Salt

She dipped her hand into the water.

Coolness on her palm was the first feeling. The second, her fingertips barely touching grains of sand. They were smooth, running between her fingers.

She pulled her hand out, straightening up.

The sea breeze blew back her hair, rubbing the scent of salt and softened wood in her nose.

She breathed it in deeper. Deeply enough to feel her lungs expand and shudder at full capacity.

And then she threw out her arms, eyes closed with the bright sun shading her eyelids red.

She smiled, feeling the air running over her wet hand. Travelling into the spaces where her jacket moved away from her body.

The waves crashed behind her, so close to touching the bottom of her pants legs. Her toes buried further into the cool wet grains of sea.

“Are you having fun?”

Her eyes opened, taking a moment to get used to the stark white reflection of beach.

She smiled at one of the dark spots on this stretch of land. Alec gave a smile back, gloved hand moving from behind the Volturi cloak to fix his ruffled hair. The rainbows that shone on the collar shifted as he moved.

She turned back to the sea, arms lowering, “it’s everything I wanted.” Waves of deep blue echoed far into the distance. At some point she was sure ships travelled this stretch, big grandiose white ones.

Or rather ones of the wood, with masts and a nest resting up high for someone to look out and see.

What she wished most to see was a whale. There had been movies, illustrations. Books describing Humpback’s with huge tails that rose through the water. Them rolling to show off their white stomach’s, humming deeply at humans.

But the ocean was calm and quiet.

It made her still for a moment.

“Aro would like us back soon.”

Her hands tensed for a moment. Then she let it go. “Right.” Her eyes closed, the gentle crashing reaching her ears.

She tried to note down all its qualities. The deep sound of the initial rise and crash, the higher pitch of the foam and the water receding.

Gulls over head calling, gliding.

The smell of salt. The type of smell that she had learnt that you pick up from miles away, even when she had the car window down earlier. When the sight of the sea was just visible on the horizon.

She noted the sand piled onto the top of her left foot. The grains in between her toes. Her drying hand and the caked on film of dried sand. The breeze that never seemed to leave. It tangled the strands of her hair, mischievous and gentle.

She didn’t want to leave.

She turned with a smile. “Alright, let’s go.”

Alec’s smile was small again but this time the look in his eyes was a little…Bella chose to ignore it.

Home is safe. Home is beautiful as well. Home is where family is. Let’s just focus on that.

With her boots in hand she moved towards where they had come from. She took exaggerated big steps, keeping close to the tide in order for the waves to come up and meet her feet.

Behind her Alec and the two others (they refused to remove their hoods despite her knowing everyone on the guard, she hated when they did that) followed.

Something shiny shone up ahead. She moved forward quickly. There, buried in the sand.

Glittering.

She bent to pick it up.

***

“How was the trip, doveling? Did you enjoy it?”

She kept her hand close to her heart, smiling. The object warmed her palm almost.

Finally she looked up at the women with messy dark hair, “yes. It was…”

Even now the warmth of the sun, the cool rushing water, the smell and sight of white expansive sand; none of it would leave her mind.

“Mier…you wouldn’t believe how gorgeous it is! The air, the sky, the sand-!” Bella spread her arms, moving further from the entrance she had just came from.

Her head looked upwards, towards the domed glass ceiling. Up through there, stars haphazardly made their appearance. Less bright than in her childhood.

She spun, her right hand a fist around the smooth flat object in her palm, her left fingers splaying.

Her legs moved against each other as she spun and spun and spun. She laughed.

And then stopped, “I wish I could go back.”

Sulpicia moved closer, drifting forward in her dark ebony (but glinting red in the right light) cloak.

A pale hand rose from its depths, cupping Bella’s cheek.

Sulpicia’s thumb stroked her cheekbone. A smooth smile wandered onto those red lipstick stained lips. There was warm and affection in her eyes. They folded softly at the corners. “You sound like you enjoyed it a lot.”

Bella’s own hands lifted to touch Sulpicia’s. She looked up at her, “I did. I really did.”

Their foreheads connected, an action started by the other woman. Bella stared at her fine eyelashes and closed eyelids.

