Ok this a very long one-shot that I wrote for my best friend around Christmas time. It's basically about how Marcus's wife died. It will give you feels, and you may cry, and there is a 97% chance that you will hate me after you're finished with it, but it's good, I promise.
Yes, I realize that there are several historical falacies. Excuse me for not being a history major. Just ignore them, if you don't mind, because pointing them out to me will be of no benefit to anyone. I will not fix the falacies, people.
Enjoy.
50 Shades of Marcus
Marcus sighed softly in contentment as he let his fingers glide ever so gently along his wife's perfectly curved spine. Her skin, though as pale as all other vampires, had a striking olive tint to it that made the chestnut streaks in her hair stand out against the dark chocolate color it was naturally. She was, in a word, flawless. Every other vampire in the world may have been just as perfect as she was, but Marcus only had eyes for her.
Judith was originally of Israeli decent, and her accent still lingered in her perfect bell voice. She was a student at a university in Jerusalem who had been backpacking through Europe on her summer break. The year was 1634, and Marcus had only been in power with his fellow Volturri leaders for a few hundred years. He was not the least experienced; that was Caius, who hadn't come to the group until 1576, after a certain "epidemic" left him banned from his home village. Marcus was a bright young man, only thirty-two when he was changed by Aro, and on that fateful day in 1634, Judith had shown him what it meant to be in love.
Marcus had seen Judith sitting in a café, under the dim light of a streetlamp that was surprisingly close to the building. She was sipping an espresso and nibbling chocolate biscotti, and her bright blue eyes were calm as she took in the stone city around her. Marcus had only bothered to come out that night because he was bored of Aro's ramblings to add another member to the Volturri clan. Aro was always talking about adding new members, and they had quite a large lot with them right now, but the truth was that most vampires didn't want to be that close to a thought seer who could kill them for even thinking about stepping out of bounds of the law. Marcus couldn't stop himself from staring at her dark beauty as he crept soundlessly through the shadows surrounding the buildings. Then, impossibly, she looked directly at where he stood. She couldn't possibly have seen him when he was so close in darkness, but he still felt that she somehow had. He knew at that moment that she would be well suited to vampire life; however, he first had to convince her that that was what she would want. Marcus was much more cautious than Aro, and he wouldn't change someone without their prior willingness just because he thought they had some potential he would later want to keep for his own deeds.
"Is this seat taken, miss?" Marcus asked her, appearing out of nowhere behind the chair across from her.
Judith looked startled for a moment, but then a serene smile lit her features, and she gestured for him to take the seat. "It isn't yet, but I wouldn't mind if you stole it." She had instantly been captivated by his handsome face and gentlemanly charm. One look into each other's eyes, and it was clear that they would be together for the rest of their lives.
"Everything alright, love?" Judith looked at him from the corner of one scarlet eye, her expression an odd mix of concerned and playful, her question snapping him out of his reverie.
"Of course, chaynaputum." Marcus had learned the word from his mate; it was the Hebrew word for 'beautiful'. He only used it because it made her happy to hear him speak her native tongue, though he would have preferred to use words like 'flawless', 'perfect', or at least 'gorgeous' when speaking of her looks.
She sat up to rest on her elbow, his hand trailing from her back down to her hip with her movement, and brushed the back of her hand against his stone cheek. They were naked save for the sheets they were tangled in, and neither of them minded that one little bit. Their crimson eyes sparkled in the candlelight of the torches stuck up around their chamber, and the words they didn't speak flowed through that connection as they stared at each other. It could have been minutes or hours that they stayed like that, locked in the other's gaze, before they finally broke away with a passionate kiss, and many loving touches.
"Renata, where are you? Come out, you pale, blond beauty." Aro spoke lightly, yet clearly, his mischievous grin visible even in complete darkness. Of course, his vampire eyes barely noticed the dark of the maze-like hallways he wandered down. He and Renata were playing a more adult version of hide-and-seek, and now he was the seeker. He heard her quiet footfalls on the stone floor as she shifted to a new spot, and he swiveled around to face that direction, hoping to catch a glimpse of her scantily clad body as she tried to conceal herself. He was met with more darkness, and more pathways to choose from. Oh he would make her pay for this; he was the master, and she should come when he called, even if he had previously told her not to.
Renata giggled silently to herself. She knew exactly how much trouble she would be in when he finally got a hold of her; if her got hold of her. She was better than anybody else at hide-and-seek, and whether she won or lost, the prize was always generously pleasurable.
