December 16th, 2006, Forks WA

Bella sat with her odd child in her arms, listening to Estelle's maman speak with rapt attention. The girl had confessed that she had been introduced to the idea of the Dupuis coven from the soft words of Rosalie and the admittances that Edward and Carlisle had made about their old friends.

After fielding Marion's curious inquisitions, the girl had made questions of her own. Now, her maman regaled the tale of Estelle's own birth and the horrifying escape she had made during the French revolution that Carlisle had ultimately saved the three of them from.

It enraptured the newborn, her curiousity at their opinions concerning what would have been their demise if not for the old vampire amusing.

Their deep opinions on French politics had long faded over the years.

Edward hovered nearby, watching his spouse and child as thought they were the only point in the world to fixate upon.

It was disgustingly romantic and she wished dearly that wish could laugh at him for having such deep feelings for his family, ifmnt for the fact that she had at one point considered she could have a similar connection as well.

In conversation, Edward and the Denali, as well as uncle Hugo, discussed the desperate threat of the Volturi and the abilities that they possessed within their guard. Thomas sat enraptured at the topic, eager to learn all that they said.

The main points of contention, of course, being Alec and Jane. The terrible two that, of sorts, ought not have ever been changed. There was also Demetri, who frightened Estelle much more by far. Not to mention Chelsea who would steal away any gifted vampire that she might manage to gift to her masters.

And according to Eleazar, Bella was gifted as well. The newborn broke away from her conversation with maman to respond to Kate.

"Can you project?"

"Project?" Bella asked.

"Project out of yourself, protect others."

Bella shrugged. "I don't know Ive never tried. I don't even know I could do that."

"You might not be able to," Kate replied softly. "Lord knows I've been trying for centuries and the most I can manage is a light current over my skin."

Hugo made a small humming sound of interest. "I had not realized that you have been attempting such a thing."

The blonde grins a feral sort of smile at her uncle. It was one that was sharp and near accusatory. "You have not seen us in a very long time."

"Yes, you haven't come to Europe in so long. The last we saw you was when we brushed paths in Austria," Marion remarks slyly, shifting the accusation back to her.

The thing about vampire covens was that the larger they were, the harder to remain hidden. If they wanted to keep jobs or an appearance they could not be parading around making a spectacle.

As it were, the Dupuis held a few minor differences in beliefs from the vegetarians in so that they believed it was perfectly acceptable to cheat on their diet when they saw fit so long as they weren't freely going bout taking the lives of whoever. Thomas, as the newest, slipped most often and the families stance toward their diet made it most easy on his ego.

They had not expressed as. much vocally, but the knowledge was common nonetheless. Their judgement was bitter when the topic came around.

"Kate's got an offensive skill," Edward cuts in, "Sort of like Jane."

The newborn flinches away from her as if  by instinct.

"So do I," Estelle grins at the pair, "A little like Jane, a little like Alec."

Bella's gaze whips around to her, taking her in with an expression of pure shock.

As effective as her gift could be, it wasn't something that she tended to use very often, or at all. It depended on the person and how they reacted to it all. Some did much better than others, many of their kind couldn't resist the draw to succumb to it.

"We are not discussing your ability," her maman reprimands sharply. "Nor are we to discuss Thomas."

Estelle nods easily, not at all concerned by the censor. Edward had felt, once, what Estelle was able to do and it was likely, in part, one of the reasons that they had been sought out to be here.

Thomas remains pleasantly content beside their mother, without a care in the world.

She was not under the delusion that her old friend was trying to sell that he was trying to build a line of defence for his daughter. Had the positions been reversed, she would have sacrificed ever vampire and werewolf that appeared to keep her family alive and safe. Estelle wasn't a kind person at heart. She wouldn't sacrifice before anyone else.

Hells, she had essentially commit suicide just to get the life that she wanted.

"Shall we discuss yours instead, maman?" she teased.

Bella, with distracted politeness, asked, "You have a talent?"

Her mother laughs. "Not one that is any bit useful."

Lifting her hand, the furniture began to rearrange themselves. Bella was the only one shocked by the procession, Renesmee simply laughing in  delight at the movement.

"It's like from Beauty and the Beast," Bella laughs.

Rolling her eyes, her mother sorts the room into a style that clearly suited her tastes much more than before. If Marion could edit colours, then it would all have been redone in an instant.

"It was a joke i have heard many times when that film came out," Marion says. "My daughter thought it was all the more funny because it is in France."

Unawares of the silent conversation happening between Edward and Eleazar, Estelle was uncertain of what she had missed, though it was likely she still would be on uneven footing with Edward's ability to read the persons thoughts before they are spoken and reply.

