My Strength Chapter 9

When Bella had first walked into the room, she immediately felt overwhelmed. Both Aro and Didyme had immediately practically swarmed her, ignoring Zafrina’s hiss of annoyance, and began asking any question they could think of. In all honesty, Bella had already been overwhelmed and was only seconds away from literally gripping onto Zafrina’s arm and begging for her to taker her away. It was like all pretense of their aloofness had been dropped the moment they were all in a private room with no one outside of their little group.

Aro was astonished that she was able to keep him out of her mind. He had never thought a human would be able to. He knew there were shields, of all different strengths and abilities; but for a human shield to be so powerful? He was completely enthralled. He was curious to know if there was a specific reason, like trauma or personality that caused the human to be so guarded with her mind, to be able to shield her mind as a human.

Didyme simply loved meeting new people. She was very much a people person and wanted nothing more than to meet people and simply talk with them. She was a very happy, go-lucky person and meeting someone new, a new family member none-the-less, she wanted to get to know her new niece! While her powers weren’t working on the human either, she could simply tell that the human may not be the happiest in the world and Didyme wanted to change that. Sure, the human was now with her mate and new found parents, her world was sure to get a lot brighter, but that didn’t happen right away. All Didyme wanted to do was get to know her new family and to help ease her into her new life.

It only took a couple of minutes of Aro asking such mundane questions like ‘Why do you have long hair instead of short hair?’ and ‘What made you feel the need to get to know the Cullen boy in the first place instead of avoiding him like all the other humans?’, before Bella was truly feeling overwhelmed. Aro seemed to want to know her full thought process of why she did or didn’t do things. He was practically the definition of a Chatty Cathy and a Nosy Nancy all in one. It didn’t help that Didyme, while she tried to subdue her brother’s attempts at asking very personal questions, she still asked her own.

After a couple minutes of the duo practically shot-gunning her questions, Caius’s temper got the best of him. While Zafrina had wanted to step in, she truly was concerned that she was already on thin ice with how she acted when they first got there and then all the growling she had done while in the meeting with the royals. She wasn’t sure what would happen if she were to tell them to leave her human alone. Instead, she offered her silent strength, grabbing Bella’s hand and putting it in her lap. She wasn’t the best with words but she knew she could give her mate the strength she needed to deal with the social beings that were the Volturi royalty.

Thankfully, after only a few minutes, Caius had no qualms about being rude to either his brother or sister as they were starting to annoy him with the mundane questions that really had nothing to do with getting to know the girl but just being nosy.

“Would you two shut up?” Caius said in a low volume, but his tone made it sound like he was yelling. “You two are overwhelming me and you’re not even asking me the questions. I think we should just pick a room for her to go hide in for the rest of her time here so she isn’t interrogated while anywhere in the castle you two may find her at.”

“We weren’t interrogating her.” Didyme said with a pout that she knew her brother had a matching look on his face without having to look at him. “We just want to get to know her.” She added as she and Aro both back away from the human towards where their mates were still standing.

“We just want to get to know our new niece, is that so wrong?” Aro asked in a silky tone that if Bella hadn’t been the one that was being asked all the random questions, she would have thought Aro hadn’t done anything wrong.

“Do you really need to know why she decided to move to Forks instead of staying with her mom?” Caius asked with just a hint of a growl.

“Of course!” Didyme quickly assured, defending her brother, “If she hadn’t moved to Forks, she would have never met the Cullen’s and never ended up here and we would never know her. Is that not reason enough to ask her?” She asked, trying to sound as innocent as possible.

“But did you really need to follow up that question with why she felt she needed to abandon her mother to stay with a father that never gave her much attention in the first place?” Caius asked in a dry tone, “How can you not see how personal of a question that is? Have you not learned any tact in your several thousands of years of life? Really; you’re as bad as a child.” He said with a huff of annoyance. “She will tell Dora and myself before she’ll tell you.”

“I will not.” Bella quickly said without thinking, turning her around in Zafrina’s grasp to hold onto her hand, pulling strength from the silent woman.

All she heard was that someone was placing themselves as priority to hear about her personal details without even taking her opinion into thought. These strangers were making assumptions about her; assuming she would spill her entire life’s secrets just because they asked. She hadn’t even answered a single question as they continued to spew question after question at her. They just kept pushing and pushing, literally not even taking a breath as they talked. They hadn’t even given her a chance to answer, not that she was going to, but she would have at least liked the opportunity to answer if she had wanted to.

