Disclaimer: I'm not SMeyers. I don't own this, I just fancied writing a Cauis oneshot
It wasn't even noon yet but Caius was already bored as he roamed the underground tunnels of the Volterra castle.
Running is pale, long fingers along the stone walls he couldn't help but loathe the new lights they had installed along the passageways. Far too bright, this 'electricy' is the worst invention of these modern times, was his opinion. The old flamed torches were much more in keeping with his style. He liked the amber hue it gave to the walls, the cast of his shadow as the fire flickered upon its bracket.
"So many things lost to the past", he sighed.
The sound of laughter trickled down the corridor on which he turned. The smell of sunlight reached him as he drew nearer his destination.
The large wooden door stood upon its hinges, its bolt locked firmly, denying the pale faced man what he wanted from its other side.
Taking the keys from his pocket he draws back the bolt and opens the heavy door slightly, careful not to open it as far as the creak it gives out, he had made that mistake once before.
No, no. Open it carefully, gently. As you would undress a lover he thought as a sly smile came upon his face.
The passing laughter and chatter met his ear louder now as he peeked out onto the side street. Perfect he smiled wickedly.
Two women stood across the side street. One had her hand on the others shoulder, leaning against her friend for support as she readjusted her tights.
"I don't believe it! How did they rip that much. We were only walking. They are designer tights!"
"You bargained them from a stall. They aren't designer. Who ever heard of designer tights, anyway?"
"Livvy, you're really not helping. Negativity, remember!? A calm and positive atmosphere and a positive response. That's the only way you will achieve anything in this life" said her friend as she finally stood up straight, and waved her hands about wildly as though to illustrate her point.
"Yes, that's how Bill Gates made his millions, by letting his friends be taken in by street traders."
"Shut u..." but her reply was cut short by catching sight of the pale face that was lurking in the shadows across from them.
Livvy, noticing her friends sudden stop followed her eye line towards the solitary door that stood ajar. She reaches out to grasp her friends arm, making contact on the third attempt. Her eyes never leaving the strange mans face. His eyes looked almost violet from where she stood. This wasn't good. Every inch of her fibre screamed to her that it wasn't a good idea to remain and loiter on that street.
"Chloe, lets go" she said as she made to turn to go
"Are you leaving?" spoke the man as he inched closer. "What a shame."
Livvy looked to Chloe in amazement as the latter made her way closer to the door. "NO...well...what I mean is, we don't have to go, right now."
Cauis smiled sweetly and pulled open the door wider to admit the two girls.
"Chloe, what are you doing?" questioned Livvy with a sense of exasperation to her voice as she whispered in her friends ear.
"I'm not being rude, Liv" came the reply.
Cauis' smile widened as Chloe made her way past him, looking about her in awe. His face never leaving Livvy's as the girl remained stock still in the street, internal turmoil showing on her face. With one hand remaining on the door he gestured with his other to join them both on the other side. A few seconds later with glances both up and down the street Livvy finally relented and past through the door.
She jumped as the heavy steel bolt banged shut, she didn't expect it as she didn't even hear the heavy door being closed.
"So this runs to the castle, does it?" asked Chloe
"Yes" replied Cauis as he took her arm in his.
"So, does that mean you live in the castle" inquired Chloe with a satisfactory smile on her face.
"Yes"
"You don't look like the help" she continued "so does that make you..."
"Yes"
"Really?"
"Yes"
"Like a prince or something?"
"Italy is a democracy" pipped in Livvy in a sarky tone. She was already tired of Chloe's questions and was mad at her best friend for getting them both into the situation in the first place. "They don't have a monarchy"
"Monarchy, no. But we do have families that are, well shall we say, more influential"
"You're influential?" asked Chloe in amazement as she leaned in closer.
"Very" came Cauis' reply as he whispered it into Chloe's hair breathing in deeply the girls scent.
* * *
It wasn't long when the stonewalled corridor came to an end and the trio entered a large room with high ceilings. It was as the girls walked around the bright room taking it all in that they became aware of the small girl who had now entered the room.
"Yes, Jane" questioned Caius as he caught sight of the young girl in the billowing robes.
"Master Aro would like a word with you" replied the blond with a cruel smirk that played around her lips as she refused to take her eyes off the two humans.
