Chapter XVI

April 17th, 1512

Esme fussed over Rosalie as if she was her own child. All Edward and I could do, was stand back and watch, like wallflowers.

Alice had made herself Esme's assistant.

For two days and nights, Royce sat beside Rosalie, murmuring words of comfort and encouragement, and he hardly ate or drank anything. Even though I was starving, it would be rude of me to eat like a pig while Royce ate nothing. I'm usually fine at not eating for a while, but today, I was unusually hungry. I felt my stomach growl.

"Come," said Edward, pulling me to the kitchens. "Let's eat. There's nothing more we can do here. Alice and Esme have everything under control. Royce has been to war. He can last days without food and drink, while we can't. What do you feel like eating?'

"Anything will do," I said, feeling faint.

Edward glanced at me.

"Are you alright?" he said, concerned. "You look paler."

"Just hungry," I murmured. "I think. Maybe we should go and eat. I think following Royce's example of fasting isn't the best idea for me."

The two of us headed towards the kitchen, and when we arrived, Edward pulled out a chair for me and ordered some sausages, bread, eggs and milk, even though it was almost midnight. The few cooks that were awoke, grudgingly cooked them for us. They weren't happy, and kept shooting us (especially me) dirty looks. Their clothes were messed up more than usual. I suspected that Edward woke them from their sleep just for this. Once I settle in a bit more, I'll apologise for this affair to them, and hopefully, they'll view me more differently then they do now. I don't want to be known as a snobbish mistress. I want to be friendly with everyone.

A grumpy cook dumped our food in front of us.

I watched him shuffle off.

"Eat," said Edward, handing me a sausage speared on a tiny pitchfork. "Don't worry about him. All cooks are cranky when they get woken up in the middle of the night to make food. They only sleep from ten to five, and love to get as much sleep as they can. It's not your fault, Bells. You're new here, and they think you're the one that wants food at his time."

"What are these?" I said, looking interestedly at the tiny pitchfork. "I never saw these before! In Court, we seemed to use our hands a lot."

Edward laughed at me.

I looked at him, offended.

"These are called forks," explained Edward. "The newest inventions that merchants sell. It'll keep our fingers clean, and it's easier to pick up food from the plates. Carlisle found them a couple of days ago and sent Esme some. Look at these small implements. They look like spades, don't they? These are called spoons, and are used for desserts and soups. The royals will be presented forks and spoons in the ceremony tomorrow morning."

The forks and spoons had been made from silver.

"Edward, Isabella," said Royce, appearing at the door. "Rosalie's awake."

We scrambled up and followed him to Rosalie's room. She had been in a lifeless state for quite a while, and we were both worried about her.

Alice came out.

"She wants to see you," she told Edward. "Oh, and Royce, Rosalie wants you to go and eat a hearty meal before seeing her. Bella, she wants to see you after Edward. Both of you get to talk to her individually, and Esme's gone to write a letter to Carlisle."

Edward went in, and I walked with Alice to the balcony.

Even now, she still wore an English gable hood.

"How was Court?" Alice said absently.

"Not bad," I said awkwardly. "I don't think it's the place for me though. Some other women are so bold and talk back to the Queen. There seems to be a lot of falseness about it, and the nobles all seem to be currying for the King's favour. Its like when he dies, their lives are finished, and they're trying to get as much power and goods as they can."

"Typical of them."

"I hate it, seriously. The Queen's kind to us, but the King is cruel and abusive. Rosalie was only protecting herself, and he slapped and abused her. What'll happen next? He'll make all the Courtiers watch him torture a poor soul? I never want to go to Court again. Those days I was there, were the worst days of my life. Even worse than the time I spent with Jacob."

"You're a country lass like me."

"Why don't you go to Court? You might like it."

Alice was silent.

I waited patiently. Slowly, Alice took her hood off.

I gasped.

Her hair had been cropped short and spiky like a man's.

"Not much to see, is it?" said Alice, tears in her eyes, and a small, forced smile on her face. "No one knows that I'm one of Carlisle's daughters. They always thought that I was just a ward who'll marry a Cullen lord once I'm of age, or an orphan cousin who has to live off relatives. No one paid attention to me in the feasts. The only person outside this family who knows I'm Carlisle's child, is Aro I. I've only been to Court once in my life, and it ruined me! I would've loved to go again! For the dancing, walks in the market, and to find myself a husband. I wanted to marry for love, Bella. You're lucky you married Edward. There would never be a kinder and more caring man. I have no future prospects. My skin is pale, because I never set foot out from this castle, and I'm stunted in height because of what I said. Promise me you'll be careful when you go back! One word can ruin you!"

"What happened?" I said quietly.

"It was a few years back. I was thirteen, and went with the whole family to Court for the first time. I don't mean to brag, but I had luscious black hair that fell to my hips, which curl at the tips. Many people said that I was as beautiful as Rosalie, in my own special way. The first night, we met the King, and he must've felt attracted to me-"

"You were the maiden who refused to be his mistress?!"