The leather cuffs this time, or ropes, perhaps? She wondered. Aro certainly had a lot of human fetishes for someone who took such in-human lovers. Had he ever used such things on Sulpichia? Most likely not, if he were using them on Renata. Renata wouldn't have to bend to his will so much if Sulpichia would just give him the pleasure he desired. Not that Renata minded in the least that that bitch, Sulpichia, was holding out on her husband. More for me. She thought with an oddly school-girlish glee.
Renata was a free spirit, in the lightest of terms. She had no mate, nor did she much care for one. She saw the way that kind of commitment made the men of the Volturri guard turn to mush around their women, barely ever taking control, even when those hussies needed to be reined in. She had also seen the devotion the women showed to their men, and, frankly, it disgusted her. The way they looked at each other was just plain sick. Like they'd set themselves on fire if their spouses asked them to. Take Marcus and Judith, for example. They were always holding hands, always staring into each other's eyes, always emanating that "I'll die before I'll be without him/her" aura that was much too strong to be around for long periods of time. She'd rather take a nice hard slap to the face, or some other squishy body part, than deal with having a mate. Besides, she had Aro to toy with her, and that was enough for anybody. Anybody except Sulpichia, anyway. Renata enjoyed the freedom of being a mistress, and she liked to be dominated, so Aro was a win-win for her, and she had no plans to give that up anytime soon. Just another reason why she was dragging this hide-and-seek game out so long; the punishment would be much more enjoyable when he was good and angry.
"Renata, you're upsetting your master." Aro called to her again. He didn't sound upset at all, and Renata couldn't have that. She needed that anger, no matter how small the spark of it might be; that anger was her drug, because it heightened every experience they shared, and made all of her senses sharper; that anger made her skin tingle with a slight thrill of fear, and she loved it more than anything in the world.
Renata suddenly sprinted right towards him, leaping from about ten feet away, and placed her hands in the perfect positions on his shoulders to push herself off into a flip. Just as she was shoving her fingertips off of his body, he caught her wrist in an iron vise, twisting it just enough to fling her into the stone wall. She hit the rocks with a loud crash, and bounced to the floor with a muted thud. That tingling feeling shivered up and down her spine, and her face broke out in a wide smile. Now Aro was mad, and she would feel the full brunt of that anger.
Aro gripped the tops of her arms roughly, pulling her to her feet as he slammed her back against the wall one more. His eyes flamed, but his smile remained; it made her hair bristle in terror, and her breathing sped up.
"I love it when the fright grips your frozen heart. You should always be afraid of your master, Renata." Aro chuckled darkly, pushing her into the stones with such force that she heard them begin to break around her. Then his lips were crushing against hers, all of his anger being released into her trembling body, and she knew that this was exactly where she belonged.
"Caius, I'm bored." Aro looked at his ruling brother with wide, playful eyes, the eyes of a puppy-dog. He looked like a child stuck in a forty-year-olds' body, and that contrast was quite disturbing now.
"Then go play with Sulpichia. She's your wife, you know." Caius didn't bother to look up from his large tome; he didn't want to see the creepiness of Aro's childlike eyes staring back at him. How Sulpichia put up with him, Caius would never know. Though he didn't look up, his words were pointed. Caius knew all too well what Aro did with the Volturri ladies in his spare time. The way they looked at him was disgusting, and Aro himself was despicable for stooping so low when he was a married man.
"Sulpichia is upset with me. She doesn't like my games. Besides, she went out hunting this morning, and probably won't be back until tomorrow night. You know how she gets when she's mad." Aro flopped back on his throne, trying his very best to look forlorn.
"Then go play with someone else, Aro. I have no patience for you today." Caius huffed sharply and tried to focus on his book once more. No need to mention that Caius rarely had the patience for him on any day.
"Well, there is someone I've wanted to play with for quite a while now, brother." Aro gripped Caius's forearm excitedly, giving his wrist a small squeeze, those child's eyes back on his face and scrutinizing his every twitch.
Caius gave Aro a glare that could quite possibly kill a human right where they stood, but Aro didn't even seem to notice. "And who might that be, hmm?"
Aro's lips were at Caius's ear in a flash, his cool breath blowing against Caius's earlobe; it made Caius shiver; he hated having Aro this close to him.
"I want to play with Judith." Aro whispered seductively, finishing the sentence with a mischievous chuckle. He moved back, his eyes twinkling as they once again catalogued Caius's facial expressions.
Caius stared at Aro in shock. To covet a spouse was a sin, to covet a Volturri guard's spouse was against the law, and to covet a fellow brother's spouse was punishable by death. Aro himself had set these boundaries. Why did he now want to cross them? It would mean war in the brotherhood, and the entire Volturri guard would be divided in protecting their individual masters.
Aro smiled like a child who had been caught doing something his parents told him not to. "How very naughty of me, wouldn't you say, Caius?"