She was actually about to look to Athenodora for help; she wasn’t sure what she would have said, but she felt Athenodora would be the best to go to between either woman who claimed to have a bond with her. Athenodora was a part of the coven, a queen and the other two’s sister, she had to have some sort of sway or knowledge or something to get them to stop. But Caius stepping in, stopped her from reaching out to Athenodora and instead looked to Caius in annoyance. He was making assumptions about her and what she would do and she didn’t like that. She didn’t want another vampire making assumptions about her and making her decisions for her because ‘they knew what was best’. She wouldn’t let that happen.

“You will in time.” Caius said with such surety Bella felt her eye twitch in annoyance. He sounded like Edward. Were all male vampires that had supposed bonds with her as conceded as the first one? Because it was starting to look like it and that just pissed her off.

“I don’t think I will.” Bella said in a defensive tone, just wanting to prove to Caius that he wasn’t in control of her, regardless of what he thought. She had her own will and own desires and she wasn’t about to push those aside again because a vampire wanted to make assumptions about her.

Caius turned to his human daughter and had to actually fight not to glare at her. While he already very much loved his new daughter, he wasn’t one to let someone argue with him or even tell him what to do and that was exactly what the human had done. He wasn’t okay with that; he was the king and her father. It was fact that daughters told their fathers everything, he was sure of it. Wasn’t there some saying about daddies little girls or being a daddies’ girl or something that meant all daughters were close with their fathers and told them everything?

“It is inevitable.” Caius said, unable to fight his sneer or his haughty tone.

“I wouldn’t even tell you what color my eyes are much less anything personal.” Bella said as she clenched her jaw in annoyance. The audacity this man had to assume she would spill all her secrets to him. Now, regardless of how close they may or may not get in the future, she wasn’t going to tell him anything just to spite him.

Zafrina placed her free hand on her mate’s leg in a way to calm the anger she could feel coming off the human. For as much as she understood her mate’s stance, the human simply didn’t understand how strong bonds were. Even though she was upset with him now, in the future, either in the near or more likely distant future, she will be close to him and will go to him with problems and share with him information that she claims she won’t share. Zafrina didn’t want her mate to make things more difficult for her in the future because she was upset in the moment. Words stuck with vampires for a very long time. Their perfect memory made sure that anything said would not be forgotten.

“You do not need to tell him anything.” Zafrina quietly assured her mate with words as she felt her mate needed just a little more assurance than her touch was providing. Normally she and her sisters were able to communicate best with looks and their eyes, but as they were sitting next to each other, eye contact was not possible. Zafrina was willing to get out of her comfort zone to help her mate.

“How dare y-” Caius started, completely offended that one of their oldest friends and allies would contradict him, but his wife was quick to interrupt him.

“If you even think you are about to raise your voice to our daughter’s mate, the mate that was very much trying to help our daughter, you will regret your actions for a very long time.” Athenodora said in an eerily calm voice that made everyone still their actions. Most of the vampires in the room may have been royalty and very old, but no one wanted to anger Athenodora. She was the oldest known vampire for a very good reason and it was a reason none of them wanted to see. But Caius wouldn’t be Caius if he didn’t know how to push someone’s buttons and knew when to shut up.

“I will do as I please in whatever manner I find best.” Caius said, squaring his shoulders.

The relationship between Caius and Athenodora was interesting to say the least. They seemed to always fight each other, trying to prove to the other who was the ‘dominant one’. While they argued and fought, they were the first to defend the other and felt they were the only ones allowed to fight with each other. And while they always fought and argued, the outcome was always the same: Athenodora was always right. Caius wouldn’t be Caius if he didn’t try to prove his strength and dominance and Athenodora wouldn’t be Athenodora if she let him get away with it.

She zoomed towards her mate, grabbed his neck so tightly that it started to crack and pressed him against him so tightly against the wall that everyone in the room was surprised the wall hadn’t given way to the pressure. It only showed how much control she had over her actions to be able to cause damage to her mate in a none life-threatening move while also ensuring there was no damage used to her props used to control her husband.

She brought her nose up her mates’ neck, taking in deep breaths of his scent that she always craved to smell. Her nose trailed along his neck, ignoring the growls coming from said neck, and trailed just past his ear to have her lips just close enough to not touch his ear as she spoke to him.

“Are you sure my love?” Athenodora asked in a tone that set all the other vampires on edge. Bella couldn’t hear her but the ones that could gave several mixed reactions.