"Yes."

"You were thirteen!"

"I had no idea that my refusal would stop all my dreams and future plans! For days, Aro I sent me flowers and small trinkets, and Carlisle and Esme told me to send them back. I didn't know what was happening! One day, he cornered me near the stables, and wanted me to be his mistress. He promised me riches, and anything I want will be mine. One one condition; I'll never leave Court and be his wife in all, but name. I was frightened. All I wanted to do, was run away. I said no, and he laughed and pressed himself closer to me. All I could do, was to kick his balls and run."

"He deserved that kick."

"Aro I's infatuation turned to anger. He arrested me on the grounds of witchcraft and visited me in prison. He had tweezers and torture equipment with him. Two of his most loyal supporters were also in the cell with him and me. Aro I said that I'm a witch, and sorcery isn't tolerated in Volterra. I was tied up and locked in a small iron box that was full of water. At the top, was five small holes. The water I was placed in, was contaminated. Aro I reached through the holes and pulled my hair. He was so strong! He pulled my hair out of their roots, while telling me that the only way to drain me of witchcraft, is to pull me apart and rid me of my beauty. I couldn't scream, or the water will go through my mouth and kill me. After most of hair was ripped off, Aro I's friend scorched the letter 'A' in the middle of my skull with an iron, fire-tipped poker. I was taken out of the box, and Aro I scratched his name into the back of my neck with his dagger, as extra pain. I was left in the cell for days."

"How did you get out?"

"I couldn't."

"You're still alive and here!"

"Carlisle heard about what happened, and offered Aro I a thousand florins for my return. Aro I agreed, on the condition that I never return to Court, and he never sees me again. That's why I'm always here, while the rest of you go to Court. Part of the agreement, was that I remain a spinster for life, and I never join a nunnery or convent. I spurned Aro I's love, and he had his revenge on me. It's my fault Rosalie had those scars and bruises on her body."

"How is it your fault?"

"I talked to Rosalie, and she said that when he was assaulting her, he kept saying how witches all come from the same family, and that she'll meet the same fate as me. She was luckier than me. She ran away before he could inflict more pain on her."

I felt twisted knots in my stomach.

Both the Cullen girls have now been abused by Aro I.

I'm their sister-in-law.

Will I be Aro I's next victim?

"It's not as bad as you think," Alice said, placing her hood back on her head. "Wearing a hood all day, except when you sleep and wash. Months after my hair was ripped off, it grew back, but stopped when it reached the top of my neck. I don't know why! Bella, I'm not a witch, but I can sense danger and good fortune when I'm close to someone. You're now a Cullen through marriage, and Aro I will want you as his mistress. Stay away from him, and don't go to Court. If you have to go, stay near the Queen and the other ladies as much as you can. Do not let him catch you alone. This is for your own safety, and all of our lives are at stake. Two refusals from two Cullen girls are bad enough, but if you refuse to be his mistress too, then he'll exterminate the lot of us. I trust you Bella, but please don't tell anyone else about me. It's supposed to be a secret."

"I'll never tell anyone," I promised. "I understand you privacy for it. If you don't wear hoods, will you keep your hair like Rosalie's? Oh, I noticed that other ladies had portraits with them. DO you have a picture of yourself before what happened?"

Alice nodded.

"Come," she said, standing up. "I'll show you."

I walked with Alice to a part of the castle I'd never been to before.

The corridors were darker than the ones at the other end.

"No one comes here," said Alice, lighting candles on the way. "It's the darkest parts of the castle, and closed off by a door which was crafted into a bookshelf in the library. That way, no one can find my chambers and tell Aro I. Carlisle and Esme made sure that I have the biggest and most luxurious chambers with my own cooks and ladies and even my own library, and my existence in Court and even the family is erased forever. Basically, I'll have my own small castle in exchange for the public acknowledgment that Carlisle has only four children."

"Don't you get lonely by yourself?" I said, glancing around nervously. "I'm sure your siblings visit you, but you have the same Ladies-in-waiting as companions for all your life! How do you know you can trust them with your secret?"

"They're country girls," replied Alice. "Daughters of farmers and millers."

"They agreed to stay with you till their deaths?"

"Yes. Their families get paid handsomely. The girls do see their families from time to time, but they are forbidden to speak about me. If they do, well, let's say they'll be in big trouble. Come in. All the other ladies are sleeping."

She opened another door in her chambers, and I stared around in wonder.

It was Alice's bedchamber, and the first thing that caught my attention, was the many framed portraits all around the room. The one opposite her bed, was a family portrait. It must've been painted a couple of weeks before Alice was seduced by Aro I. Rosalie, Esme and Alice were seated at the front, in their most beautiful dresses. Rosalie's hair was left out, and entwined in it was a jewelled circlet that looked like a family heirloom. Alice wore a French hood, but her long hair was still seen. Alice had an innocent, naïve smile on her face.

Behind them, stood Emmett, Edward, Carlisle and Jasper.

It was well-painted.

The artist had captured every Cullen's characteristics and personalities.