Then she closed hers as well. The air was cool across her arms, soft and gentle while they breathed.

“That’s all I could ever want.” Was softly said.

Then Sulpicia straightened out and Bella’s eyes flicked open. “It’s almost dinner time, isn’t it? You must be starving, my poor dear. Come, my husband is sure to be awaiting our arrival. Undoubtedly yours is more anticipated.”

***

Aro’s maroon cape swooped backwards (revealing the black underneath) as his arms came around her.

She smiled and wrapped hers around him too.

He smelled of sulphur and lilacs. She ground herself in the scent, nose pressing into his shoulder. The smells calmed her for a moment.

She took in his solid arms around her back, his black hair brushing against her ear and cheekbone. The closeness.

Then he drew back, fangs running pass his bottom lip. “Isabella,” he said, with his usual flourish, “welcome home.”

It felt weird hearing that. It was something he said on his throne. Spread out upon the marble seat, arm extended. Those words echoing down to a guard he was fond of or a close confidant visiting after a while.

For him to say it to her- It sent a small thrill through her. A soft zing. “I’ve returned,” saying it felt fresh and new. A little zest.

A gloved hand rested on her cheekbone before they kissed each others cheeks. Then Aro turned, cape spinning with the action.

He looked towards everyone in the dining room (Bella called it the dining hall due to its high ceiling), and gestured with his covered hands to the table.

“Let us eat.”

***

When Bella was a child, the dining room was intimidating. She always had dinner delivered to her room, warm and piping with a silver dish cover.

But she was allowed to wander the halls in between lessons during the day. And wander she did, mapping out the best spots to sit and wonder.

The hallways, always cool and slightly dark, were scary at first. They mixed between marble, stone and wood. Wood was home, marble was friendly and stone was bad.

It held the darkest shadows, the coldest corners. If she wandered down one for too long, a guard would appear with deep blue robes and draw her away.

The dining room was in one of the wooden halls.

Velvet lined the floor where she stepped. The shoes she was wearing had just been gifted to her, her old ones burning in fire. They scuffed softly against the purple, landing in the splashes of sunlight from the windows to her right.

She had never seen windows so big and ostentatious before. Usually they only lined the ceilings or they were slim little rectangles.

These let the yellow light of the sun in easily. They flattered the portraits to her left and let her see the view into the inner courtyard. She gave the fluttering green trees and floundering flower bushes no mind.

Because she had spotted a pair of doors at the end of the hall. And they were big, huge. 

Black, maybe. Or brown wood so dark, it eclipsed any light.

The bottom of them reflected the purple velvet from the sun. The tops had some blue of the sky.

As a five-year old, standing in front of them had made her feel small, tiny even.

Her heart had beat hard in her ears for some reason, her hands bunched her white knee-height skirt. Looking up at it, it seemed to stretch further beneath her eyes. Her breaths felt shallow in her chest.

Then she lifted two shaking hands and on the cool surface of either door, she pushed.

Nothing gave.

So she pushed harder.

There was a click. And then a heavy groan.

The doors moved inwards, both opening slightly with her shaking arms. She stopped after the opening was just wide enough for her to fit through.

When she peered in, it was dark. She clutched her dress again. She looked back the way she came. It was sun-lit. Almost bright with the wall of smiling portraits lit up, friendly.

She turned to the opening. It was scary. Dark and rumbling. She tried to see without moving forward at all.

There were vague shapes, maybe. But nothing interesting for her-

Something glinted.

She entered.

It was big. Huge. A room filled with air. Her new shoes clipped and clopped on the marble floor, sound slapping through the air in the big room.

She sounded as big as this room. It was like a concert hall. Though she hadn’t been to any of those, yet.

She couldn’t barely see a thing and she stood still and terrified for a moment. Limbs petrified.

But then her eyes adjusted and she could see the arching roof. The pillars all along the edges, round with thick bases and tops.

Her eyes tracked over the three chandeliers that plumed outwards from the centre of the roof in a straight line. They glinted softly with hardly any light at all.

And she could see chairs. Round and elegant with inset pillows on the headrest and the seat itself.

