The Dark Princess 17

“Bella there is something the three of us would like to discuss with you.” Athenodora told her daughter. Bella was eating her lunch in the queen and her mate’s sitting room with not only her there but Caius and Jane. They had just finished with their meeting with the nutritionist and Athenodora had sent Heidi off to get cook books and books about human nutrition that the nutritionist had recommended. Athenodora already had a pile of books about human medicine and basic books on learning about the human body in general. She wanted to make sure that she properly understood her daughter’s needs and learning about how her body worked was important. As was learning how to combat illnesses and take care of injuries.

“Did I do something wrong?” Bella asked nervously.

“No you did nothing wrong.” Caius assured her.

“What do we need to talk about?” Bella put her empty plate on the tray in front of her and snuggled into Jane’s side. The blond had joined her while she was eating breakfast and when she saw her Bella had realized how much she missed her.

“While we were shopping Alice mentioned a vision she had of you that caused her some concern. She didn’t bring it up to you when she had it because she didn’t want to upset you and she didn’t know what exactly she could do about it.” Athenodora said.

“Ok.” Bella tried to think of what kind of vision Alice would have that would upset her.

“Bella we know about the scars on your back.” Athenodora hurried over to Bella and put her arms around the girl when she saw the pain on Bella’s face.

“I’m sorry.” Bella knew that they would find out eventually but had hoped that she would have a little more time to enjoy their company.

“Why on earth are you sorry?” Cauis asked as he took a seat on the table in front of the couch that Bella was sitting on with Jane and Athenodora. “You have nothing to be sorry about.”

Realizing that her parents and her mate weren’t going to send her away Bella explained. “I should have told you but I was afraid that you wouldn’t let me stay because I was damaged goods.”

“You are not damaged goods Bella.” Jane told her.

“We would never send you away for something that you had no control over.As a matter of fact there is nothing you could do that would make us send you away.” Athenodora told her.

“I know this is hard for you but we need you to tell us who hurt you.” Cauis said.

Bella looked at the three vampires that surrounded her. She would have preferred not talking about this at all but knew she would have to. “It happened when I lived with my mother. She and her friends would take out their frustrations on me or sometimes they would just like to inflict pain for fun.”

“Do you know the names of all the people who hurt you?” Jane asked as calmly as she could. She knew getting angry in front of her mate would just make Bella upset.

“I don’t know all of them. It started when I was young and there have been different people throughout the years.” Bella told them.

Athenodora tightened her hold on Bella using the feeling of her daughter in her arms to keep her from reacting. Now that she knew there was more than just her mother who did this to Bella she would have to rethink what punishments to inflict.She had to make sure of something first though. “I know they are your parents but you must know that we won’t be able to let this go. Our vampire side is demanding we punish those who have hurt you.”

“I know.” Bella did know. There was no way that anyone who touched her would be allowed to live.

“Would you object to your parents being hurt?” Cauis hated that he had to call anyone other than himself and his mate Bella’s parents no matter how accurate the title was.

Bella thought about how she would feel if her human parents were harmed. She had no love for them as they had never shown her any. She honestly hadn’t even thought about them much since she had been in Italy. It made her realize something important. “They aren’t my parents. You guys are my parents. They may have created me but you both love me more than they ever did. I don’t care what you do to them. I only ask that I don’t have to see them.”

Cauis couldn’t remember a time he was ever so happy as he was when he heard Bella speak those words. He had doubted Athenodora when she said Bella would understand their need to avenge her but knowing that Bella not only didn’t care but encouraged them to do so and that she thought of them as her real parents brought him more joy than he had ever felt before. Leaning forward he kissed his child on the forehead smiling when he saw the blush take over her cheeks.

“We do love you you know?” Athenodora told her.

“I love you too.” Bella said.

Athenodora smiled brightly knowing that Bella was telling the truth. “I’m happy that you feel that way.”

Before any of them could continue their conversation they were interrupted by a knock on the door. Knowing exactly who their visitor was Cauis rolled his eyes. “Come in Aro.”

Aro walked through the door with a sheepish look on his face as he noticed he was obviously intruding on something important. He couldn’t help himself though. He had been waiting all morning for a chance to visit Bella. “I’m sorry but we heard that you were having lunch and figured it was alright to come visit.”