Other portraits were of Alice as an infant, Alice with her older siblings, Alice with her parents and with

all those portraits, she could form a pictorial timeline of her life before it was changed.

"Sad, isn't it?" Alice murmured. "All these pieces of magnificent artwork, locked away, just because of one lustful King. Carlisle had to have the artist paint another family portrait without me. It was to convince people that he only had four children."

I felt pity and sympathy for her.

She protected her virtue, and sacrificed her life for it.

"Come," said Alice, closing the door behind us. "We should go back before Edward gets worried about you. His talk with Rosalie is probably finishing up. If you want to see me, just go to the library and knock on the bookshelf full of historical volumes."

Even with bruises and scars on her body, Rosalie still had the physique of a goddess and looked beautiful. She smiled at me wanly.

"Are you alright?" I asked.

"Getting better," answered Rosalie. "I hope my baby's alright. Royce said that I'm to stay here until a later date. Court is intriguing, but dangerous. I'll be glad to have a rest. If the Queen requires my presence, I'll return to Court a few weeks after my child is born. How are you, Bella? Did you enjoy your time at Court, serving the Queen?"

"Not really," I said, making a face.

Rosalie laughed softly.

"Was it the gardening or fruit picking?" she inquired.

"Some of the other girls are intolerable," I replied. "Especially Aro I's mistress. Or the girl if she's still his mistress. She thinks that Aro I will discard the Queen for her. He wouldn't really do it, will he? Sulpicia is a really caring and loving woman. If he replaces her with that girl as his wife, Volterra won't be peaceful for much longer. All that girl's family will be swarming to Court, and her female relatives married to the most powerful men in Volterra, and her male relatives will dominate the Court and royal positions. That would be a nightmare. Besides, I don't think her rank is high enough to qualify her for Queen. How well do you know people in Court?"

"Pretty well, I guess. I know the ambitious people who only seek power, the allied families and the enemies of Aro I. I don't know everyone by name, but I do know people from behaviour and description, is there a reason for this?"

"Do you remember when someone tried to kill Edward?"

"Yes. Do you know who he is?"

"That's why I need your help. I think it's someone from Court."

"That stabbed him, or ordered someone to?"

"What?"

"Courtiers who want people dead are mostly wealthy. They normally hire an assassin, or one of their lesser relatives do the dirty work, and get paid. The higher his position, the more chance it was a hired killer. Do you have anyone in mind? Jacob might want Edward dead, but he won't stab him. He would want Edward to suffer as much as possible. He would also want to kill Edward himself and watch him struggle to live, or die quicker."

I glanced around, and pulled the sketch of Edward with a dagger at his neck from my purse I take with me everywhere, and showed it to Rosalie.

Rosalie's eyebrows arched.

"Fine lines," she commented.

"It's a sketch," I said plainly.

"Even though it's a sketch drawn by Edward's foe, it's still a good artwork. A lot of effort and time had been spent drawing it. If you look closer, you can probably decode the emotions and feelings of the artist when he drew this."

"When did you know so much about art?"

"I had art lessons when I was younger. As well as floral arranging and a whole list of subjects. You look stunned, Bella. Don't you think I have the capability of arranging flowers and painting? Hard to imagine, but I can build carriages too, if I'm allowed (which I doubt). Anyway, what do you want me to do with the sketch? I can't identify it."

"That's what I'm hoping…"

"What makes you think that I can identify them? You could've asked Jasper. He knows more courtiers than I do! Isabella, what are you planning?"

She had become suspicious of me again.

Is there something touchy about art to her?

A sudden image flashed in my mind.

"I know you can figure it out," I said confidently. "You're the one who painted most of the portraits in Alice's bedchamber. In the corners of the paintings you did, were the letters 'R C'. Rosalie Cullen. How old were you then? Seventeen? Sixteen? You must have loved painting back then. I'm sure there's a part of you that still loves and respects art in you somewhere, behind all your other characteristics. Rosalie, you're one of the best artists I know."

"Alright," sighed Rosalie. "Pass it over."

I handed the sketch to her.

"It was erased and redrawn," Rosalie told me, after studying it for a while. "First, it was just Edward, and then the artist redrawn it with a dagger in his neck. She must've had a mood swing. The killer was paid to assassinate Edward."

"How do you know it's a girl?" I couldn't help asking.

"Girls have more patience," answered Rosalie. "Male artists are brilliant, but they prefer to draw on finer pieces of paper. If they get angry, they would rip the picture up and draw it again. Besides, the lines are very graceful, while men draw lines a little more rougher. Would you like me to investigate this picture when I return to Court?"

"Yes please!"

"I'll be glad to do so. As a favour to you."

"Thank you. Will you be alright?'

"I suppose. How about you, Bella? Are you with Edward's child yet? Will little Renesmee have a half-sibling, and my baby, a cousin?"

I was silent.

A thought struck me; am I pregnant with Edward's child?

Rosalie will give birth to her child in the next chapter, I promise! :) Please review!