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𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐄𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐄𝐄𝐍
|| the wedding part one ||

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THE MUSIC BEGAN TO PLAY AND BELLA STROLLED DOWN THE AISLE WITH CHARLIE'S ARM HOOKED AROUND HER OWN, and Arlina couldn't help but notice how beautiful she looked. The redhead smiled at the nervous Swan girl, clapping her hands together excitedly but also careful not to make a sound.

She looked over at Edward, who was staring at the human with so much love and happiness, the happiest Arlina had ever seen him and it made her feel so warm inside as if she still had a heart.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we are gathered here on this glorious day to witness the union of Edward Cullen and Bella Swan." The Minister spoke loudly and clearly, and everyone sat back down in their seats — Arlina reached over to her right and placed her warm hand gently onto Alec's, watching as Bella tried to stay on her feet by the huge painting she had painted her self, "Please repeat after me. I, Edward Cullen."

"I, Edward Cullen." Edward repeated, turning his body to stand in front of Bella with his hands in his.

"Take you, Bella Swan."

"Take you, Bella Swan."

"To have and to hold."

"To have and to hold." Flightless Bird, American Mouth by Iron & Wine began to play, and the vows were blurred out as Arlina watched the couple with such contentment whilst listening to the romantic song, she almost started crying from how much her eyes were watering.

Alec stared at his mate intently, smiling at her and glad to see her in so much glee and free of stress.

"I do." Edward looked into Bella's eyes with a small smile.

"I do." Bella responded with the same loving eyes as her newly-wedded husband.

"I love you."

"I love you." Bella's eyes fluttered closed and she leaned forward, planting her lips on Edward's softly. Everyone began to clap and send whoops of delight for the couple, and if Arlina was human, her whole dress would be soaked in tears. Alec leaned over and kissed her gently on the temple with a huge grin on his face. Demetri and Felix were sat on the behind him and were cheering loudly, dancing together out of enthusiasm causing Bella and Edward to stop kissing to laugh at them.

Everyone stood from their seats, and clapped even louder with huge smiles on their faces as the couple kissed once more.

It was a couple of hours later and everyone was involved in conversation or just dancing to the gentle music that was playing by the small, classical live band. Alec, Demetri, Felix, Bree and Arlina were stood by, observing and pretending to drink wine with smiles on their faces.

Arlina spotted Bella and Edward from a couple of metres away and grabbed Bree's hand, pulling them over to the newlyweds with a huge grin. As soon as they were close, Arlina wrapped her arms around the beautiful human, kissing her cheeks excitedly.

"Ah, Bella, you look so beautiful!" She pulled away and allowed Bree to hug her, and they both stood, admiring the girl, "And your dress is so stunning!"

"Thanks, Arlina. You look incredible too." Bella smiled wider than ever, and it caused Arlina's eyes to water once again so she wiped them, and Bree hugged her side, "Sorry, I've been so happy today."

"We love your painting, Lina, it's so pulchritudinous." Edward spoke up with his arm resting on Bella's waist with a smile.

"Oh yeah, it must've taken you forever." Bella added.

"Actually, it didn't take too long, that's the benefit of being a vampire and thank you." Arlina embraced Edward really quick before she noticed that Edward was smiling at someone behind her so she looked behind, and noticed the Denali coven.

Carmen moved forward and placed her hands on Bella's head, kissing her on her cheeks before she pulled away, Eleazar close to her side.

"Congratulations, Edward." Eleazar smiled and hugged Edward quickly.

"Thank you." The Cullen responded with a grin.

"Oh, my goodness! Hello, Arlina!" Carmen embraced the redhead swiftly and kissed her cheek with a chuckle, before she gestured to Bree who stood close to Arlina's side, "Who might this be?"

"This is Bree, our newest family member of the coven." Arlina held Bree's hand tightly to comfort the girl, and Bree smiled briefly with a nod.

"Hello." The smaller Cullen spoke quietly and Carmen giggled, already loving the shy girl and Eleazar smiled at the youngest with a nod, careful not to scare the girl even further.

"Eleazar and Carmen, right?" Bella asked, pulling their attention away from the Cullen girls, and Carmen hummed, wrapping her arm around her mate.

"Hola." Eleazar greeted with a smirk, Kate and Tanya walked forward and stood beside the mates in their coven. Arlina hugged the sisters comfortingly and Kate chuckled at the sudden feeling of warmth surrounding her body.

"Oh, my God, I forgot how warm you are!" Tanya exclaimed, causing everyone to look over at her.

"These are our cousins from Alaska. Tanya, Kate." Edward informed Bella, and nodded at the girls as he spoke so they were easier for Bella to identify.

"We've heard so much about you." Kate spoke gently.

