Bella MacLeod's Twilight Fanfiction

Still Waters

By SkyDancingHobbit

Chapter 10: To Cross A King

I hate war as only a soldier who has lived it can, only as one who has seen its brutality, its futility, its stupidity.

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Bella would remember the next few risings in only vague imagines and discordant sounds. the rustling crunch of a letter as she picked it up from the tray, the coppery smell of salted blood on the edge paper and as the words sunk into her brain the scream she uttered that had bought Marcus and his brothers running. Written in a shaky hand Carlisle was attempting to covey the information in a hurried scrawl.

Her father had been found in the ruined burned remains of the reservation. whole and unmarked as it went but still dead for all to find. his body covering that of a young girl who had hidden behind him as the last refuge before the end came. Just one body among the rest. Familiar names she knew well growing up. Harry, Leah, Quill… elders to the youngest of 5 a roll call of the young and old.

Almost the entire tribe was wiped from the earth in a single evening.

Only a few names were missing. Jacob and Sam and a few others had apparently been away on a fishing trip and now were under medical supervision and those who could help cope with such a loss has been called in to aid the boys as the town railed around the survivors.

Newborns.

The word held no meaning to Bella as she physically shut down panic sweeping through her in an all consuming numbness, Marcus who was no stranger to war had put the pieces together with what little she had told him of Victora swept her into strong arms and she was gone in a flash eyes closed and body shaking so hard her teeth clicked his words washing over her in a low buzz as the grief hit and she sunk into welcomed darkness as she passed out aided by one of the guards.

Offically an out of control wildfire was blamed for the horrible accident and dead were buried in custom of the tribe. Her fathered honored among them as a brother, officer and friend. Forks held the day in memory of his service and the bars offered a free beer that night to all that new Charlie as the entire down drank and swapped stories.

Jacob, several weeks later wrote her to pass along the information he was moving out of state along with the others leaving an address were he could be reached. Forks and the surrounding area was just now too painful for him to stay any longer. She understood and offered friendship wherever the road took them know she would always be a phone call or email away.

Marcus was there a solid comforting rock through her breakdowns and tears the following months and Felix was only too happy to let her throw things at him to burn off some anger now and again never batting an eyebrow and even offering a tip or two on improving her aim. Thena Caius’s wife had trained as a grief and trauma councilor and updated her skill set over the centuries, was a great aid in the following months talking Bella through the worst of her pain. Aro offered distraction in the form of painting classes and even Caius himself taught her baking skills and to her shock even quilting and tapestry making! though he threatened if that secret ever got out he would very calmly destroy all the evidence and claim it was just a horrid rumor made up by an irritating little sister.

It made Bella smile.

There was complete silence from the Cullen’s since the second letter, on an impulse she called Esme’s cell one day and was unsurprised to find it out of service. When asked Marcus was suddenly stone faced and silent on the matter. Aro turned suddenly deaf and Caius got a horribly blood thirsty gleam in his eye that made a shiver run down her spine.

As the weeks sped by though as winter rushed in and the festive season came again she was to be found more often then naught feet from Marcus who always welcomed her company she had lost count of the miles they had strolled through the ancient hall ways and manicured gardens talking over everything and nothing all at once and slowly her smile began to reappear and she even began to laugh again.

What the kings did to address the wrong that had been done she never asked, simply took Marcus’s word one night as she curled up next to him on the leather sofa while he read a childhood tale aloud to her, Around the world in 80 days. Setting the book down he had pulled her close, the gentle rumble of his purr soothing in her ear as his hands traced patterns over her back through the warm sweater and blanket draped around her dropping a series of gentle kisses along her jaw and forehead before answering.

“Vengeance was dealt, justice served in our own way my Bella let that be enough for now. If at a later time you wish to know, I will tell you but for now rest assured they will cause no one any further harm”

At face value she accepted that one knew of the Volturi and their methods were, effective so she asked no more. The only proof she had that they had ventured out of their home turf at all was the fact Felix and Jane had returned both bearing faint scars and the junior guards paid them more then the usual amount of respect.

It only went to show that if one wished to have a long and happy existence as a vampire, one did not cross a king.

Much less three.