Caius could only nod for a moment, still thinking of the implications. After a few seconds of silence Aro grew bored, and took Caius's hand in his own, pressing his fingers to Caius's palm, so that he could hear Caius's thoughts.
This is wrong, Aro. This is punishable by death. This will cause uproar in the guard, and Marcus will have your head on a silver platter. He'll be justified in that, as well.
"How can there be uproar when no one besides us knows about this? You wouldn't tell our dear brother Marcus, would you, Caius? That wouldn't be very brotherly of you." Aro's expression melted into sadness at the loss such words would bring.
But this will ruin Marcus's entire life. He is your brother, Aro. Why would you do such a thing to him? I doubt Judith would let you, anyway.
Aro's eyes lit up once more, and he laughed heartily. "Caius, Caius, Caius. You know as well as anyone that I always get what I want." Then he was gone. Aro had darted off to who knows where, leaving Caius sitting as still as a statue on his throne in horror.
Caius understood Aro's plan perfectly now that he had put things into that perspective. He only hoped that, somehow, Marcus would never have to know.
Darling Judith,
I would be so pleased if you could join me for a private conversation in my quarters tonight, around midnight. I still have not had much opportunity to speak to Marcus's lovely wife, and I would very much enjoy the opportunity to learn more about you. Don't tell Marcus. I'd prefer to leave this between us, brother to sister. Besides, his vampire birthday is coming up soon, and I'd like to discuss a suitable present for him with you. See you tonight.
~Aro
Judith thought nothing of the letter that was waiting on her pillow when she stepped out of the bath. She assumed one of the guard had delivered it; Aro would never be so rude as to enter someone else's room without their permission, especially when they were in the confidences of privacy.
She actually smiled as she read the note. She liked Aro; he was polite to the extreme, and very sweet. Why, for her own vampire birthday he had given her an expensive looking gold necklace with mesmerizing rubies set into every loop of the chain. He said it was to match the striking ruby color of her eyes, which shone brighter than any vampire's in the guard and beyond. Judith wore that necklace every day, along with the ruby ring that Marcus had given her to match.
Judith also had a few gifts in mind for her dear Marcus's vampire birthday, and she'd be happy to share those ideas with Aro, since he seemed to be having some trouble deciding.
With a smile spreading across her lips, Judith slipped into a long black dress that was casual, but made her look as rich as the Volturri always did. No doubt Aro would be wearing something so expensive that it made even the most casual of clothing look fancy and upscale; she should dress to match.
She knew exactly where Aro's chamber was. She had been there a few times for meals and parties, but always with Marcus. For the first time she would be going to see Aro alone, and for some reason that made her feel nervous. She shook off the feeling, and knocked on Aro's door. It was made from thick oak and painted a lovely shade of cream, with swirling patterns carved around the sides and painted gold.
"Come in, Judith, darling." Aro called to her from the other side of the door. His voice sounded very far away.
Judith briefly wondered how he knew it was her, but then realized that he would have smelled her scent while she was standing outside, just as she had smelled his emanating from the door. It wasn't an unpleasant smell; musky and sweet, like roses.
"Aro?" She opened the door just enough to poke her head into the room and peer around it, being as cautious as ever.
"Come in, come in!" Aro stood and stepped away from the table, arms outstretched toward her in greeting. She had been right about his attire; he was wearing a black silk shirt and black pants, but no shoes, yet he still looked as if he were meeting some goddess for an extremely expensive date.
Judith couldn't help but smile hugely at the candles that surrounded them, making the room about as bright as a sunset. Aro's room was the size of a house for a family of four, and no space was empty, save a few narrow walkways. Books and antiques lined shelves in glass cases around two walls, an ornate desk set beside these, and a large dinner table that could easily seat fifty people was placed down a short hallway, right next to a presumably large kitchen. Down another short hallway she could see his king-sized canopy bed that he shared with Sulpichia, and a closet and bathroom beyond that. Aro's quarters were literally his home away from home.
"Your room is as lovely as ever, Aro." Judith said politely, leading into the conversation.
Aro was beside her in less than a second, taking her hands in his and lifting them one at a time to his lips to kiss them. "Just as you are lovely, Judith." Their eyes met and he smiled at her so sweetly that couldn't help but return it.
"Aro, what is it you wanted to discuss? If it's about Marcus's present, I had a few ideas about-"
He silenced her by placing one finger gently to her lips.
"We can talk about such trivial matters later. I actually had something much different in mind?"
"Different? What's on your mind, Aro?" That feeling of nervousness was back again, making her insides quiver awkwardly. This didn't feel right.