“It’s fine Aro.” Athenodora would have liked some more time with her daughter but she was just as interested in learning about Bella’s gift as Aro was. It seemed like she wasn’t the only one though as not only was Eleazar and his mate with him but Marcus, Sulpicia and Didmye as well.

“Hello Bella.” Didmye walk up to Bella and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

“Hello Aunt Didmye.” Bella replied.

“Hello Bella, how was your morning?” Sulpicia asked as she to gave the human a kiss on the cheek.

“It went well. I’m pretty sure mom will be busy for the next week or so though with all the books she will be reading to learn about humans.” Bella teased.

Athenodora huffed. “I think learning about how to take care of you is time well spent.”

“I know mom I was just teasing you.” Bella moved away from Jane to lean into her mother’s side.

“Bella this is my friend Eleazar and his mate Carmen.” Aro said.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you Bella.” Carmen said bowing her head.

“It’s nice to meet you as well.” Bella replied. As she looked at the dark haired man she was told was Eleazar she felt herself becoming uncomfortable with the way he was looking at her.

Eleazar grunted when he felt his mate elbow him in the ribs. Looking around he realized that everyone was looking at him including the fascinating human. “My apologies. It’s just I’ve never encountered someone with such a gift before.”

“What exactly is her gift?” Cauis asked.

“It seems young Bella is a shield. Both mental and if I’m not mistaken physical and very powerful at that.” Eleazar told them.

“A shield you say. That would make sense because she is able to block not only my gift but Edward’s as well. We were also told that Alice’s doesn’t work that well with her either.” Aro wondered about the physical shield though. “Have you used your physical shield before Bella?”

Bella shook her head. “No I wouldn’t even know how to use it.”

“Who would be able to help her train her gifts?” Jane asked. She didn’t know many vampires as most didn’t like to be around her or her brother except for the royal guard.

“I would say Renata but her gift is different. She has to be touching someone to protect them where as I believe that Bella will just have to focus to protect someone else.” Eleazar went through the catalog of vampires with gifts that he knew of trying to think of which one could help Bella the most.

“So you are saying that Bella will be strong enough to protect others?” Athenodora asked. She was pleased that it seemed once turned that Bella would be able to protect herself. Even though Athenodora would make sure she was surrounded by guards at all times. It was just nice to know that Bella would have an extra layer of protection.

“Most definitely. With the way her power is manifesting as a human when turned she will be one of the most powerful gifted vampires that exist.” Eleazar was confidant that the human would be more powerful than most of the Volturi.

“We already knew that Isabella was special. Her being a powerful vampire was never in doubt.” Cauis proclaimed proudly. As his child it was more than obvious that Bella would be exceptional. Even without a gift Bella had already proven to be the perfect compliment of both himself and his mate. Bella had traits of both of her vampire parents and if they were actually able to have a biological child Caius would want them to turn out just like Bella.

“Exactly, Bella was meant for greatness even before she took her first breath. Her having a gift that powerful is par for the course when it comes to our child.” Athenodora told them. She couldn’t be more proud of having Bella as her bond child than she was now. The only complaint she had about the human was that her arm was still injured but that wasn’t something that she held Bella accountable for. It just made her worried that Bella would have something happen to her fragile human body before it healed and they could change her.

“You guys are embarrassing me.” Bella buried her head in her mother’s shoulder to hide her blush from the others.

“Never be embarrassed of your own greatness my love.” Jane told her rubbing her hand up and down Bella’s back.

Bella reached her hand out to find Jane’s smiling when she felt it grip her own. She liked the fact that she had a gift that would help her take care of her family when she was changed. It was what she hoped for. They all had been so kind to her and even though they knew about her abuse they didn’t try to send her away. She loved them for that. She wasn’t sure if that love was natural or the effect of the bond but she didn’t care. What Bella cared about was that her love for the three vampires that had claimed her for their own was reciprocated and she knew they loved her just as much. Shifting so that she was sitting more comfortably between her mother and her mate Bella listened to the conversations going on around her. Being around people who loved her and wanted nothing more than for her to be happy was now her new normal. She was sure it was going to take some time to get used to but she sure as hell wasn’t going to fight it.