"Can you think not even one exception?" Edward asks.

"I don't want to think of them that way," Eleazar hissed through his teeth. "If you're right--"

"The thought was yours, not mine," Edward interrupts.

"If I'm right... that you mean the things I've done, the world that we created..." Eleazar shakes his head. "The very world we have created, the one that I've helped to create, will have been a lie. The things that I've..."

Tanya placed a comforting hand on his shoulder but the vampire simply shrugged it off and continued to pace. She watched him for a moment then turned to Edward, demanding, "Explain."

"The Volturi come out en masse, with the entirety of the guard, when they set their gaze on a coven that they've claimed has broken the rules," Edward says. "As Eleazar remembers, there is always one or two whom Aro has read in their thoughts to be regretful and pure. Not beyond redemption. They are always individuals with gifts."

"Are you implying that they've been executing covens to covet their powerful members?" Hugo asks harshly, with the tone of voice of someone who has been hunted down to be executed.

The promise not such an outcome simply due to their presence here must of been terribly triggering for her mother and uncle. Being targeted already once before, at a time and n a life that had murdered Estelle's husband, it must have been a horrendous thought -- more so when Marion and Hugo had fled in desperation that night so many years ago that had ultimately resulted in her maman's death.

And they would be facing persecution once more, as Estelle knew that Marion would never simply hand her or Thomas over to the Volturi should they demand such a thing.

"I am saying that there has never been a coincidence when it is concerning these things," Eleazar allows bitterly. "I am ashamed to admit that I have witnessed it done, have been part of these proceedings, without realizing."

Carmen moves to interrupt his jagged pacing around the room, comforting her mate. "You cannot disparage yourself for doing as you were tasked. They do well to uphold the rest of our laws."

"Strict as they may be, that much is true," Estelle notes.

"It must be a heady thing to be chosen," Kate suggests.

"Ha!" Eleazar snarls, still in motion.

"There is one among the guard," Edward says, explaining Eleazar's angry reaction. "Her name is Chelsea. She has influence over the emotional ties between people. She can both loosen and secure these ties. She could make someone feel bonded to the Volturi, to want to belong, to want to please them.."

Marion hums, catching her daughters attention. "I have seen Chelsea use her talent once. While visiting with Carlisle. We did not linger long."

Eleazar came to an abrupt halt. "We all understood why Chelsea was important. In a fight, if we could separate allegiances between allied covens, we could defeat them that much more easily. Chelsea would break the ties that bound them together to prevent them from fighting together. It seemed a great kindness to me, evidence of Aro's mercy. I did suspect that Chelsea kept our own band more tightly knit, but that, too, was a good thing. It made us more effective. It helped us coexist more easily."

Estelle reason that it made sense for the gift to be turned back towards their own just as easily. The Volturi were the largest coven of vampires that any of their kind had ever dared to form together. It was a curious idea before, how they managed to coexist with such ease. She had never thought to question it before, never planning to leave the coven that she had now.

"I can only think that this must be the goal for Aro coming himself. His goal is not in conquests but acquisition," Eleazar says.

Edward's voice comes as a low breath. "From what I saw of his thoughts last spring, Aro's never wanted anything more than he wants Alice."

"Is that why Alice left?" Bella asks, voice breaking on the name.

Edward put his hand against her cheek. "I think it must be. To keep Aro from gaining the thing he wants most of all. To keep her power out of his hands."

Estelle knew Alice, had met the odd vampire briefly when she came to seek help from Carlisle with Thomas. She had been kind, welcoming, speaking to them as toughen they were already part of the family and not passing through.

Alice was warm. She did not accuse Estelle or her mother one anything to do with her other coven mates.

"He wants you, too," Bella says.

"Not nearly as much as Alice."

Eleazar makes a sound at the back of his throat. "He will want your mate as well. He must have been intrigued by a talent that could defy him in its human incarnation."

Edward was clearly uncomfortable with the topic, looking to his newborn bride with undisguised unease.

"He will want any vampire that with a powerful, intriguing gift that comes here," Eleazar carries on like he was truly oblivious. "He might come for Estelle."

"No," Marion denies fiercely. "I have spent years keeping my children out of their sights, I will not allow their existence to be known now. We are not here to fight Nothing you say will persuade us to do so."

Marion stand, reaching a quick hand out to her children. Estelle does not hesitate to move to move to her mother. Thomas is just as quick to join them, clinging tight in the way that Estelle knows her maman loves. It makes her feel as though they are still young children that she could easily protect.

"Do not attempt to pray on a mothers fears to make me change my approach," Marion scolds. "I will protect my family first before I ever defend yours."

***

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2024-03-01