Suddenly his fingers were wrapped around the tops of her arms, pressing into her smooth skin. It wasn't painful, but it was disconcerting, and she found that she couldn't move her arms at all. This wasn't like Aro. This wasn't like Aro at all.
"My dear, you know that I am the master and leader of all of the Volturri members, don't you?"
"Yes, but what-"
"And you know that everyone gives me everything I desire?"
"Yes."
"You understand that I always get what I want?"
"Yes."
"Good, then you will have no qualms with giving me exactly what I'd like."
"What is it you want?"
"You."
Aro's charming smile turned into a disturbing leer. He leaned forward and pressed his lips firmly against Judith's, crushing them, forcing her to kiss back. She tried to mumble out a protest, or struggle away; anything that could make him stop, but she couldn't, and for a few minutes he didn't. Finally he did pull back, his eyes twinkling as he looked down at her.
If vampires could cry she certainly would be right at this moment. How could he violate her that way? He didn't even ask her first, not that that would have made it any better. She didn't even know what to say to him.
"So, here's how things are going to work. Tonight, you will sleep with me-"
That made Judith snap out of her shock. She jerked back so roughly that he had no hope of holding her still, and slapped him as hard as she could across the face.
All of the twinkling playfulness in his eyes disappeared, and a hardness that could only be described as pure evil took its place. Terror gripped her tighter than Aro's hands had, and she choked slightly against the feeling in her chest. The fear was constricting her, cutting off her airflow, and she knew that this would end very badly for her.
"You dare to slap your master, Judith? Do you slap your husband, our dear Marcus, as well?" She marveled at what Aro called her husband. "Our dear Marcus," as if they both owned him; or maybe as if they were one person residing in the same body.
"You are not my master. You are Marcus's brother, and you covet his wife. You should die for this lustful crime, shouldn't you? After all, you were the one to make that a rule. When I tell Marcus he will serve you for tomorrow night's dinner." Judith tried so hard to make her voice fierce and strong, but it wavered slightly. Had he noticed that? It didn't matter. She spun for the door before Aro could say anything, but his hand lashed out and gripped her wrist so tightly that she had no choice but to return to him or be snapped.
"I will not die, because you will never breathe a word of this to anybody. You will lie in my bed when I tell you, as many times as I tell you, because that is what I am commanding you to do. I am your master, because without me you would cease to have been. I rule the Volturri, and I will not be disobeyed." Aro gripped her shoulders and turned her toward the wall, shoving her roughly against the paint as he pressed his body against hers. Judith made no move to struggle; she would never escape, anyway, because he was much too strong for her to overcome. There was nothing she could do now but hope that this whole thing would be over soon. Somehow she knew it wouldn't be.
"And just in case you're having any thoughts about running and telling on me as soon as I release you from my clutches, I have a back-up plan that will ruin your entire life. Renata, come here, please." Aro turned his head toward the bedroom area, and watched Renata walk down the short hallway towards him. A seductive smile lit her features, her eyes practically glued to his as she glided to his side.
"Yes, master?" She purred at him, placing her hand on his bicep.
"Tell our dear friend Judith exactly what will happen if she says anything about this little incident."
Renata turned to Judith now, her smile somehow morphing into a sneer while still keeping the same shape as before. "If you tell anyone about this, I will go behind you and tell everyone that you're just trying to cover up the fact that you're a lesbian. I will tell everyone that you're framing Aro so that you won't have to admit that you overpowered and used me. Then I will run to Aro to tell him the horrible lies you're spreading, and he will read my pure thoughts, know that I am not lying, and kill you. And if Marcus tries to interfere, Aro will kill him, too. And not one soul will dare question either of us, because they will have no reason to."
"So you see how it would be wise to keep quiet, my dear? I always get what I want, Judith, even at the expense of my brother and his harlot wife." Aro chuckled huskily, his breath blowing across the back of Judith's neck. Judith cringed as his hands made their way up the backs of her legs, lifting her dress up as they ascended. Renata flitted to the corner to watch, an odd mix of lust and jealousy raging in her maroon eyes.
"It's not fair. It's just not fair." Renata murmured under her breath as she paced rapidly around her quarters. She picked up a large vase filled with multi-colored carnations and flung it across the room. It hit the wall and shattered into a million pieces, showering her with droplets of water, and crystals.
Why should Aro covet Judith when he had Renata and Sulpichia? He could even have had Jane if he so chose, but no, he had to have Marcus's wife. What was so special about her, anyway? She wasn't any prettier than the other Volturri women, and she never showed any interest in any one but Marcus. Was it the thrill of the chase, or was it just the fact that she was so unwilling that appealed her to Aro? After all, you couldn't unleash as much fury on someone you knew enjoyed it.
