I don't quite know what I'm doing, but I'm doing it. Firstly, I'm just going to make this clear : I'm not a huge fan of Twilight. I've read all the books and seen all the movies, but it's not my world or even on the list of best books I've ever read. However, the Volturi interest me when they're not being ruthless, Aro in particular and I only hope that this mix of humor and mystery intrigues and interests you. Surely they'll be OC in some ways, but that's the beauty of fanfiction...you can write as you will. Anywho, enjoy!
Chapter 1
"My name is Jenna Polyanna."
Everyone in the room paused.
"You're probably going to kill us, right?" she questioned, a brow arching.
Felix glanced at Demetri who in turn, met Jane's gaze causing her to throw a confused look toward Alec whom decided to meet the eyes of Marcus thus forcing him to observe Caius who then peered intensely at Aro.
"Right," Jenna observed, "well...is there any way out of this? And I'm not talking for me, but for all of us. Obviously we hadn't intended on being eaten alive when we decided to sign up for a tour of Volterra. Although, I can see from a business aspect, why you don't include being a vampire's meal as an exciting bonus."
Aro felt the intensity of eyes searching him. Most came from his guard, but a small portion were from the human tourists currently residing before him in fear. Well, except the girl.
"Jenna," he began pleasantly enough for Aro could be pleasant, as difficult as it was to believe, "you are only one of many before you. Your fate was sealed upon your entrance into my palace."
Said girl furrowed her brows.
"Call me petulant, but I find that to be incredibly unfair."
"Shut up," a voice near her demanded.
Jenna's ocean blue eyes glanced at Lincoln and frowned at what she saw. Fear was etched so far into his features that Jenna had a difficult time picking out what his face had looked like before.
"Humor me then, Jenna. Imagine yourself in my position, in my level of thirst, in my great need to keep myself out of the public eye. How could I possibly get my meals? What could you possibly have me do?"
Jenna thoughtfully mulled over the question, observing the strange looks the two men beside him threw.
"Well for starters, If I were you, I'd lose the robe. The last thing I want to think before I die is "Egad! A man of God is going to kill me!". Secondly," Jenna answered, approaching with a steady step, "I'd try some sort of persuasion charm vampires are rumored to have."
"Tis nothing but a rumor," Aro replied with joy.
Attempting to keep her eyebrows from shooting into her hairline Jenna muttered softly under her breath, "The vampires on True Blood can do it."
"Come again?"
Meeting Aro's expectant gaze, Jenna shook her head.
"Okay, so you can't glamor us to forget after having a nibble-."
"Why nibble when we are entitled to the full meal?" was Aro's confident retort.
A wimper behind Jenna caused her to stiffen. One of her hands crept behind and grabbed the ten year old girl's. Hers was shaking like a leaf.
"Right...a vampire has to eat. Why not attempt import blood from a blood bank?"
Aro tilted his head as a wide smile graced his lips. Jenna found it to be one of the most beautiful and frightening things she'd ever seen in her life. Still, there was no way she could allow the room full of vampires to slaughter them all just for a quick meal. It was rude and completely barbaric. Plus, in her own way, she felt responsible for the motley crue surrounding her.
They were a small group of five.
Lincoln - a 30 something lawyer from New York who'd reeked of charm, but couldn't hold up in a fight if his life depended on it. Delilah - the ten year old girl whom Jenna personally was responsible for. The girl's parents had only had enough money to send one person on the tour and from the quick friendship she'd formed with the two newlyweds, they entrusted her to keep Delilah safe.
Jenna herself was lucky number three, but to her left was another woman about 20 years older named Rhonda. The problem Rhonda faced included having had so much botox added to her features that Jenna couldn't decipher whether the woman was legitimately terrified of their situation or simply making eyes at the three men who sat like royalty upon their chairs.
And the last man who'd made up the group, A.J., was probably the closest to her age. However, he must have let somebody borrow his backbone while on vacation for as soon as they'd all learned whom the inhabitants of the room were and what exactly was to happen to them, A.J. pled like he had no tomorrow.
Quickly realizing if A.J. continued to babble, they truthfully would have no tomorrow, Jenna attempted to take over the situation with logic, snark, and creativity along with her knowledge of vampires who suddenly became real.
"The greatest triumph is within the struggle," Aro answered, smiling.
"How about...," she pondered, biting at her lip.
She silently cursed when Aro licked his in reply.
"How about you let us go, you Italian fascists!" A.J. spat.
Jenna smacked herself in the forehead with one hand while shielding Delilah with the other.
"I think I will taste him first," Caius remarked, his eyes locked on the rude 26 year old.
"How about you let them go and I'll stay instead," Jenna suggested.
She said this without thought, only subconsciously remembering there was no home for her to return to.
But the effect was immediate. Caius and those standing began laughing while Marcus grimaced and turned away. Only Aro kept Jenna's gaze with something beneath his eyes.
"I suppose we have been eating rather excessively," he admitted.
The laughter died down in an instant.
"You can not be serious-."
"We are vampires-."
"I've had my eye on the child since she entered the room-."
"Silence," Aro stated with a wave of his hand.
The vampires followed the orders without a word.
"What I mean to say, my fellow friends is we did indulge in a meal only two hours ago."
