Unwelcome reception
Upon arrival at the castle in Volterra, Bella never thought she would find herself in the position she was in now. Three very irate kings demanding her and her mates deaths while the Volturi guard stood defiantly refusing to follow the kings orders.
Entering the gates of the city gave away no indication to Bella in regards to the harsh cruelty that lay inside the castle walls. The city was lit elegantly with different coloured lights around the town square, the castle shone beautifully in the background in gorgeous gold and silver fairy lights. The sight was breathtaking and her mates had slowed their pace to allow Bella to take in the sights around her, happy to let their human take her time.
Once Bella had, had her fill of the enchanting sights around her they had quietly made there way to the castle reception and politely requested to meet with the volturi queens regarding a female member of their coven being harmed. The receptionist (the same one from last time Bella noted) Gianna had smiled reassuringly at the three blondes and Bella before placing a call. Her rapid Italian too much for Isabella to even attempt to translate. After the last time she was here she had made it a point to try and learn the language and had made some progress but no where near enough to work out what was said by the only other human in the room as she spoke on the phone.
"Jane and Alec are being sent to great you princesses, they will be with you imminently" Gianna had spoken kindly and bowed slightly in a show of respect for the queens daughters and their mates.
"Princess Kate, Princess Irena, Tanya how lovely to see you" said a childlike voice as Jane and Alex appeared behind them.
"And I see you've brought another, Aro will not be amused to see that dear Isabella is still human" the brunette boy chuckled, seeming amused with the situation.
"I do wonder how she managed to jump covens so quickly though, were you not to be married to the Cullen boy Isabella" questioned softly, concern lacing her eyes in the most human display Bella had ever seen on the blonde twin.
"It's complicated and I'd rather not relive it until I have to" Bella whispered as she stepped closer to Irena.
"As you wish, please follow me" Jane said as she turned and led them further into the castle.
When they entered the throne room it was to the sight of the three kings and not their queens as requested.
"Aro you are not who we asked for" Kate said coldly as all three of Bella's mates moved closer to their human. Somehow sensing that whatever this was it was not good.
"And as king I get to make the decision whether or not I require my wife's presence in court. I do believe this situation hardly calls for such a thing don't you agree" the man sitting in the middle throne had called back in a childlike voice. His face was as papery thin as Bella remembered it, his long black hair still tied back in a ponytail at the base of his skull.
"Send for our mother's Aro, this is not one of your little games" Irena demanded, hissing at the man in irritation.
"I think we would rather not bother them. As it stands you're Harbouring a criminal and therefore shall be put to death alongside her" Cius the blonde haired man on Aros left spat angrily. His long blonde hair parted in the middle and his face just as paper thin as Aro's. Marcus the third and final king sat to Aro's right merely smirked evily as he stared blatantly at the four woman who had entered. His black hair was left hanging losely down his back.
"We have broken no laws, nor are we harbouring a criminal now fetch Sulpicia and stop playing your silly little games old man" Hissed Tanya as she stepped infront of Bella. Irena and Kate moving to Bella's sides protectively.
"Ah so you mean to disrespect us and move against us in our own throne room. This will not do Denali's, it won't do at all" Aro said fiegning hurt as his eyes gleamed sadistically.
"Guard seize and end them" he said cheerfully as he relaxed back against his throne arrogantly. Irritation flicking through his eyes as not one single guard member moved to follow his orders.
"What are you waiting for, do as I command" he hissed angrily, standing from his seat.
"Do as I say or you will all be executed along with them" he shouted as he took a threatening step forward. Still not one single guard member moved to comply. In their anger none of the kings noticed Jane slip from the room quietly.
"You dare defy your kings?" Hissed Cius as he to stood and joined Aro, Marcus moving silently to their other side. Bella thought they made a creepy looking bunch and shivered involuntarily. Kate and Irena both caught her reaction and pressed themselves into her. Kate placing a possessive arm around her shoulders as Irena placed her arm around Bella's waist.
"We will not ask again Aro, go and get our mothers and Queen Sulpicia, our business here does not concern you" Irena stated, her voice deadly low.
"Ah but you see it has everything to do with us, we were the ones that issued the direct order for Isabella Marie Swan to be changed as soon as possible. We allowed her to be married first and we expected her to have been changed at the earliest opportunity. As this has not been done she is a criminal and a danger to us and therefore must die. You standing against us has merely signed your own death warrants" Cius snarled as he looked at the brunette in disgust.
"She is but a mere human and has no place among us immortals" Aro added sarcastically emphasising 'mere human' as he smirked at them.
"I will not stand here and listen to you insult Our mate Aro. Now go and. Fetch. My. Mother." Kate gritted out as her temperature flared. Bella could feel that Irena was already at her breaking point and mere seconds away from losing control. In a bid to de-exculate things before they could get worse she pulled Irena around infront of her and pulled her into a hug, tilting her neck back silently for her blonde.
Irena did not need any further instruction as she buried her face in her human mates neck and took deep, slow breathes in. She clamped her mouth over Bella's pounding pulse at the crook of her neck and sucked gently. It wasn't a shock to Bella this time so the brunette managed to force her body not to react in way that would cause her vampire and concern as such she simply hummed quietly and brought her hand up to rest on Irena's head, holding the angry vampire in place.
She knew from the journey to Volterra that Irena had experienced a particularly violent turning similar to the turning of Rosalie and as such the resulting trauma made it especially difficult for the usually calm, quiet, gentle soul that was Irena to maintain her calm in tense or upsetting situations as they often triggered old dark memories of her experience before her maker found her, bleeding out in the middle of a forest close to her home.
Kate looked down at Bella and smiled fondly when she noticed what their brunette had done, she nodded approvingly before turning her attention back to the situation infront of them.
"Your mate?" Aro scoffed as he took a sinister step forward. "Now I know you're lying, she is the mate of Edward Cullen. Another crime you have committed i see hmm? Stealing ones mate"
At this Bella lost her temper. She was all too happy to stand back and have her mates do the talking for her until the dark haired fool had to go and insult her mates and acuse them of stealing a mate.
"I am not Edward Cullens mate but you know that don't you?" Bella said, her voice flat and earily calm as she passed Irena to Kate.
"Ahh so the human speaks" Cius spat.
"Yes I speak but that is hardly the point. I am unsure what you fools hope to gain from insulting your Queens daughters and demanding that they be put to death for protecting me. But I will not stand for you insulting them and condemning them for absolutely nothing apart from your own amusement Aro. You play with people's lives like you have any right too. You sit on your pedestal and pass judgement without fact and have the nerve to call yourself a king?" The brunette scoffed angrily.
"You stand here and threaten to kill your guard, people who have pledged their lives to serving our people because they won't what? They won't harm their princesses. Because they will not follow a fools orders when he condemns the queens daughter to death because they have requested to speak with their mothers about something that has absolutely nothing to do with you" she continued as she moved to stand beside Tanya, grabbing the blondes hand and holding it tightly.
"You stand thinking yourself above reproach and oh so mighty and knowledgeable when you have no clue what you speak of and I will not stand for it" she finished, her voice deadly.
"And I suppose little human you plan to do something about it hmm?" Aro mocked, smirking at the human infront of him.
"She may not be able to do anything to stop it but we can" called an elegant voice from behind Bella, the voice laced with venom and fury as a woman with long blonde hair entered the room fully, followed by a taller blonde and a smaller black haired woman.
Aro fell silent, glancing at Cius and Marcus wearily as they shrunk back as if they meant to run.