Renata leaned against the wall and slumped to the floor. She had been replaced; replaced by someone who didn't even appreciate the person she was with. Would Aro still want to lay with her when he had someone he could really abuse? Renata knew as well as anyone that Aro enjoyed it a lot more when he thought there was a possibility he would be caught.
Oh, he could definitely get caught, alright. Aro had gone so far as to take Judith in Marcus's own bed. Marcus was out for the day, running some errand that Aro had sent him on in his own place, and there was no way that Marcus could have walked in on them, but there was the possibility that he could that had really appealed to Aro. The thrill of the chase; though that wasn't really part of a chase.
Why was Renata so upset and jealous? She had no claim on Aro. She was merely a mistress for him to use and toss aside. She had always known that he wouldn't keep her around forever, that he would eventually replace her when someone better came along. But why did someone better have to come along so soon? Sure, Renata had been entertaining Aro for at least a century now, but because they were vampires the time seemed to blur by so quickly. What had really been one hundred years merely felt like one hundred months, or weeks, or days, or even hours.
Suddenly it hit her. Renata realized exactly why she was so jealous of Judith, why she was so loathe to be replaced now, or ever. Renata was in love with Aro. The one person who had never wanted a mate had gone and fallen in love, and would still never get a mate, because the one she wanted would never permanently leave his wife for her company. And oh how this revelation hurt. If she were alive she surely would have shattered into a thousand pieces as her icy heart was doing now. Now she understood the phrase "died of a broken heart", and she desperately wished that she had never been reborn as this vile creature she now was.
"Aro," Renata whispered to her empty room, slumping to the floor on her side and wrapping her arms around her knees. Her eyes pricked as if there were tears waiting to fall in them, and her whole body quivered with the silent sobs she dared not let out.
Renata, in the midst of her "crying", decided right then and there that she would not be without Aro, no matter what. Someone would have to kill her to get her away from him. She didn't need to sleep with him; she just needed to be around him. So she would take up a position that would keep her within inches of him at all times: she would be his own personal bodyguard, his protector. Aro could fight, but he had no need to when he was surrounded by the Volturri guard, and she was certain he would love nothing more than to have someone guard him at all times, ensuring that he never had to lift a finger against anybody. Aro was very eccentric, but he was also very lazy, and hated to deal with his own problems.
Yes, that was what Renata would do. It would keep them together, and that would keep her whole.
That didn't solve the Judith problem, though. She would have to think of something else to break that not true pairing up.
Slowly a plan began to form.
"Judith, I want you. Come to me, my luscious mistress." Aro crooned sweetly at Judith, beckoning her forward. She moved forward without really having control of her body. Her legs moved of their own accord as if she were in a trance. She tried to turn away, to run from this evil man lying amidst dozens of rose petals before her, but found that she was unable to do so.
Help. Somebody help me.
"That's right, come to your master. Lay beside me, darling." Judith moved onto the bed next to Aro; he immediately wrapped his arms around her and pulled her much closer to him than she wanted to be. He pressed his lips to her throat, his lips making their way up to her jaw where he nibbled her hard skin gently. She shuddered in revulsion, but allowed him to continue; she couldn't do anything anyway. Suddenly his lips were mashed against her own, prying them open with his serpentine tongue. She wanted to cry out, but if she tried his tongue would be wiggling down her throat, silencing her. If she could cry the tears would be pouring down her cheeks in waterfalls.
"What the hell is going on here?!" Someone shouted angrily from across the room. Could it be? Had he really come to save her?
"Marcus, my dear brother. Would you care to join us? I was just going to show your darling wife a few new tricks." Aro wiggled his eyebrows in a way that made Judith shiver again.
"How dare you do these things to her! You know how evil this is; that's why you made the law that anyone who does such things shall be killed! Get away from my wife!" Marcus was suddenly right next to them, one hand gripped tightly around Aro's throat, his other on Judith's wrist, gently pulling her behind him so that he could protect her from further violation.
"Judith? Judith, is everything alright?" Marcus was shaking Judith's shoulder lightly, snapping out of her pleasant delusions. She blinked a few times, looking around as if she had no idea where she was.
Judith had been daydreaming. She sighed heavily as she realized that the lovely scene she had created had not happened, and probably never would. But Marcus could never know, or they both would die; at least she was certain that he would. Judith couldn't have her soul mate's death on her conscience, couldn't have his blood on her hands. She struggled to compose her features into a light smile.
