Chapter 21-The Beginning of the End

Chapter 21

The Beginning of the End

     I held my sister for a moment, smelling her. She held me tight, touching my hair, my cheeks, my shoulders. She even kissed my cheeks and cried. I kissed her back and she smiled sweetly. Is that how mother smiled? She looked like father in the face, but I guessed beside the hair everything, was mother. I noticed her face was heart shaped, like Jane's, but fuller and rounder somehow. My sister.

"You're my brother..." she sobbed into my cloak.

"So it's true..." the burly man in the corner whispered. I looked at him and smiled.

"I'm Beltrano," I said to the room,"Or, I guess, you would know me as Edward Jacob, the son of Edward Cullen."

     The blonde woman stared at me, and blonde boy-who could've been her twin-scrutinized me. I smiled at all of them. The blonde man with the expensive shoes came up to me. He clapped a hand on my shoulder, and looked me in the eye. I was worried for a moment he might hurt me, but he didn't. He smiled and spoke in a beautiful, kind voice. "My name is Carlisle Cullen, I am Edward's adoptive father and your grandfather. It's a pleasure to meet you after all this time, Beltrano. Welcome to our home."

"I'm Esme!" the brunette woman in the corner stumbled over, wiping her nose as if she had been crying (if she could cry at all). "I'm your Grandmother. It's so nice to meet you." she took my hands in hers and I smiled at her.

"I have a grandmother," I mouthed to myself. She smiled.

I met everyone, the first one to hug me was the woman who was my Aunt, Alice. She told me that she knew she liked me and that I liked her. I smiled when I read her mind. Her friend-Talia-just smiled at me, cocking her head. Jasper, my uncle, didn't smile, but took my hand all the same. Emmett picked me up off the floor and my Aunt Rosalie merely said hello. She ran her hand through my hair, and said she wished she'd known I was born earlier. I laughed and said tearfully I wished she had too. She broke down and hugged me tightly, kissing my forehead.

"Edward?" I turned around and saw my grandmother in the doorway, staring at my father, who filled it's frame. She stared terrified as he walked in the house alone. "Edward?" she sighed again. "Ed-" Giselle walked in, sleepy and tired, with the dried blood in her hair. Esme yelped and ran forward and held Giselle tight. Giselle sobbed as the woman held her. "You're okay! You're okay!" Esme sobbed into her hair. Giselle smiled. "You didn't really think I'd leave you, did you?"

Esme sniffed. "Of course I didn't."

"I told you I would bring him back."

Esme smiled. "I knew you would."

Giselle kissed her forehead. "Liar."

"This is perfect,"Edward whispered, sitting down, one arm around Giselle, and his two children at his feet. Renesmee had her head on my shoulder. I kissed her little cheek and she smiled. Then there was a knock at the door. And another. And another.

"Oh, crap!" I yelled, and went to answer it.

Jane smiled at me. "Gonna let us in?" she whispered sheepishly.

"Er, not my house."

"Let them in!" my father yelled. I obeyed.

Renesmee screamed when she saw them, and ran into her my aunt Rose's arms.

"We won't...we don't..."

"They're harmless," Edward said, defending Jane.

"Then why-?" Jasper began, but I read his thoughts and got ahead of him.

"I've been with the Volturi guard my whole life. Jane and Alec are my best friends." More than that...I thought.

     No one retired to their rooms last night. Talia fell asleep next to Jasper, and her touched her hair hesitantly. Alice smiled weakly at that. Rosalie and Emmett kissed and spoke in quiet tones. Esme and Carlisle spoke with Jane, Alec, and I while Renesmee and Giselle were curled up sleeping. Renesmee at my feet and Giselle on father's lap.

     It was late in the night-or rather early in the morning-when another knock appeared on the door. We all froze. Jane began to sob quietly. "They've found us!" she whispered. I told her to hush as I kissed her forehead. I walked to the door, but before I could enter the visitor's mind, he spoke.

"Princessa!" Giselle's eyes slide toward the door. "Princessa!"

"...Peter?" she yelled.

"Princessa! Let us in!"

"Us?" Giselle asked as she opened the door, then her jaw dropped.

"What is it?" Carlisle asked, stepping next to her. "Oh." he said. "My..."

"My God, Peter! Why is then entire Northland forces on the front lawn?!"she said, staring out at the hundreds of soldiers on snow white and dapper horses, in their white marble armor.

"Princessa...they're coming."

Giselle stared without seeing for a moment. A cold tear slid down her cheek. "Princessa?" Peter whispered. "Who is, Peter?"

Peter stared at her. "Who isn't? The Southland troops is what brought us here, and they're attack north from Seattle, where they're camped. But several of our men were killed last night...sucked dry. I'm afraid your affairs with the creatures of the night have got you into some trouble. They were dressed in all black-"

"The Volturi."

"Should they have reason to kill us?"

"No, but they have reason to kill me."

"We are your people, Princessa. We suffer from your mistakes. Then...there was a wicked beast. Here, Princessa, look into my mind."