She wandered closer.

To see the giant table that comprised most of the room. There was nothing else besides it and the seats.

Its legs were carved with knells that were bigger than her hand, but soft and smooth. She couldn’t see the top but she imagined that it had in-set patterns and whorls.

She didn’t understand the room. It was too big and too dark. It was magnificent but extended far over her head to hide things within its depths.

She left very quickly afterwards, feeling as if she had done something very brave and dangerous.

***

Now, it was the opposite.

Flame glittered in the sconces along the walls. Overhead the chandeliers, all made from the finest tuning crystal, were lit. They dazzled with shine.

Food lined the table. Plates rested upon intricate swirling patterns and the Volturi crest in the middle.

A whole Turkey rested in bone marrow and chilli butter broth. Lamb chops had been seared and finely laid, covered in a parsley mint sauce.

Clams lain in white wine, perfectly cooked linguine featured in the same dish. Cacciatore, Pasta alla Norma, Zuppa Ribollita all lined the table.

Flutes of dark red liquid rested before their plates, the tops shinning with rimmed gold.

To her childhood self, this was probably night and day.

Bella leaned back, a serviette flew out above her before being lain down. The two corners tied behind her neck by a servant.

Once everyone’s had been tied, they begun.

As always they looked to Aro first. Bella smiled at him and one of his gloved hands gripped her right.

“I hope everyone has enjoyed their day! Our lovely Bella has returned to us safe and sound,” she rolled her eyes, “and so has Alec and our fellow guards!” He nodded to them, “Our princess and one of our captains both safely returned, let us eat our fill!”

They all grabbed their flutes, the guards along the wall and her favourites at the table downing theirs first.

She waited with Aro, Sulpicia, Marcus, Caius and Athenodora. Once they were done, they all drank.

The servants, or rather Athenodora, had chosen sparkling raspberry cider for her tonight. It bubbled along her tongue and she inhaled sharply.

It was delicious. Shattering, even. Internally she scoffed. Maybe not to that extent.

“Dismissed,” Caius said, his voice echoing.

As a machine, an army, the servants and lower guards left the room. She gave a small wave to the most familiar ones. Most waved back.

They dug in.

She almost immediately went for the lamb, mouth watering already.

“How was the trip, little swan?”

Her eyes snapped up to Athenodora. The woman’s eyes peaked slightly making her look concerned as she always did. But her eyes were soft and her smile was calm.

“I loved it!” The sound of cutlery echoed around her as the others ate. “I’ve never realised how fine beach sand was, it got everywhere! And the water was seemingly endless.”

Her heart strained in her chest. She wanted go back. She quietened, her smile still there but softening in thought.

“Just remember that it can be much wilder and colder the further it goes on. If you ever plan to enter it you cannot, under any circumstances wander far.” Caius said, his posture straightening. His dark blue cape was almost black, the golden pins on its breast shining.

Her fingers tightened on her fork and knife. If she ever got to go back. Her eyes wandered to Aro. He happily ate a green bean, face glowing at the flavour.

“Of course, uncle,” she said.

“The ocean is a never ending fountain of wisdom,” Marcus said, voice distant and withered.

There was no plate before him, his flute barely touched. He seemed to be staring somewhere over Alec’s head.

She brightened instantly. “What wisdom did you learn from it, uncle Marcus?”

His gaze seemed to firm and slowly his eyes landed on hers. The dark maroon filled with some light, “what matters most is what wisdom, you, achieve from it while remaining there rather than mine.” Then his gaze drifted back, light leaving.

“What wonderful advice from my lovely brother,” Aro said, twirling a clam between his gloved thumb and forefinger. “Maybe one day I’ll be as wise as him! But more present.”

Bella frowned a bit in her heart but pat Aro’s arm, “one day, Pi-“

The door to the dining room burst open.

“Your majesty!” Vina, one of the new guards she hadn’t met yet, burst in. Her hair was wet and stuck to her forehead, “Jane has returned your majesty.”

Bella’s head tilted. The name tickled the back of her skull, slightly fluttering. But she couldn’t remember.

Who was this Jane?