"Everything's fine, love; I was just daydreaming. You know how I get when the days are tedious." Judith closed her eyes as Marcus laid his hand on her cheek, his thumb stroking lines along her cheekbone. How she wished she could revel in his gentle touch with nothing to trouble her, like things had been before Aro interfered. Again that feeling of wanting to cry pricked at her eyes, but she dared not let it show.
"I know something we could do to relieve the boredom," Marcus smirked at Judith, his eyes playful. Instantly she froze under his hand, knowing exactly what he meant. Aro had said something similar to her the other day, and Marcus reminded her of what Aro had expected of her. She didn't want to be touched by anybody, not even the man she adored, but if she didn't go along with this Marcus would know that something was wrong.
"Judith?" Marcus's tone turned worried again, and he placed his other hand against her jaw, cupping her face gently. She opened her eyes and put a mischievous grin.
"Sorry, I was just thinking of all the possibilities we could get into. Let's go somewhere more private." Judith grasped one 0f the hands cupped around her cheek and pulled him along to their quarters. She could fake this for her husband. She owed him that much, and it was better than dealing with the consequences of telling him everything.
So Much Later That The Old Narrator Got Bored And They Had To Hire A New One
Judith lay on Aro's bed unmoving, her face blank of all emotions. She was so used to his violations that they barely fazed her anymore. She no longer struggled to be free or complained when he touched her. She had learned long ago not to scream, and hitting him only made things worse. Trying to run made things worse, too. Once she had made it down the hall, her clothes in tatters and her hair blowing wildly around her face, before he had caught her and hauled her back to his chamber. Then he had brought Jane in and instructed the demonic blonde to put Judith in the worst pain imaginable. Judith would take Aro's violations a thousand times over as long as she never had to feel that pain again; she hadn't even been able to scream, the pain had been so unbearable. Now Judith just laid there, let him finish his business, and then waited until she was dismissed to go scrub the filth from her body. It actually wasn't so bad now that there was a routine to it. She knew what was expected of her. The only thing that remained odd about the whole affair was that Renata was always there, standing stone still in the corner, just watching them. Judith assumed Renata was there as a reminder to keep her mouth shut, and soon she didn't even notice the jealous girl as Aro worked over her.
One day something strange occurred.
"Carlisle has figured out what you've been doing with Judith." Renata ghosted toward the bed just as Aro rolled over onto his back, fully satisfied, for the time being. She was trying hard to keep her voice and face indifferent, but a certain sadness raged behind her eyes; she longed for Aro to notice, but he never seemed to, and if he did, he didn't care.
Aro's eyes widened in shock. He thought he was being so careful.
"How did something of this magnitude reach one of my brothers? Judith, have you slipped?" Aro's hand was suddenly digging into Judith's neck, cutting off her flow of air. Though breathing was superfluous she felt more than uncomfortable having that luxury cut off from her, and the nails digging into her granite flesh were excruciating. She tried to speak, to tell Aro that she hadn't said a word to anybody, but his hand was pressed too tightly against her throat for her to speak; she merely shook her head adamantly, hoping that would convince him. He glared at her for a moment, then released her with a huff. Judith gasped as if she had been held underwater for too long.
"Renata," Aro's maddened eyes shifted toward Renata, and she froze in place, inwardly cowering. "You did not say anything to our dear friend, Carlisle, did you? You have had first-hand accounts of this matter."
"Of course not, master. I would never betray you that way." Renata's voice was just a breath too low, but Aro caught onto it instantly. However, he said nothing about it, merely preferring to glare at her for a few seconds longer. Finally he decided that she was telling the truth, and found no need to read her thoughts. Renata breathed a silent sigh of relief at that; if he had touched her he certainly would have seen the plan she had formed.
"Then I suppose the only way to keep this whole mess from spreading any further is to…" Here he glanced at Judith, his eyes contemplative. He tented his fingers and tapped them together as he thought of how to properly word his thoughts. "Judith must die."
Judith stared at Aro in horror, trying to cower away from him. She hit the bed post before she finally curled into a ball, hugging her knees to her chest. "Why would you need to kill me? Carlisle is the one who's figured things out. You should kill him instead!" Judith had only met Carlisle once. She hated to condemn such a handsome, sweet man to such a fate, but self-preservation was one of her greatest gifts.
Aro laughed so hard that he nearly fell off of the bed onto the wood floor. "Kill one of my brothers? How could you propose such a thing, sweet, ignorant Judith? That would cause quite an uproar in the Volturri, and probably in the vampire community as a whole. Carlisle is far too important to the world to waste on the likes of a harlot such as yourself. No, no, you're the one who will have to go. After all, you're only important to Marcus. No one else really even gives you a passing glance or a second thought. I would know." He laughed heartily once more at his own joke.
