Bella MacLeod's Twilight Fanfiction

Still Waters

By SkyDancingHobbit

Chapter 08: The Other Letter

“About three things I was absolutely positive. First, Marcus was a vampire. Second, there was a part of him-and I didn’t know how potent that part might be-that thirsted for my blood. And third, I was unconditionally and irrevocably in love with him.”

Bella Swan, Twilight

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Bella smiled, sitting on her balcony face warmed by the last evening rays of the sun as it filtered through the passing clouds. A cup of tea sat on the small table beside her along with stationary, a recently sealed response to the Cullen clan’s last letter, a radio, and a few books completing the scene of restful peace.

She would look back on this past day’s work in years to come as a turning point in the relationship between Marcus and herself, though they had been building to such a time in so many small ways it was hard to trace where or when the thaw began to be noticeable and her own speech patterns had begun to return to normal modern pattern. She had simply just noticed that it had.

He in turn began to seek her out each morning for a stroll in the gardens speaking of everything ranging from favorite books and music to anything else that came to mind. So two weeks had slipped quietly away in the fashion like water over rocks in a falls. Small brushes of a hand here, a lingering caress there, the affection began to deepen. Until, that was, this morning when they began a topic that set events into motion.

Rome, or, to be exact, what he could remember of his human life.

Roman citizen that he was, she had listened spell bound as he recounted moments in history firsthand that she had only read about vaguely mentioned in the pages of a history book. It wandered from food, dress and manners of the day. He chuckled at her outrage as he spoke of the burning of the library of Alexandria. Tracing nonsensical patterns over her left hand that he cradled in his own as if she were made of spun glass.

“You actually were there?! Who in their right mind burns a library?! Honestly! I hope you or someone gave them a sound thrashing!”

“If it makes you feel better, the culprit was not in his right mind, Cara”

She had been so worked up over this his quiet reply had taken a few moments to sink in cutting her off in mid tirade.

“All that knowledge gone! just poof in a matter of hours its just.…..wait…..you know who it was?!”

“Yes, my lady, I do “

His crimson eyes warmed in amusement as they regarded her, challenged her waiting it seemed only for her to ask as he raised her hand to his lips brushing the skin of her knuckles with a gentle kiss. Bella was brought up short with this knowledge weighing her options. She knew he would tell her the moment the request left her lips, but could she live with that knowledge, the answer to one of the most nagging questions she had at the moment? What if it was someone she knew? That was a horrible thought indeed! Aro certainly fit the bill for mental state for the deed, but did he do it? Could he do it?

“It wasn’t who you’re thinking, Cara, though he would be gravely offended if he know you even considered him. My brother may have many faults, but his love of the printed word is so deep, it borders on unhealthy. He would sooner set fire to the world then a library”

“I… what? How did you know?!”

“It is well you don’t have a dishonest bone in your body, Cara, for your thoughts play clearly across your face, lovely as it might be “

A low rumbling chuckle softened his words further and Bella had to admit the description did fit her rather well as Marcus, mindful of the heat of the summer sun, rose, gently nudged her into a shaded gazebo, and just watched her settle comfortably onto a wicker chaise longue when a guard appeared with cool tea and a snack.

Suddenly plucking a cluster of grapes off the tray, Marcus had approached her with a thoughtful expression. Yet when he spoke there was a hesitant, almost wistful note to his voice that caught her full attention.

“Cara… May I?”

Mystified for the moment, Bella had tilted her head, then the import behind what he was asking hit her like a train and she felt slight color rise in her cheeks. Of course! Had not they just gone over the correlation between Romans, Greeks and the meaning behind the fruit? Lord above Marcus wanted to hand feed her grapes! ‘Yes, yes please!’ Her mind all but shouted as after smiling rather shyly she had nodded, nearly missing the expression of surprise that passed over his features as he crossed the space between them, and, after brushing her knuckles again with his lips, had spoken again.

“If this is to be done properly, I must change. I shall return shortly, Cara.”

Her mouth went dry as various images chased through her mind in rapid succession as she remembered what he said about the different classes in society at the time. Would he appear dressed as a Roman warrior? Senator? The possibilities were tantalizing, yet what emerged from the other side of the garden left every imagined image in her head in the dust. Marcus had been a general in his day apparently. The helmet under his arm bore a golden plume that was striking against the black armor he wore, ornamented by ceremonial gold adorning the breast plate, and a white cape trailing behind with a tunic of matching black and gold worn underneath completed the picture.

“Wow.”

Bowing in his courtly fashion, and with her permission, Bella soon found herself with her head resting comfortably on his lap supported by a pillow while he gently took each grape from its stem and offered it to her, all the while running his other hand through her hair with slow deliberate touches, mimicking the motions she had made not that along ago with his own. When the last one was gone, all the day seemed to melt away around them. If heaven could be found on Earth, Bella was content she had reached at least close as she dared while still breathing on Earth. So relaxed was she that when a nap tugged her away, she awoke some time later with his voice reaching her ear, reading aloud without any notion how long she had slept, nor even caring. Rising slowly to a sitting position, she heard, rather then felt, Marcus move before he settled back into her field of vision, kneeling before her as if she were some great lady.

“I have a final request to make of you, Bella.”

“Yes, Marcus?”

“I… would very much, like to kiss you. May I?”