maybe one of our closets.All that was in there was a table, chair, file cabinet and laptop computer.”Bella explained.

“Did you go through the files?”Athenodora wondered if Bella had gotten any clue of what Edward and Carlisle were up to.

Bella nodded.”I looked through a few and from what I could guess is they were doing experiments on the creatures.”

“When the guards bring the cabinet to my office I want you to go through them.”Athenodora wanted to contain the information to only her mates and Bella.

“Can Rosalie help me?”Bella wanted her mate to be by her side.

“That is fine as long as she knows not to speak of what you find to anyone.”Sulpicia wasn’t keen on Rosalie being involved but if she was to take her place as the mate of the Volturi princess she needed to be involved in things like this.

“Another thing we need to speak about is you living outside of the castle.”Athenodora knew this was a touchy subject but it needed to be discussed.

“That will not be happening now.”Didyme tried not to be smug saying it but it was hard when she was getting her way.

“I know.Rosalie was hoping that we would get a chance to have some privacy away from the prying eyes of the castle but with what we found she knows it isn’t possible.”Bella knew that Rosalie had been upset with the fact they couldn’t stay at the vineyard but her mate was very understanding under the circumstances.

“Just because you live here doesn’t mean you won’t have your privacy.”Sulpicia said.”We will enlist more of our people to get your rooms in order so you have your own space.We will also get the other couple’s rooms ready as well.That way she and her family will be more comfortable living here.”

“Thank you mom.”Bella was happy it seemed that her mothers were willing to help make the Cullens feel more welcome.

“That being said once we are done with going through the files we will need to interrogate Carlisle and Edward.”Athenodora was looking forward to torturing the pair because she knew they weren’t going to tell the queens what they wanted to know right away.

“I want Esme questioned as well.”Sulpicia had always felt Esme was smarter then she let on.No mated pair could keep secrets from each other for long and that would mean that Esme was probably just as involved as the other two.

“Can I help out with that?”Bella wouldn’t pass up the chance to show her displeasure to Rosalie’s sire.

“Of course you can sweetheart.”Didyme would never deny her daughter anything.Even if it meant that Bella got to interrogate a prisoner.

Athenodora rolled her eyes at Didyme.”And you still say you don’t spoil her.”

“Isabella could be very valuable dealing with Carlisle and Edward.Her gift is essential to counteract Edward’s.”Didyme said.

“She doesn’t have to be in the room when we speak to him for her gift to work.”Sulpicia would prefer to keep her daughter away from any danger even if the chances of her getting hurt were slim to none.

“True but it would be a good chance for her to learn the proper way to question someone.”Didyme figured Bella would learn valuable experience if allowed to interrogate the three vampires.

“She knows how to interrogate people.With her history she is probably better than anyone in the castle including me at getting information out of someone.”Bella had been conditioned to be a vicious killing machine by that horrible woman Margret.Sulpicia’s only regret for how they dealt with her was that they didn’t drag it out longer.They had been to worried about Bella being upset with them and had made the death quick making it only somewhat painful.

“That just means she will be perfect to help.Actually she should lead the interrogation.”Didyme said.

Athenodora rolled her eyes once again.”While we are at it we should just crown her queen and all of us should just retire.”

“Isabella would be a wonderful queen.”Didyme knew her daughter would be a fair and just ruler.

“My love, Isabella is not going to take over from us.She may be involved with questioning Carlisle, Edward and Esme but Athenodora will be in charge.”Sulpicia held up a hand to stop Didyme from speaking.”Yes she would be perfect for the job but with how important this is we need to make sure we are as detailed as possible.Athenodora knows what questions need to be asked.”

“Fine but she will be your second on this mission.”Didyme conceded.She would prefer her daughter be in charge but Sulpicia had a point.Isabella wouldn’t know exactly what to ask.

“Of course my love.”Athenodora wasn’t going to fight her mate anymore.Didyme was in mother mode and had Bella on a pedestal where she could do no less than conquer the world.When Didyme was like this it was better to just give in and ignore her orders when her back was turned.

“Good now then why don’t you collect your mate.You have work to do.”Sulpicia told Bella.

“Would it be alright if I fed before I did so?”Bella asked.