"Marcus has never hurt you, Aro. He never so much as speaks ill of you, ever. This would destroy him. Are you prepared to live with him for the next thousand years if you follow through with this?" Judith was grasping at straws, trying to hang onto the tiny life-preserver that was Aro's razor-thin mercy. She had struck a chord, though; it would kill Marcus if his wife were to die, or be killed. To live without Judith would not be to live.
"Quite prepared, actually. I've found that I don't really need to look at him all that often throughout the days, just during council meetings, and that still isn't all that often. Besides, if he's wallowing in depression all the time he'll be easier to control, and that will benefit me just fine." Aro's smile grew playful, the smile of a child. Judith could see that nothing would change his mind now; she really was going to die, and soon. "We can't kill you right now, though. Too much to cover up without the luxury of a cover story. No, I can attend to that in the morning. Right now, though, we need to set up our story. Judith, you need to write a suicide note to Marcus."
Judith couldn't speak, she could only stare sadly at Aro. The way he looked at her was as if she were nothing more than a toy he had outgrown. Had she really meant so little to him, then? After all that he had forced her to do, all the months of his sick games, to just be discarded this way. It was appalling.
Aro didn't notice her silence; he continued on without missing a beat. "In this letter, this lovely last letter, you will tell him that vampire life is much too tedious for you, that you're in a constant state of depression, and that you wish to die like the humans do, so that this pain can be over for you. Your conscience is in ruins from all the people you've had to kill just to stay alive. Tell him that you've run to Scotland to give yourself over to the Children of the Moon. We can deal with your actual death after you've accomplished this task." Aro waved his hand as if to shoo Judith away. She had officially been dismissed to write her death sentence.
Judith moved slowly, hypnotized by all that had transpired. One sentence from Renata, and now she was going to be killed. There would be no happy ending from all of this horror for her. There would only be the finality of death to look forward to now. Her stomach rolled, and if she could vomit she would have done so right on Aro's scarlet bed sheets. She slipped out of the room and practically floated back to her own quarters. Luckily, Marcus wasn't there when she opened the door. He had gone to England with Caius to speak to the Queen about some nomad vampires that were causing trouble. She was actually thankful that he wasn't here. It made things so much easier not to have to pretend that she was alright for him.
Sudden realization hit her as she stared out the window of their room. Aro wanted her gone, and he didn't want a problem to arise with the guard, but did she really have to die to make sure that didn't happen? No, she didn't. She could just leave, run away and never come back. She would still leave a note for Marcus, but she would just tell him that she was leaving him to explore the world. He could survive that, couldn't he? Certainly her moving on would be much easier to deal with than her dying. She would leave a note for Aro, too, just so he would know that she wasn't running around and telling everyone of their affair; he really would kill her then. For the first time in months a genuine smile spread across her lips. She leaped across the room, landing in front of the closet, and started throwing all of her clothes on the bed. She would have to hurry and pack her things, before someone could stop her.
Renata landed lightly on the balls of her feet on the stone windowsill. The glass made no sound as she pushed it open. Renata didn't particularly want to be in Judith's vicinity, but Aro had ordered her to watch Judith and make sure she fulfilled her task; Renata needed to say a few things to the stupid brunette, anyway, and now was probably the last chance she'd have to do so. Renata smirked to herself as she watched Judith whirl around the room, trying to shove all of her things in bags. The fact that Judith was dumb enough to think that she would have a chance to leave before she could be killed was actually quite funny, but Renata didn't feel like laughing out loud at the matter.
"You really think you'll be allowed to leave?" Renata spoke softly, knowing Judith would be able to hear her. It was a wonder Judith hadn't sensed her presence yet.
Judith spun around, shocked to see Renata sitting so calmly at her window. Renata stepped down from the sill, prancing over to Judith with exaggerated slowness. Judith's body tensed, but she regained her voice quickly. "Of course I do. Aro wants me gone so that no one will know about our… affairs. He thinks that killing me is the only way out of the situation, but if I leave without saying anything to anyone, then the problem is solved just as well."
"You silly girl. Aro doesn't just want you gone. If he did, he would have suggested that you just leave right from the beginning. Aro really does want you dead, Judith. He would have gotten rid of you soon enough, anyway. He was growing bored of wasting energy on an unresponsive body. Besides, he would never be certain that you wouldn't tell anyone unless you were silenced permanently." Renata smiled ruefully at Judith, loving the fear that washed the girl's eyes of all naivety.
"He was planning to kill me from the very beginning, wasn't he? Violate me, then kill me when he was done with me. I suppose that's fitting for someone like him." The fear cleared from Judith's face, hard anger replacing it.
