Aro&Demetri
Rated T for mild language, some violence, and scenes of sensuality.
Set before Twilight began. Aro has been around for over a millennium, but he still hasn't ever made a fledgling of his own. That all changes when he sees a young man perform on stage. His throat and heart burn with a fire he's never known.
Aro had traveled to Venice to see what he was told was the best Commedia dell'arte in all of Italy. The group was so profitable and had built up such a fan base that they decided to have a permanent home in Venice.
Aro traveled by carriage. He said he did it because it cut down the risk of a human seeing him run with superhuman speed. But, the true reason he rode in a carriage was because he enjoyed being royalty. Only the people who were well-known and rich traveled the way he did. Of course, he was and could only ever be the latter of the criteria. That upset him, but he would never let anyone know that.
At least his brethren knew the great and powerful Volturi Coven. They all could name their unchallenged leader. Aro thrived when he felt important; He drank power like a mortal drank wine. However, he did enjoy walking around with humans. Aro liked to pretend he was one of them. It was a delicate task, but he always managed to pull it off with his signature flair.
Tonight he's going to sit and laugh with mortals. Aro will soak it up. Being the anonymous nobody is almost as nourishing as being the king.
Aro smiled and placed a brimmed hat on his head. He slanted it downwards so a shadow was cast on his crimson eyes. He laughed quietly when his mind thought of all the unsuspecting mortals. They had no idea a predator was in their midst. Bowing his head slightly he walked out of the carriage and into the dark streets of Venice.
Lamps were lit all the way to the stage. The light bounced off hard surfaces and gave the walkway a surreal effect.
"Stay here until I get back from the performance." Aro spoke to the carriage driver who worked for the Volturi and was still very human. Her name was Julia and she begged for a chance to stay in the castle with them. And who, Aro thought, am I to turn down the dreams of someone? So, he didn't. He let the woman stay and be a drone of some sort for his coven.
"Of course, master." Julia responded with devout solemnity.
"Good girl." Aro's tone was condescending. If the woman was bothered by this she didn't show it in the slightest way.
When Aro got to the stage all of the performers were already standing up in their costumes and ready to perform.
There were the two innarmorati, Lelio and Isabella, they were the main characters and gathered the most applause. The youthful lovers were dressed in light garbs and wore just enough makeup to accent their eyes.
A woman was dressed as the mask Pantalone. She wore a tight suit that was in a single piece and a face that had painted on wrinkles. Her long red hair was tucked up in cap.
Arlecchino was portrayed by a young man. He was slender and had a somber face that clashed with his character's personality. On his costume were red and black diamonds. He held a dark stick in one hand and a small book in the other. A mask was over his face that was black and had features in red.
Last on the stage was Pulcinella. He was a man wearing white attire. Eyebrows were painted on him to make him look conniving. A longer nose was also attached to his face.
All of the actors bowed and began to go along with their act. The plot was simple, the fair haired innarmorati were planning to elope, but Pantalone stopped then and told Isabella's father. She was locked away, but Arlecchino came and helped her escape. Pulcinella put obstacles in the way of every character. In the end, the couple was happily married.
The story wasn't that spectacular, but the performance was. Both Lelio and Arlecchino recited poetry with adept skill. Isabella sang beautifully. Both Pantalone and Pulcinella were constantly making jokes and puns that made the audience laugh in amusement. Arlecchino was always doing nimble flips, somersaults, and cartwheels much to the crowd's enjoyment.
When the act was finally done the cast stood up on the stage and bowed once more. Aro applauded with spirit, much like everyone else in the audience.
I apologize for the slow start. The next chapter will have more plot and less details.
Anyone know where Lelio&Isabella came from? First one to answer gets a cookie.
Please leave a review; it makes my heart all warm and fuzzy. ^^