I laid my head against the wall. I was sitting on my bed, looking around my one-thousand-year-old room. It had never changed. The curtains of my window—which were never open—were a brilliant blue covered with flowers painted by hand.
The rug was a linen carpet. I had it upgraded so it didn't become dirty, but otherwise, it was the same. My bed still had the same shade of purple that she had made all those years ago.
Half of my wardrobe was still taken of her dresses. I had them washed every week so they wouldn't become soggy. I kept all these things…because it would be too painful to let them go.
My mate—no that wasn't good enough to describe her—my wife was dead. Whenever I thought of it, a sharp pain, almost physical would take my dead heart. I tried not to think of her but…she was always there.
My Didyme was always in my mind. I loved her more than anything. I gripped my head in my hands. I wanted to scream, but my brothers would hear and I really didn't need that.
She preferred Dyme, not Didyme. I loved her for that. It was the year 1000, and the name Dyme was so unheard of. That's why I loved her. She was so smart and fiery and mine. I gritted my teeth in pain as her burgundy eyes played in my mind.
If I could cry…well…my room would probably be an ocean by now. I heard the faint creak of my door opening. I stood up, a slight embarrassment feeling in my stomach. In the doorway was Demitri.
I sighed inwardly. My face was slack and cold as I always had it. But, I knew Demitri was here for.
"Marcus, my liege" I winced when he—or anybody—addressed me that way, "we need you in the throne room." I just nodded. He walked off down the hallway, probably trying to avoid me like everyone else. I let my face morph back into one of some emotion. I chose my black robe to wear. If they needed me, then it must probably be something important—whatever 'important' meant in this place. I never could be sure what 'important' was to Aro.
His brother in pain for losing Didyme, no problem. Something else on the other hand… I rambled on and on in my head. I was probably the only company I had. I sighed loudly before opening my door and walking zombie-like down the hallway.
I passed by Aro and Caius' mates, Sulpicia and Athendora. I was sorry to say that they were mostly appearance oriented. My Didyme never cared for her complexion as much as them. I just avoided them, knowing they were probably conversing about me (since there was nothing better to do in this place).
I walked to the out-of-proportion door that led to the throne room. Caius was the one who wanted bogus decorations, wanting to intimidate any 'lesser vampire'. I just rolled my eyes at that and pushed my way through the mahogany doors before a servant could do it for me. I walked to my throne beside Caius.
He looked highly annoyed. Aro as always was enthusiastic. I rolled my eyes of his attitude. It was such a fraud, even Caius—the most arrogant man on the planet—knew that. But he kept up the façade.
I looked up to where Aro stood, looking over the unfamiliar vampire in the hall. His untidy bronze hair hung loosely in front of his dark eyes, as if he hadn't fed in months. His skin was paler than any vampire I had ever seen, but the look in his eye caught my most attention.
He was trying to hide it, but not succeeding. The emotion was very, very familiar. His eyes were dark from hunger, but he wasn't crazy with thirst. Misery had taken his eyes. It was painful to watch. But his face was…cold. Empty. As if his long life had no meaning.
My thoughts were interrupted by Aro, "How can I help you Edward?"
Edward? Edward who?
"Oh I'm sorry my brothers. This young man is Edward Cullen. He is the son of our friend Carlisle," he told us.
Carlisle? Of course, Carlisle. He was such a good friend of mine. But why was his son here?
"Please Edward, tell us why you're here," he requested once.
Edward tried to speak, but something caught in his throat. He couldn't seem to speak. I looked to him curiously. He cleared his throat and tried again.
"I-I need," he started, "I-I need you to help me with something."
"What do you need help with, Mr. Cullen" Aro asked politely. I almost groaned at his courtesy. Honestly, he sounded more impatient than interested.
"I don't mean to disrespect you. But…my mate," he seemed to wince at the word, "has died." His voice cracked constantly, as if he was just struggling to even speak. "Is it possible if you could…" he trailed off, looking at Aro pleadingly.
Aro held out his hand to read Edward's thoughts. I had a feeling of what he wanted, but didn't speak it. I never spoke out. But when Aro touched him for one second, he removed his hand, his face grave. He obviously wasn't surprised. Aro nodded, considering it.