"Very well..." said Cauis after a few moments pause "I'll be right there." Turning to his guests he sighed "Ladies, you must excuse me. My brother calls." He reaches for Chloe's hand and brings it up towards his lips and kisses it gently "Please feel free to look about. I am but your humble servant. My abode is your kingdom for the day." He smiles as the beat of Chloe's pulse races through her veins. Hearing it as clearly as if it were a waterfall, he lets go gentle and casts a glance towards Livvy.
The look sends a shiver down her spine and she is grateful when he leaves.
"Urgh! He is the biggest creep EVER"
"Creep? He's the perfect gentleman"
"Gentleman, are you serious? He's...err...I don't know...YUK, is all I can think of. The way he looks at me. The way he moves"
"The way he moves? He moves beautifully. Light and feathery"
"Yeah, that's what I mean. You're supposed to make a sound when you walk, you know. I was listening, you know, on the way here. I could definitely hear your steps, and my own, but not his. There is something weird about him. That girl, who came in, she seemed weird too. Looked like him"
"His daughter?" suggested Chloe
"No, I don't think so. They didn't seem very daughter and fatherly and she seems to young to actually work here"
"Oh seriously, lighten up. You read far too much into things. He's been the perfect gentleman. Did you see him kiss my hand? Oh god, I nearly swooned! I see now why women swooned years ago. So so sexy" Chloe gushed
"Yeah well if you two want alone time just show me the way out. I don't like this place."
"It's amazing" replied Chloe as she looks about the room again "the type of place you love. The type of place you dragged me to Italy for in the first place."
"Yeah, I know that...but here, it's just...I don't know. I liked Florence bett..." Livvy stopped in her tracks as, to her horror, she realised her friend had just opened the large cabinet that sat to the left of the room
"Look Liv, cognac" Chloe shouted excitedly "bottles and bottles...and look champagne" she added with a gasp "I am so the champagne kind of gal"
"Don't touch" said Livvy running over to her friend and closing the cabinet door
"Why not" replied the other girl as she re-opened the door "he said to treat this place like our own"
"I don't think he meant to drink his families champagne"
"No, no, help yourself" came the smooth voice from behind them making both girls startle. "Do feel free to drink. It's an acquired taste, I find, and I don't seem to have the taste buds for it. And it would be such a shame to let it go to waste when we have two ladies such as yourselves going dry." Cauis ended with.
"You don't drink at all?" inquired Livvy, the words slipping out before she could stop herself. She soon regretted them as the man moved towards her stopping inches away, having him so close only served to put her more on edge "Oh I drink. Just nothing that we hold in this cabinet" said Cauis meeting Livvy eyes, to which she quickly looked away from.
The feeling Caius had been feeling, the reason he went to the tunnel today began to stir more prominently. He'd need to make his move soon before his urges ruined the game of cat and mouse he had planned.
He poured two large glasses of champagne and handed them to Chloe and Livvy and smiled a smile of satisfaction. The game was afoot.
"Ladies, do you wish to continue the tour?"
Chloe, as Livvy and Cauis had expected, took the glass willingly and headed for the door, eager to see more of the ancient building. Livvy takes the glass reluctantly, careful not to touch the mans hand. A gesture not missed by Cauis. Smiling sweetly he hold one hand out in the direction of the door and places the other around Livvy's back and motions her forward.
* * *
What seemed like dozens of rooms, hundreds of re-filled champagne glasses and thousands of questions from Chloe later Livvy was fit to burst. She had held off asking about a bathroom as she reasoned at least one of the rooms they past would be it. No joy. She had wished to remain quiet, hoping against hope Cauis would forget she was there but once again, no joy. She swallowed hard and resigned herself to the fact that she would have to speak to the man.
"Sorry, but do you have a bathroom?"
"Oh, do forgive me" replied Cauis stopping dead in his tracks, pulling Chloe back with him as she had again intertwined her arm in Cauis' "I should have pointed one out. Of course. If you return the way we came it's the fifth door on the right"
"Thank you" she added somewhat reluctantly "Chloe, do you need to go too?" she asked hoping she could finally talk alone with her friend.
"No, I'm good" came the reply as she glanced up the the man on her arm and laughed in what she thought was a flirty way
"Are you sure? You've had more to drink than I have" put in Livvy, almost desperately now
"Really, I'm fine" she answered her friend, giving a wink and a head nod to indicate she wanted be be alone with the man.