The ones that were from the same coven were well aware of how odd Athenodora’s and Caius’s violent flirting tactics were. They were always at each other’s throats and the more they pissed each other off, the more turned on they became. Every single time Caius pushed Athenodora, this was the result every single time. Although, the walls weren’t always safe from her attacks. Athenodora in turn loved having her buttons pushed by Caius, she loved that he kept pushing her, making her prove she was more than strong enough to keep him in line. They had a strange and seemingly violent relationship that seemed to work perfectly for them and was likely deemed unsafe and unhealthy for literally everyone else.

Caius growled as loud as the throat around his throat would let him, “I am king, what I do is not up for anyone to discuss.” He hissed.

“And I am your queen,” Athenodora said, matching Caius’s volume so their daughter could hear them, “You listen to me. Bella talks when she wants. She will release what information about herself when she wants to; if she ever wants.” She said and then leaned away from her mate, her grasp around his neck turning into more of a caress than a restraint, “That goes to everyone here. Bella’s life is her own and if she doesn’t wish to share, then she won’t.”

Aro took this chance to try and ease the tension that had been built when Athenodora challenged her mate; well, not so much challenged as reel him in, “Yes, we will do well to keep that in mind. But I hope that sometime in the near future you will be willing to have a conversation with us?” Aro asked, making sure to include his sister as he was sure there was nothing Didyme couldn’t get if she wanted. And while his sister’s gift didn’t work on the human, Didyme still had a very enigmatic personality that made people open up to her without her using her gift.

Bella wasn’t sure what to say. She wanted to just say no, but she felt she had already pushed her luck with Caius, she didn’t want to push it with Aro. But she also didn’t see herself having some sort of tea part with the two vampires and tell them everything about herself. She had gone through that with Edward and didn’t want to do that again. That whole conversation with him, most of their conversations together, were always so awkward when he asked what she was thinking and her thought process of their conversation. She felt it would be the same kind of awkward with Didyme and Aro and she didn’t want that.

“I’m sure that in time Bella would be willing to have conversations with you at her leisure.” Zafrina said in a near hesitant voice as she felt Bella wasn’t sure what she could say that wouldn’t upset the royals but still not pledge giving her story to anyone. Bella couldn’t help but send the stoic woman a grateful smile. Zafrina’s answer had been so diplomatic and carefully worded that it made sure it didn’t promise Bella to do or say anything and from the smiles on both Aro and Didyme’s faces, what was said at least enough to appease them for the time being.

“If ever you feel like my dear husband is too much, just tell him to go away.” Sulpicia said from her spot, waving her hand in the air as if waving a fly away, giving her new human niece a gentle smile. “I’m afraid he is still like a child when presented with something, anything really, new and does not seem to very much care for learning not to go past people’s personal boundaries.” Sulpicia gave an amused smile towards her mate, hoping the human would actually follow her advice if only to amuse her when her husband would surely go to her and pout about it.

Bella sent her a small smile, knowing she would never just tell him to go away like the blonde suggested. She wasn’t so sure nothing bad would happen if she were to do that.

“I am also very sure between both your mate and mother, Athenodora especially as she has no qualms opening her mouth, will have no problems sensing your unease and do what they can to rectify it.” Marcus said in a deep timbre voice that actually seemed to calm Bella. She could see herself getting along with the seemingly very calm Marcus. “Zafrina has always been very protective of her sisters; she’s the main reason why any of them really have contact outside of their tribe because she’s the one that tends to do all the talking. I’m sure she will be just as protective, if not more so, with you. She won’t leave you to be on your own.” He was sure the human didn’t know how true his words were. New mates found it very hard to be separate from each other, never mind when one of them was human and clearly either afraid or at the very least nervous in her surroundings. Both Zafrina would be very protective and stuck to the human like glue for a good amount of time. It would be an interesting relationship to watch flourish.

“Awesome.” Bella said, trying to sound both relieved, which she was, but also sarcastic because she wasn’t necessarily okay with the whole situation but there wasn’t much she could do when put against a bunch of super-powered supernatural creatures.

Athenodora tore her eyes away from her mate, giving him a silent promise of fun later that evening, and easily read her daughter’s unease. Perhaps some alone time to relax and get ready for the trip to come would do her daughter some good. And to not be around so many strong personalities that haven’t quite learned how to respect boundaries would be a good thing.

“Why don’t I show you where your room is Bella?” Athenodora asked as she walked towards her daughter, ignoring the pouts on both Didyme and Aro’s faces. They would get over it. “You can rest up and perhaps talk with Zafrina about what to expect on our trip.” She suggested. “You can even ask for Heidi to join you and she’ll be able to give you all the information we have once it’s finalized.”