Of course Caius just had to speak up, "Aro, let us discuss this matter," he hissed, unaware that the entire hall could hear him. Aro, thought slightly embarrassed, agreed to discuss it.
He looked back to Edward, "Edward, we will discuss your…proposal. In the meantime, I will have Francesco escort you to a place to stay.
Impulsively, for the first time in literally five-hundred years I used my voice. "Aro, I think I will direct him to his room," I told him. My voice was hoarse from lack of use. The entire hall's occupants stared at me in shock. If I were human, my face would've glowed bright red.
I rose from my chair and walked over to my over-enthusiastic brother. I touch his hand momentarily. He looked to me, his face perplexed. I just glared at him in a way that I hadn't in a thousand years.
Aro just nodded, "Edward, please follow Marcus to your quarters," he told him. Edward just nodded. I walked out of the hall, allowing him to trail behind. Athenodora and Sulpicia were still 'conversing' in their own sense of the word.
"Marcus," I heard Sulpicia's snake-like voice. It always made shivers run up my side. She caught site of Edward, her face blank. "Why are you letting this peace of filth follow you?" she asked, disgusted. Her voice still had a strong French accent that
Edward didn't react to her comment.
Sulpicia really shouldn't be calling Edward filth. The once blond goddess had a large scar just missing her eye. Her pale skin and body was just as slim as ever, but the light and excitement in her burgundy eyes that she had five-hundred years ago had vanished. Her mate, Aro had started an act of betrayal of her that she was fully aware of.
"Sulpicia, leave the boy alone," I told her. She looked to me, surprise clear on her face. I caught Athenodora's eye, her face full of wonder. Athenodora was probably my best friend. She never disrespected me when I lost Didyme.
But she was surprised that I was actually speaking.
"C'mon Edward," I addressed him.
I led him down a tunnel, to a room that was so secluded, it was a wonder it was still in use. Nobody actually used it, except for me when I needed it. It was a square, cement room with a simple bed.
That was all that my kind needed after all. I opened the door for the boy, and he stepped in not bothering to even glance at me.
"Boy," I addressed him. He turned around to me, probably expecting me to pounce on him or something along those lines. "Why are you here boy?" my voice was more severe than necessary.
The boy took a deep breath; "I wanted to…" he began.
"Join us? Let me tell you something, boy. It's not worth it. Once you join us, you cannot leave. It will be very hard to escape without Aro or Caius catching you," I told him in warning.
He finally made eye-contact with me, his face slightly confused under a mask of emptiness.
"I am not here to join you," he told me. That was…surprising. He wasn't here to join us. He didn't want to kill his mate's murderer?
"Than, why are you here?" I asked him, trying to rack my brain for anything.
His eyes were hard, but his hands clenched into fists. He swiftly hid them behind his back. "I…I can't l-live without h-her," he stuttered. My eyes widened in disbelief. He wanted to…die? But he had a family, a father.
"Boy, don't you want vengeance on her murder?" I asked him.
"Vengeance for what? She wasn't killed? She drowned. My Bella threw herself off a cliff because of me!" he shouted the last part. Unlike my brothers who would've been appalled, my face softened for the first time in two-hundred years.
In fact, I had felt more emotion in the last twenty minutes alone than I had in the last five-hundred years. How could this boy make so much emotion rise up in me?
"How did she die? She was a vampire. The only way she could die is if she came to us or provoked a pack of werewolves?" I asked him in confusion.
"What are you talking about?" he asked me, perplexed by my question.
"Wasn't she a vampire?" I asked him.
Edward looked to me, his hard face completely softened into one of anguish, "No," he mouthed the words. He couldn't find his voice.
But, she was human? Well, that made things a whole lot more complicated then.
"Edward," I used his name for once, "I may not know how it feels to lose a human mate. But, I think I can help you on the front when it comes to recovering from your mate's" I held my wincing of the word, but Edward let it come, "death."
"How can you know?" he spoke louder. His face was angry now.
"Because…I just know," I told him. I then departed from his room, dragging my feet to the discussion chamber.
The issue we had to discuss was whether we wanted Edward to join us, or kill him. Judging by the fact that Aro was interested in him meant that Edward had some powerful abilities. But…why should he die. He would be valuable to us. But….he shouldn't become what I have become.
It would have to be decided soon.