Livvy turned on her heels, half exasperated at her friend, half relieved she had an out.
"We shall await you in the hall." said Cauis pointing to the third door on his left, crushing Livvy's hopes of finally getting out of the suffocating palace.
* * *
By the time she had entered the hall Livvy had doubts it was the correct room. She saw neither Chloe or Cauis, the latter she really could have done without ever seeing again and it would still be too soon.
Walking further into the room she gazed with rapture at the large paintings that covered most of the walls. They were exquisite and she eyed each one as though she was looking at the work of the great Renaissance artists.
"That must be the first time I've seen you smile this evening."
The smooth voice took her by surprise as she jumped with fright. She hadn't noticed him sitting on the large, throne like chair on the platform.
"I didn't see you there" she almost tripped over herself to get the words out
"I get that a lot"
His reply wasn't what she had expected "I...I'm sorry?"
"No need. No need" he repeated as he got out of the chair gracefully and makes he way towards her.
"Where is Chloe?" inquired Livvy with a frightful tone to her voice. A tone that he seemed to enjoy as his wicked smile widened
"Oh, she went with Heidi. She wanted to see the tower, I thought it my duty to await you. It's not polite to leave a guest alone. Don't you agree?"
"I guess...I'm fine though, if you want to catch up with them and just point me to the exit?" she added hopefully
"Oh no, that will not do at all. Your friend is quite tiresome. If you weren't the one I wanted I wouldn't have bothered with her at all"
Livvy's blood runs cold upon hearing his words.
"What do you mean?" she asks as she backs up slowly towards the door.
"Oh come. You know well what I mean. And please, do not insult us both by trying to run. I assure you, you will not get very far."
She turns to run but before she even reaches the door he is there.
"I told you not, you naive girl. You'll only serve to kill your friend." says Cauis, almost gleefully.
"What do you mean?" she asks again almost choking on silent tears as she backs away
"I think I liked you best when you weren't asking such silly questions. I couldn't gather why you both would be friends, I see the similarities now."
Livvy's back met with the cold wall as the cold eyed man approached her. Taking her chin between his long fingers he lifts her head with some force so they are eye to eye.
"As it stands, Chloe is safe and well. If you choose to...shall we say...upset me I shall give Heidi permission to slaughter her. If you don't upset me and comply with my wishes, well, your friend will leave here safe and well. The big question for you right now is how much do you care for your friend? I suspect a lot, despite her selfish and deluded ways. To come here, against your better judgement, all because of some misdirected sense of loyalty. You must care for her. Am I wrong?" finished Cauis with a smug look in his violet coloured eyes.
"I..."
"I know, I know" he adds trying to sound reassuring but failing. "I assure you, you will not be harmed...that is if you are a good girl"
"Get away from me, you monster" she spat out as she aims a kick to his crotch. He quickly avoids it but allows her to run for the door, relishing the idea that she thinks she is in control. As she gets to the door she tears it open and runs into the corridor, a scream for help about to leave her lungs until cold hands clasp around her, one around her mouth, the other around her waist. Yanking her back into room the door slams shut and she is spun around and pinned against the hard wall. The long pale fingers of his hand still clamped shut over her mouth. He positions his face inches away from hers and pushes his whole body into her.
She cries out as she feels the reason he brought her there. His laugh becomes something between a cackle and a mad mans howl.
"I. Warned. You. Be a good girl. It's nothing to me, having dear Chloe's death on my conscience. It's your choice, her fate is in your hands. Can you condemn her? Your best friend? What's it to be, Olivia?"
His final word broke her and the tears fell in force. She couldn't turn away as his tongue met her face and traced the tears, sucking in the saltiness.
He removes his hand from her mouth but there's not even a chance for her to catch a breath as his lips find hers and he forces his way into her mouth. Pulling out of the one sided kiss Cauis loosens his grip
"I'm assuming you are going to comply? Good!" he adds as he walks towards the large chair and beckons her to follow.
She doesn't reply, doesn't even look at him, just follows.
Taking his seat he reaches for his belt and begins to undo it.
"Well, my dear, on your knees"
My second ever fic, my first ever one shot. Hope it wasn't too bad :)