"Werewolves?" she asked.

"Quillettes..." Edward hissed.

"They warned us...saying she was coming to get him. Princessa? What does that mean."

"Oh, God!" Edward screamed.

"No...no...she can't..."Giselle whispered, sinking to the ground.

"Who is she? Giselle!" I yelled.

" She's coming...

Bella Swan is coming...."

"Then we have a war on our hands," Peter said.

Giselle whispered. "Indeed. Have you brought it?"

"Have you any doubt?" Peter reached into a satchel and supplied the Princess with a marble wand of pure ivory.

"My magic is limited her, Peter. I won't be much use in the fight."

"Unless someone is here to break the curse."

"You've found someone?!" she screamed, gripping his shirt. "I can leave?!"

"Princessa, not someone. Something." Again he reached into his satchel, pulling out a small vile. "Drink..." he whispered. Giselle took the vile and pressed it to her lips, drinking down its contents. Nothing of significance happened when she was done. "I'm free now?" she whispered.

"Yes," he replied, kissing her hand.

"Well, now I've got a war to win." she waved her wand and brought down a tree branch. The men cheered. She used it to get on the roof of the Cullen's house, the soldier's cheering all the time.

"Gentlemen!" she screamed. "I am the Princess Giselle Northland! And I am here to save our country and WIN! THIS! WAR! I will kill Prince Anton Southland myself and the war will be over! Am I clear?...AM I?"

"YES PRINCESSA!" The soldier's screamed and she smiled with pride.

"Tomorrow we will not only be facing the Southland, but an army of the undead. I want you to understand these people cannot be killed with swords, but with only with magic. I need all the magically gifted warriors to deal with these, and forget the battle with the Southland. Some of you will die. BUT YOU WILL DIE WITH PRIDE! WHAT ARE YOU FIGHTING FOR?"

"THE WOMEN! THE CHILDREN! THE COUNTRY OF THE NORTH!"

"YEEEEESSSS!" Giselle screamed, blood her hair, forehead, and dark rims under her blue eyes. "YOU ARE WARRIORS OF THE NORTHLAND! AND FOR THAT, I SOLUTE YOU! BE STRONG AND REST...FOR THERE ARE THINGS TO DO IN THE MORROW! FIGHT FOR THE NORTHLAND! AND BE STRONG!"

With last Giselle left the roof and retired for the night, her wand in her corset. Going into Edward's room, she turned off the light and Edward simply stroked her hair as she sleep. And nothing more.

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She stretched when she woke in the morning, and Edward kissed her.

"...Are you ready?" he whispered, sounding scared.

"Yes."

"We're helping you fight. Carlisle has called down the Denali and they will be helping us."

"Good," she replied rising.

"It's still early."

"Hmm."

"Giselle!" Edward yelled flipping out of bed. "This could be the last time I see you again. Ever. I just want..."

"Yes?"

"I just want to kiss you and hold you one last time. Okay? But I'm going to ask first, and I'm going to ask you with God as my witness, saying that you and I are married in our hearts. Giselle?"

"Yes?" she whispered.

"Will you make love to me in the view of the world and God?"

"...Yes, Edward Cullen. And I love you."

"I have always loved you, and will always love you."

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Giselle stood at the front of the line up, her sword at her side, her wand gripped in her right hand.  Her thousands of troops behind her, guns, swords, and knives at the ready. The Southland was the first to advance, with Prince Anton leading the assault. He commanded his men,"Do not harm the woman! She is mine and mine-" Peter fired his musket at  the Prince, getting him in the shoulder. Giselle laughed.

"Instructions are good before you get on the battlefield, Anton!"

"That was for hurting my Princessa!" Peter screamed, and the army screamed in response.

   The Volturi came next, and the first order of business was Jane snapping Felix's neck, and Alec taking on Demitri, killing him fast. This left Afton and Chelsea, and Renada behind Aro.

"Kill her quick!" Jane screamed, pointing to Chelsea, and Carlisle took her out.

I took toward Afton, frankly always being annoyed by him. I took great pleasure-too much-in squeezing the life out of him. "Sorry, old friend," I whispered, and I was.

"Go now!" Screamed Giselle to the leaders. "We will let you live! There are other valuable vampires! This is all a game anyway, right? I've took you queen and knight! It's okay! Just go! You cannot win, Aro! No one thinks littler of you."

Aro grimaced. "You have killed almost my entire guard."

"You were right to leave some at home," Giselle said.

"I will go, but I will keep a close on this family. Trust me." he hissed at Jane before the left. I sighed.

"Well," Giselle whispered. "One army gone, one in the process of being destroyed, and one on the way. I think we are making good progress at surviving."

"Knock on wood now!" Renesmee screamed.

"Well...all we have to do now, is wait for Bella Swan."

"What was that?" Talia whispered, shaking.
"Beltrano," Giselle whispered. "Become invisible. Right now."

I was shaking as I did as I was told, and the russet wolf and the red-eyed vampire stepped into the clearing.

My mother and step father.