Chapter 1

A Father's Gift

The self-proclaimed Vampire Royal Family; now with a Prince – a Prince of only half of immortality, an Ancient Child – but that does not mean that he will not suffer the same weakness as that of his father, the same weakness which affects all men.
When You Can Live Forever; What Do You Live For?
Ambrogio knows this; and now, for the future of his family, the Volturi, and the Cullens, Ambrogio must make the choice that will change everything.

Finally after seven and half years I had stopped aging and now was eternally eighteen. My father and my step-mother had taught me so much of the vampire world; to him, I was a very valuable part of his collection of gifted immortals – by far as replacing my father's desire to invite Edward Cullen into the coven. My gift was distant and tactical telepathy – and therefore I was able to read the immediate and past thoughts and memories of almost an individual; but also under physical contact, I am able to let others see what I have seen, as well as what I have seen in the minds of others. And even the power to project my mental voice into another's mind.

With even more help from my uncles, Marcus and Caius, I was able to put this power to the best of my abilities; and not mention my dear friends – The Cullens. It had been a while since the last I saw them – because they lived amongst humans they had to relocate and so they moved to another part of the country – much to Bella's dismay as her father was still human; and I had not seen them in nearly six years.

We used to visit them every six months for two weeks but it had been years; three years ago we stopped going, for Caius believed it was time that I should start taking my job seriously as a member of the Volturi Guard. And so on my seventh birthday, when I finally stopped aging, my father – Aro – bestowed me with my very own necklace of the Volturi crest.

It was odd sometimes when I thought to myself about the fact that I was only ten and half but my physical and mental development were far beyond my years. But as I said, it had been five years since I last saw the Cullens and I missed them terribly – but I missed one Cullen in particular far more than any of the others. Renesmee Carlie Cullen was my oldest and dearest friend, she was only a few months older than me and I had known her literally since birth; and I loved sharing something with her that hardly anyone else could – she and I were the same, we were both half-breeds. Half mortal and half immortal; neither living nor dead.

In most recent events, the Volturi had had to interfere with a happening in France – a coven of three had been causing complications – this was not my first case, far from it, I had been involved with a few ever since I was physically twelve (roughly three years old, give or take), and yet my father still refused to send me out with the hunting party.

The vampire coven was brought before us. I stood proudly, in my new black Cairo suit, between my father and Marcus; Jane and Alec took their usual spots a few feet from Caius, and Felix and Demetri stood at the entrance of the throne room. The three vampires, a dark-haired woman and two strong physical men were dragged into the room; I read their immediate thoughts and searched into their past memories, witnessing every aspect of their treachery. I then placed my hand on my father's and he absorbed everything.

"Excellent. Very good, Ambrogio. Well done."

Most of the confrontation was rather… challenging, particularly when one of the males advanced towards my father but luckily Jane intervened, and so it made no difference when Caius had them killed anyway. Afterwards my father approached me with the ever childish grin on his face.

"Well done, my son." His praise was most undeserving, but I thanked him none the less.

"Gino, as it has come to my attention, recently, that we have not seen our dear friends the Cullens in quite some time." He spoke wistfully.

"Indeed, Father; about five years and seven months." I replied.

His milky eyes widened, followed by a childish grin, "Really. Well then; we better start making preparations immediately."

I was a little confused. "What are you saying?"

Reading his mind, I saw. "I was going to surprise you – as a present for Christmas when we go visit the Cullens."

Smiling so, I was over-whelmed. "Thank you, Father. But Caius-"

"Do not fret, your uncle and I have had a little chat; but I promise you, everything's fine now." He replied.

I hugged him again and went to go pack immediately; I could not believe I was going to see Renesmee again and not to mention Alice, Esme, Carlisle, and all the others.

The next morning Father entrusted Caius, Athenodora, and the others to look after things while we were gone; and then Jane, Alec, Marcus, and my mother accompanied my father and I to Forks – since the Cullens had come back for the holidays. When the plane landed the ground was covered with white snow, little ice crystals fell from the sky, and in the car park I saw Carlisle waving to us – looking back through my father's thoughts I saw that he had already told Carlisle of our coming.

"Friends," greeted Carlisle. "It's so nice to see you again."

It was like greeting a long unseen member of the family as I hugged him.

"Look at you, Gino. All grown up now, huh?" Then Carlisle looked back at my hair; it had grown longer but I still had it tied in the silver satin ribbon Alice had given to me a few days after birth. "Still some things never change." He chuckled.

Nodding, as he greeted the rest of the family, I peered through his passed thoughts to this morning when he saw Edward, Bella, and Renesmee – she had aged a few years since the last I saw her, now trapped at seventeen, and it was no surprise why my father kept calling her an angel. We hopped in the car and Carlisle drove us to the three-story glass mansion, it was just as I remembered it – even the blasted scent of wet-dog still lingered around the walls; inside footsteps lightly rattled the floorboards. We entered from the front door, and all smiles shined in our direction.

Esme was the first I embraced. "Oh welcome back, Gino." She smiled, as she kissed my forehead.

I shook hands with Jasper, while Emmett tried to put me in a head lock but, reading his mind, I was just a little too fast for his liking; the conversation that travelled in the room was a little different to the tone playing inside their minds – as they greeted the twins, Marcus and my mother and father – the level of respect and fear was still just as I remembered. Casual as their behaviour was. I hugged Alice, and Rosalie gave me a small kiss on the cheek – as she was still in love with the small baby I used to be – and then from the opened window jumped in the last two remaining Cullens.

"Hello Edward, Bella." I greeted.

Edward shook my hand, and was still trying to read the minds of others as Bella awkwardly hugged me, but then both he and I could hear nothing; in the presence of the twins, I automatically knew Bella had stretched out her mental shield over everyone – though I felt a slight strange relief in that, as I could now behave like a normal person without the distraction.

"Where's Renesmee?" I asked. Hoping she would jump in from the window behind them.

"She's still out with Jacob." Replied Bella,

"They won't be long; I told Nessie a surprise would be waiting for her when she got home." Smiled Edward; hinting that I was the surprise.

Carlisle and Esme began conversation between Marcus and my parents; even my brother and sister tried to mingle but it was slightly awkward spectacle watching them try, though suddenly multiple foot-steps and a foul smell came from outside. I ran to the glass window and outside was Renesmee sliding off Jacob's wolf back.

"Hey, Nesmee." I grinned calmly, as she opened the door.

Her eyes opened wide, "Gino!" she squealed.

Running straight into my arms; I twirled her around in a hug, and felt the sensation of the snow in her hair melt into mine.

"Oh, sorry; I'm covering you in snow, oh dear." Her excitement only made me feel more welcomed, "But I can't believe you came all the way here – for Christmas."

"Thank my father. It was his idea."

Renesmee smiled, because of Bella's shield I couldn't read her mind but I could feel that she wanted to run to him; but she was as ever reluctant, simply because of the respectful fear she had for him – since her first encounter with him wasn't exactly the warmest.

"Thank you so much, Aro." Feeling her silently wishing that she could throw her arms around his neck.

Father replied, "My pleasure, my dear." Probably wishing that she would've hugged him too.