3
She hated holding questions.
They didn’t pound, didn’t swelter. But they lay still, an object in an empty space.
Maybe they were flowers, who’s roots were deep within the earth. Her hands could pull at soil, dirt crusting beneath her fingernails and blackening them. Dust collecting on the tips.
They remained fixed, constant in one specific area that she couldn’t ignore.
Her eyes kept flicking back to Jane’s black.
Music swelled as she cut into her now cool lamb, trying to focus on the fat sliding on her tongue and the headier spices that lay leaves down her throat.
Nova laughed at something Felix said. Her braids flicking over her shoulder as she put a hand on Demetri’s shoulder next to her. Bella smiled, leaning forward to hear more of the story.
They were a little too far away, however and Sulpicia gently tapped her arm, “you’re going to dip your dress in sauce, doveling.”
She sat back quickly, eyes flickering to Jane’s shoulder before down to her food.
She glanced up again, just quick. Red. Back down, heart trumpeting.
“There’s activity in Colombia, details haven’t been brought in quite yet. I don’t believe our finest are required. Maybe-“ Caius muttered to Athenodora and Bella rolled her eyes slightly.
“Alec,” she whispered to him, leaning backwards to look across Sulpicia’s back, hands still holding her utensils.
His head whipped back but he didn’t turn. Inwardly she sighed.
“Alec!” She whispered again, leaning towards where he was seated two chairs down.
This time his head whipped to face her. She pulled moved her head towards him a little, eyes squinting and lips pursing.
His brows came down and he shrugged his shoulders, “what?” He mouthed.
She grinned, feeling the pins in the back of her hair tense at the movement, “I’m bored.” She mouthed back.
His mouth opened a bit, eyes squinting now. “And?”
She mimicked his expression, “and?” His eyes rolled and she chuckled lowly.
“You two are very unsubtle. Taking part in espionage are we?”
Bella jumped, knife and fork clanking against her plate loudly. Sulpicia chuckled. Eyes shining.
“Oh are we being spies, my love? Who’s kingdom are we trying to usurp?” Aro beamed eyes moving from Bella to his wife.
“I say Antarctica!” She called out first.
The four closest around her immediately looked at her with tight expressions.
“Isabella, darling love, Antarctica doesn’t have a government-“
She gestured with her knife, “I know, I know but that means it’s free reign! From there we can travel to South Africa, and no one will be able to follow because our home would too cold to achieve war in.”
Sulpicia rubbed her forehead, sighing. Alec gave her that smile. Aro clapped, “you’re always right my darling! Caius, Caius! We should-“
“No.” Caius turned back to Athenodora.
Aro folded.
She pat his arm, “it’s okay pier. Maybe one day both of us…” her heartbeat a little, “can go around the world together and pick a different place to spy in and usurp.”
Aro grinned back at her, “of course my girl. One day.” Then he picked up his flute of dark wine and gestured to her with a grin.
She picked up her own flute, clinching them together. One day, she thought as the bubbles swam down her tastebuds into her throat. She gripped the stem a little hard.
It really…was unfair.
A sharp sound came from the glass and she blinked. A crack had appeared in the crystal just underneath where the transparent mineral began to open and hold liquid. It clear cut against the transparent surface, white.
Her eyes quickly glanced around, snapping to each person. Conversation had not stopped, Caius muttering, Nova throwing her head back to laugh. Aro talking to a servant with a brown apron to the side.
She placed down the flute, quickly. A little harder than she expected and the crack elongated a little.
Her eyes rose.
Jane’s were where her fingers were, tracing over the splinter. Her eyebrows were narrowed, and when she looked at Bella’s face shadows grew on the side of her face as Aro clapped his hands.
“More drinks!” He said, “more for Jane and Isabella!” But Bella wasn’t paying attention to him, her gaze were on Jane’s face. Where a small smile was growing.
***
Her eyes had remained down the rest of the meal. She engaged in the warm hazy conversation when needed but it travelled past her ears like velvety silt.
Her knife and fork were warm in her hands, shiny handles digging lightly into the surface of her palms.
“Bella, I believe it’s time.” Sulpicia laid a hand on her upper left arm and something unclenched in her.
Finally.
She laid down her cutlery, eyes glancing over everyone else at the table and smiling at those who were paying attention, “good night everyone!”
They all greeted her back. She stood, legs a little shaky but solid enough to stand aside as the servant pushed in the chair.
“Thank you,” she whispered softly.
Another chair scraped back. She stilled.
“Thank you for the meal your majesty.” Heavy black cloth fluttered and a gloved hand rose over her heart. Bella stared as Jane’s blonde head bowed with her shoulders. Jane lowered at the waist deeply, eyes closed. “It was an honour to share a meal together.” She lifted, they opened again. And flicked to her.
Bella’s fists clenched.
“Oh but Jane, you didn’t drink any of the wine!”
“I ate prior to my arrival your majesty.”
Aro huffed. He gestured a gloved hand at her, “fine but next time I expect you to accept your gift. I cannot treat our captain like dirt. Both you and your brother, ridiculous.”
She bowed again. Bella pulled on the side of Alec’s cloak. “Are you not coming?”
He smiled softly, mouth opening-
“Jane will be taking over Alec’s duties as your guard from now on.” Sulpicia said, disregarding her serviette onto the table with a throw. She ruffled her own hair and smiled, “it’s only to be expected. Alec was to only be temporary.”
She breathed out, lungs diminishing til she felt the burn. Again. Again. Right. Her eyes shot to Jane. Her face was impassive but a slight smirk took up a small residence in the corner of her lips.
Bella flicked her eyes away. “Of course, Mier. Only to be expected.” She smiled but the way it fixed felt too pressured in the corners.
***
She kept her mouth shut, lips lightly pressing together. Her temples throbbed a bit, lightly with no pattern.
Why? Laid quietly but she faced forward, not glancing to the spot of black besides her.
It was tingly. The space between her arm and that void. And she didn’t like it.
Sulpicia swept ahead, her silvery dress funnelling backwards towards the tips of Bella’s toes. The moonlight that hit it made it glint with faint silvery stars.
“Tell me the details of your trip, Jane.” She didn’t look back as she asked the question, rounded shoulders straightened out.
Bella head peaked up a bit, turning to look at Jane (blonde hair shining white in a section of light), before catching herself and facing forward again. Her heart pounded in her collarbones. Stupid! What the hell am I doing?
“Of course, your majesty. However, I cannot suggest doing so in present company.”
She almost stuttered to a stop. Her hands gripped her skirts and she straightened, her eyes narrowed when she bared her gaze on Jane.
Jane’s face was in shadow, the red of her eyes almost glowing. Sharp. Her cheekbones, her eyebrows. Enough to cut through glass. Or crystal.
“What are you trying to say?” She almost whispered. Breathed. Thick pressure has built in the back of her throat.
Jane bowed her head, drying strands of blond touching her left cheek, “I mean not to offend, your highness. But my words cannot be taken back.”
Rising. Long and encompassing like a wave was the fury that collected through her. She clenched her jaw, teeth imprinting into each other so tightly they ached a little, “what disrespect-“
“Isabella.”
Her mouth clenched shut and she shuddered, hands letting go of her dress and shaking a little as she lifted them away.
Sulpicia had an eyebrow raised and Bella stepped back. The pressure in her throat was back but this time it gripped the front of it, surrounded her windpipe with warm scorching heat. It was in her cheekbones and her forehead. Warmth. Shame maybe.
“I apologise.”
“Come. We’re almost to your room.”
Her insides shook, feeling rickety and about to collapse.
When she lifted her head again, Jane’s head was facing front and Bella’s teeth stabbed into her gums.