Renata grew suddenly furious. She reached out and slapped Judith across the face. "How dare you defile Aro with your heinous words. You were so lucky. You didn't know what you held in your hands. Aro coveted you, and you threw all of his feelings away as if they didn't matter. You have no idea what I wouldn't give to be you." The anger that had flared so suddenly was gone, sadness taking its place. Judith hated what Renata would have cherished, and Aro had passed her up without a second thought. He never cared about Renata at all, but she still couldn't let him go.
Judith watched the emotion play out over Renata's face, and suddenly a motherly instinct she never knew she had welled up inside of her. Renata was hurting so badly that she didn't even realize how horrible what she was saying truly was. Judith reached out to touch Renata's shoulder, but the hardened blond shook her away.
"You may want the life he chose to give me, but I wouldn't wish that on anyone, not even someone who was s0 blind as to think that was anything but evil." Judith spoke firmly, but still tried to be gentle.
"It doesn't matter now, since you'll be dead in a few hours and he'll have me in his bed once more shortly after. He won't treat me the same as he did before, I'm sure, but anything is better than watching him with you. I hate that he made me stay every time. I think he was punishing me, too, you know." Renata giggled darkly, shaking her head slightly at the end.
Judith didn't know what else to say, and she didn't want to speak anymore, anyway. She still had to write that letter to Marcus, and that wouldn't be easy to accomplish.
"Hurry up, Aro's getting annoyed." Renata was back to her indifferent self, and she perched on the windowsill once more to watch Judith. Not much longer now, and she would have her way. Everything would be back to normal again. That was what she wanted, wasn't it? So why did she feel so guilty inside?
It was roughly two weeks later when Marcus returned from his trip to England. He was in good spirits that day, and he was practically skipping as he made his way to his chambers. Judith was sure to be waiting for him there, and he could just picture the eager smile on his face as she ran into his loving embrace. They would kiss, they would touch, and later they would talk. He would tell her about his travel, and he would give her the present he had gotten her while over there. He was certain she would like his little gift, and he couldn't wait to see the look on her face when he handed it to her; but that would come later. First they had to make up for lost time.
"Judith," he called out exuberantly as he opened the door to their chamber. His eyes swept the room, searching for her lovely face, but instead he was greeted with a note on his pillow.
What's this? A letter? But from whom?
He flashed to the bedside and picked up the large piece of paper, nearly dropping it again a few seconds later as he read its contents.
Dearest Marcus,
I'm so very sorry for what I must tell you now, but this time has been coming for quite a while now, and I think that if you try to tell yourself it hasn't been that you're just denying it to try and make things easier on you.
I've grown tired of this life, Marcus. I'm tired of having to murder innocent people just to keep my composure. Those people deserve to live their lives, not have them viciously taken away in a flash by my voracious thirst for blood. It's killing my conscience to keep this up.
I've grown tired of you, as well. You've been a sweet, loving husband for as many years as we've been together, but things just aren't working for me anymore. I wish I could love you the way I did when we first met, but I love blood more, and as I've just stated I'm disgusted at my bloodlust.
I'm going to kill myself, Marcus. By the time you read this I will already be dead. I'm going to Scotland to turn myself over to the Moon Children. They hate our kind, anyway, and perhaps giving myself to them will satiate their hunger for an inter-species war. I can do good this way, too, and perhaps make up for my sins.
Carry on, my love, for others will come along, others that have more to offer than I ever have. Your brothers will take care of you in this time of sadness.
Remember me in fondness.
My heart, my life, my soul. All are yours. Protect them.
Goodbye.
~Judith
My dear brother, Marcus,
I am truly sorry for the loss you are suffering at this time. Judith was a wonderful woman who could brighten a room just by smiling. We must remember her as she was before: happy, carefree, and loving of this life.
You have my condolences, along with the condolences of the entire Volturri guard. We all pray for your safe return soon. You are horribly missed, and greatly needed at our council meetings.
We will respect your decision to live nomadically, if that is what you so choose; we merely ask that you let us know rather than just disappearing.
Never forget that she loved you, Marcus.
Warmest regards, and deepest regrets,
Aro
The End
Well, Monica, that's the end of that story. The title really has nothing to do with the story itself, I'm just now realizing.
Just remember that your brought this upon yourself, and I hope you drown in the ocean of tears you cry because feels.
This took me only like five days to finish. Which is quite impressive for me. But this story was actually really interesting and surprisingly fun to write. I never wanted to stop, but all things must come to an end. I'm surprised it came out this long, too. Nineteen pages.
Ok, my back hurts from sitting at my desk so long, so I'm going to end this now and go to sleep. Or at least lay in bed.
I hope you enjoyed this story, even if it is different from what we first imagined it would be.