“Of course. Bring your mate with you.She may be convinced to change her diet after she sees how you feed.”At least Sulpicia hoped that Rosalie would change her feeding habits.It was rather embarrassing to have the mate of a princess as an animal drinker.

“I’m not sure she will be willing but I will bring it up to her.”Bella wasn’t sure Rosalie would be alright with taking human life even if the lives they took weren’t worth much.

“Regardless bring her anyway.”Athenodora was of the same thought as Sulpicia.She would prefer Rosalie drank from humans.

“If you would like I will.”Bella wouldn’t force Rosalie but she would mention her mothers wanted her to go with Bella.

“I will tell her when we go see her.”Didyme said.

“What do you mean?”Bella asked.

“Well you don’t think that I am going to leave you unattended now that we know the children of the moon are back.You aren’t safe.”Didyme wasn’t going to let Bella leave her sight.

“Momma you don’t have to do that.”Bella protested.

“As one of your mothers it is my duty to keep you safe.”Didyme told her.

“Mom,Mother please tell her I will be fine in the castle.”Bella pleaded.

Athenodora sighed.She wasn’t surprised that Didyme was insisting on shadowing Bella.The girl should be happy that the queen wasn’t insisting on carrying her everywhere.”Sweetheart Bella will be perfectly safe in the castle.”

“Yes, because she will not leave my side.”Didyme said.

“My love, we promised them some privacy if they stayed here.I believe that going alone to feed would be a good way to let them bond.”Vampires considered feeding a very intimate act when with their mates and even though Sulpicia would prefer her daughter wasn’t mated the fact of the matter was she was.That meant allowing the bond to fall into place.If not Sulpicia knew that their daughter would grow to resent them.

“They don’t need to be alone to bond.”Didyme didn’t want Bella alone with her mate.The girl was to young to be doing anything physical with anyone no matter if they were mated.

“Isabella please go see your mate and inform her of what you need to do.Once you are done feeding I will meet you in my office.”Athenodora told her.

Bella untangled herself from Didyme’s lap with the help of Athenodora.”I will see you soon mother.”

“Why did you send her away?”Didyme angrily asked.

“Because if you keep trying to keep her away from her mate then she is going to hate us.”Sulpicia was of the same thought as Didyme in some aspects but knew that Bella would rebel against them if they tried to hold on to tight.

“Isabella would never hate us.”Didyme was sure of it.

“Yes because we are going to overcome our instincts and allow her privacy with her mate.I’m sure all of us would prefer otherwise but the fact of the matter is that Isabella now has a mate.One that she was willing to leave the castle to make happy.I don't have to remind you of how powerful Isabella is and if she was pushed to the breaking point none of us would be able to keep her here.”Athenodora knew that if Bella really put her mind to it she could easily leave the castle and the guard wouldn’t be able to stop her.

“Why did she have to go to America?”If Bella had just stayed home Didyme would still have her daughter’s complete attention.She wouldn’t be sharing Bella with anyone other than her two mates.

Sulpicia pulled Didyme into a hug.”I know you are upset darling but Isabella deserved to find some personal happiness.With all that she has been through can you honestly say that she deserved to be alone for the rest of her life?”

“She wouldn’t have been alone.She would have had us.”Didyme replied as she snuggled into Sulpicia’s arms.

“Yes she would have but there are some things that her mothers can’t provide her.Think about it this way.How would you feel if you we never found each other.If all this time you had remained mateless.How would that make you feel?”Athenodora knew that Didyme was upset but hoped that she would eventually come to terms with Rosalie being a part of Bella’s life.

“I would be living only a half of life.”Didyme concluded not liking the admission.Bella was her pride and joy.She knew that her two mates thought that she would pick Bella over them but that wasn’t true.She loved them just as much as Bella and her heart would never be full without the other three in it.It just hurt to know that Bella wasn’t her little girl anymore.Now she was going out on missions and being involved with serious situations.It was Didyme’s hope that if they gave Bella things to do at the castle then she wouldn’t want to leave.The queen knew that it wouldn’t keep her daughter there forever but it would give her enough time to come up with a plan to get Bella to let her travel with her.Didyme knew there were going to be many arguments in the future but she was going to stand by her convictions.Bella wasn’t safe outside of the castle.Now it was up to Didyme to convince the others.