“Trip?” Aro asked, perking up at this new information. Caius only grumbled something about stupid mates always getting their way but not elaborating when his brother looked his way.

“We’ll talk later brother.” Athenodora promised. “Come with me Bella, I’ll show you, your new room. It’s more of a guest room at the moment that Caius and I had in our wing, but when we’re gone Sulpicia and Didyme I’m sure would be more than happy to turn into a suitable new room for you.”

“I would be honored.” Sulpicia said with a glint in her eyes; she was very much a fan of redecorating and renovating and having a new project would be fun. Didyme nodded her agreement; while she wasn’t as into decorating and whatnot as her sister was, she would love to do it for her new niece.

Athenodora held out her hand for the human to grab but was disappointed when the human instead stood on her own power, Zafrina’s arm moved to wrap around her waist, and waited to follow the queen. The blonde warrior queen pursed her lips but was at least happy that her daughter was going to follow her without complaint like she probably would with Caius.

While her daughter relaxed in the room, she and Caius would talk with the others about their plan and finalize the details. Then in the next day or so they would go to Forks, deal with the problems there and then return and hopefully Bella would be permanently there with her and Caius for the foreseeable future.

The room she was leading the couple to was originally just a side office for her. There was limited space in it but there were surrounding empty rooms that were only being used for storage that they would be able to use to expand her daughter’s room. Whatever her daughter needed or wanted, she would have. She wasn’t sure how much longer her human daughter would be human, so a bathroom wasn’t necessarily needed. She knew some of her fellow vampires loved taking baths to relax; they found it soothing. She found it wasteful; a waste of resources, a waste of space and a waste of time. She didn’t find the point in it. But perhaps her daughter would. That was just something they would learn as they went.

The room held a fire place, a desk, a couch and a few arm chairs surrounded by coffee table. The room was meant more as a sitting room than a place to work. But while they were gone, it would be completely redone to be of better use for her daughter. While they were away, she would send messages back about her daughter’s taste and make sure that when they returned, Bella would actually enjoy her new room.

“You can spend some time here to relax before the next meal. If you wish to explore, just call for Heidi and she’ll show you around.” Athenodora said as she opened the door for her daughter and her mate.

Bella started to walk in, but just a few steps into the room, with Zafrina by her side, silent as ever, she turned to face the queen. She hadn’t thought about it with everything that had been happening, with all the random questions coming at her, but it had been mentioned several times. Zafrina had sisters that she rarely left alone. Yet she was there, with Bella, not one mentioning her sisters herself even once. She was more worried about Bella than herself or even her sisters. Bella was really touched by Zafrina’s clear worry over her instead of those she had called family for many centuries.

“What about Kachiri and Senna?” Bella asked the queen, hoping she would be able to help the dark beauty that had been helping her this entire time. “Can they join us?”

“Consider it done.” Athenodora said with a nod of her head, “Anything else you need?” She asked with a hopeful tone that Bella couldn’t begin to imagine what she would hope for. She briefly thought of asking to be sent home with just the Amazons, Zafrina was really growing on her and she wouldn’t dream of leaving without them, but she didn’t think the Volturi would allow that.

“No thank you.” She said with a small smile, thankful that at least Zafrina’s sisters would be with them soon.

“Just ask if you need something.” Athenodora said with a nod of her head before leaving with vampire speed, leaving the door open.

“Thank you.” Zafrina muttered, back to her usual soft spoken self. But the tone and feeling behind her two words spoke more in volume than she had ever heard those words spoken before.

“Of course.” Bella said, her checks lighting up with a blush as she noticed Zafrina’s intense gaze on her. She hadn’t been faced with that gaze in a little bit and it was still as unnerving as it was before.

Thankfully she was saved from her embarrassment as Zafrina was seemingly tackled by a blur that only took a few seconds for Bella to recognize as Senna. Kachiri had appeared by Bella’s side and if it hadn’t been for the hand she had placed on her shoulder, Bella wasn’t so sure she wouldn’t have jumped ten feet in the air at both of their appearances.

“Thank you sister.” Kachiri said as she looked fondly at her sister’s reunion. While Kachiri was Senna’s mate, Zafrina was her sister that she had hardly been separated from in their lives. They had sat worried about what would happen to their sister after she ran, worried they wouldn’t see her for quite some time. But they were told Bella had requested them and they hadn’t hesitated in coming. Senna was so happy to be united and that Zafrina was not in danger she couldn’t restrain herself. The human had thought of their coven before her own comforts, the human was the mate of their sister and it showed.

“No problem.” Bella said, not bothering to fight the smile on her face from the title given to her from the coven leader.