"Welcome to the family." Eleazar reached forward and patted Bella's arm carefully not to hurt her.

"Bienvenida." Carmen said in Spanish and Arlina smiled wide, missing the language that she learnt so long ago but had forgotten most of it.

"Thank you." Bella chuckled.

"Irina." Carmen called over to the third blonde sister to Kate and Tanya, who was looking over at Seth Clearwater, the boy who had grown pretty fond over Bree, with such hate in her eyes, "Come meet Bella."

Irina carefully walked forward, stopping just behind Carmen and she began to murmur, "I can't do this."

"You promised." Tanya almost scolded and Irina glared at the ground, before she snapped her head over to her sister.

"They invited one." Irina gestured over to Seth, the shapeshifter, and they all looked over at him, only Bree was smiling.

"Irina, he's our friend." Edward informed the girl, but it didn't seem to put her at ease.

"They killed Laurent." Irina cried, and if Arlina could, she would hug her because she felt bad for the woman, she didn't understand what it was like to lose her mate but she could sort of imagine how painful it would be, even if her mate tried to kill someone.

"He tried to kill Bella." Edward argued calmly.

"I don't believe that." Irina stepped forward, getting into Edward's face, "He wanted to be like us. To live in peace with humans. With me."

"I'm sorry." Edward looked down and Bella squeezed his hand in reassurance.

Irina stormed off and Carmen scolded her calmly, "Well, let's not monopolise the bride. Congratulations." Eleazar spoke with a smile and he patted Edward's arm once more before he walked off with Carmen by his side.

"Thank you." Bella thanked, holding onto her husband.

"Sorry." Tanya apologised to the couple and she looked at Arlina and Bree with a smile and a nod, Kate copying her actions.

"Well, what's a wedding without some family drama?" Edward joked and Arlina chuckled lightly, Bella agreeing with him with a smile on her face.

"Excuse me. Is this on?" Emmett tapped on the mic, standing at the band's stage with raised eyebrows and Arlina turned around with Bree stuck to her side, the two laughing loudly at the burly vampire, "Um... Hello?"

"We can hear you, cupcake!" Arlina yelled out and he nodded with a smile, happy everyone could finally hear him.

"Uh, I'd like to propose a toast." He held up his champagne glass, and everyone clanged their glasses together, "To my new sister. Bella. I hope you've gotten enough sleep these last 18 years. 'Cause you won't be getting any more for a while." He chuckled and Arlina covered her eyes with a snort followed by Bree who chuckled.

It was silent, because nobody understood the joke and mostly because it was more stupid than funny and it caused Emmett's smile to drop.

— "Well, Bella was just like everybody else, totally mesmerised by Edward." Jessica Stanley began her speech and Arlina cringed, knowing what was coming, "Or "The Hair," as I call him. Um, and then, suddenly, Edward is all about Bella. Even though she's not the captain of the volleyball team. I'm just kidding. I'm just kidding. Or the president of the student council."

—"To start, I just wanted to say I have grown to love you so much, Bella, and I already considered you my sister before you met Edward since I knew you first." Arlina glared at Edward playfully before she chuckled and continued, "I'm so incredibly buoyant for you two beautiful lovebirds and I can't wait for all the memories to be created!" She raised her glass and Bree moved her head towards the microphone.

"Kudos to you!" Bree exclaimed, raising her glass as well, the two clinking them together and everyone cheered with laughs.

—"Edward will be a good husband. I know this because I'm a cop. I know things." Charlie began and Bree & Arlina giggled quietly along with a few other guests, finding his serious speech to be quite unserious, "Like how to hunt somebody to the ends of the Earth... and I know how to use a gun."

—"Now that you're my sister, you'll have to get over your aversion of fashion." Alice started with her signature sweet smile, "Skirts, heels, handbags, the whole shebang and I will most definitely be helping you get your own walking closet!"

—"Go to sleep, my love." Renee, Bella's mother began to sing a lullaby drunkly and everyone smiled, especially Bella who chuckled lightly and Charlie who stared off with a smirk, remembering the song, "Go to sleep. When you wake. You'll see me."

—"I'd like to thank Renee and Charlie for bringing such a wonderful person into the world and into our lives. We will cherish and protect her forever." Esme spoke with a smile and her hands in front of her, interlocked.

—"It's an extraordinary thing to meet someone who you can bear your soul to." Edward began and Alec walked over to stand beside Arlina and Bree alongside Felix and Demetri, and he wrapped his arm around the redhead, kissing her temple lovingly, relating to the Cullen's speech, "And who will accept you for what you are. I've been waiting, what seems like a very long time, to get beyond what I am. And with Bella, I feel like I can finally begin. So I'd like to propose a toast to my beautiful bride. No measure of time with you will be long enough. But, let's start with forever."