"We cannot let them leave with the knowledge of our existence," Caius sputtered.
"You have a point, brother. Any solutions?" Aro asked, his eyes locked on to Jenna's.
The question was full of amusement, but Jenna understood the significance of having a good answer.
"When you informed us about your plan to have us as your happy meal, Lincoln," Jenna addressed, gesturing to said man, "met the eyes of you."
Each member of the room followed Jenna's finger to Jane.
To her credit, Jane actually lifted both eyebrows a fraction of a centimeter's inch.
"He then fell to the ground in agony. You didn't come in contact with him physically, but what I'm assuming mentally. If you have a special ability working with minds, it should be simple for you to erase a memory or two."
Caius growled, impatient at the proceedings.
But time still lazed on.
The tension in the air formed could have smothered the most conditioned runner to death.
Finally, Aro stood from his seat and stepped forward.
Jenna felt Delilah's finger slip out of her embrace as the group retreated back.
"That," Aro noted, "is magnificent."
Jane's eyes narrowed in suspicion.
"I do not understand, Aro."
Aro's grin only widened as he took in Jenna with bright eyes.
"I've been on the same mindset myself. If you are able to balance your mental strengths into torture, surely you are able to meander within a human's mind as well. The possibilities of your true strengths send shivers down my spine," he eagerly answered.
Careful not to sigh at the statement, Jenna smiled weakly.
"So, any volunteers?"
Not a word was uttered from the tour group.
"I'll go then," Jenna offered.
"Ah, ah, ah," Aro reprimanded, "you did insist on their release, not yours."
Jenna rolled her eyes, but turned to the group behind.
"Anyone feeling like having their memories erased by a bloodthirsty vampire?"
No one replied.
"Amusing," Aro mumbled under his breath.
When Jenna heard it, her insides clenched.
"Look, it's either you try this out and leave here nonethewiser or you become dinner. Your choice."
A.J. was the first to crack and with a grumble, nervously shuffled toward the shortest Volturi.
"I may accidentally paralyze your brain," Jane monotonously commented.
This forced A.J. to pause in his steps.
Meeting Jane's glance, Jenna responded, "He doesn't use it anyway."
And the statement eased A.J. back into a forward motion until he was in a nervous crouch before Jane.
"D," Jenna motioned.
Delilah ran over and buried her face into her stomach.
"I wanna go home," she choked out.
Kneeling, Jenna ran a hand over Delilah's cheek and smiled like a million Watts were fueling her lips.
"Don't you worry, D. Not only will you be home soon, but you won't remember anymore of this scary place. You'll be as safe as a seesaw."
Despite the circumstance, Delilah let out a toothy grin and leaned into Jenna's embrace.
Smiling in turn, Jenna stood and made the mistake of meeting Aro's stare.
His eyes bore into her as if she was something he'd never seen before in his entire life.
Unnerved by the gaze, Jenna stuck out her tongue once before turning to Jane.
Jane's normally passive features were nonexistent. Upon making actual contact with a person, her eyes glowed while her muscles became incredibly taut.
A.J. slightly shook in his knelt position, his eyes like a metronome beneath his lids.
Before any of them knew it, Jane's eyes were back to a stony indifference and A.J.'s opened with puzzlement.
"Where am I?"
Letting out a breath she hadn't known existed within her, Jenna shot the same smile at A.J.'s confused form.
"Splendid!" Aro exclaimed with a clap of his hands.
Soon after, A.J. drifted off to the side and Rhonda took his place with a word of Jenna's encouragement.
One intense brightening of the eyes and shake of the form later and Rhonda's memories of the evening had been wiped also.
Lincoln soon knelt in the position with reluctance to meet the same fate and when Delilah's turn approached, Jenna led her over by hand.
"I'm scared," she whined.
"Nothing to be scared of," Jenna teased, "actually, I'm more afraid of spiders than I am of vampires."
Delilah wrinkled her nose in agreement.
Three minutes later and Delilah got to her feet, wondering where her parents were.
"Incredible."
Jenna jumped as Aro's whispered awe met the side of her neck. His form lingering so close to hers caused anxiety to build, but hell would freeze over before she admitted that.
"And if they do end up remembering?" Caius warned, watching Delilah merge with the group.
Biting back a shriek, Jenna felt two cold hands fold over her left arm.
"We kill them," Aro answered simply.
A pang struck Jenna's chest, but for the moment, she couldn't help the elation bubbling inside. It was starting to appear like they were actually going to be let go.
Sure enough, Aro waved at them with dismissal as the same woman in charge of the tour, slipped in to the room. Her shock indicated to Jenna how often tourists actually survived the encounter.
"I hope you enjoyed the tour. We'd love you to stop by again," Aro encouraged with a slight wave as one hand kept Jenna's in a tight lock.
The group waved back uncertainly and began ushering themselves out of the room.
"Aren't you coming?" Lincoln questioned before the door closed.
Shaking her head, Jenna laughed, "It would be murder not to observe this room further. What with all the ancient and deadly history of it, I really cannot refuse.
Lincoln nodded uncertainly before shutting the door behind him.
"Really, quite amazing. Jane's abilities have been extended and I've done the good deed of the millennium. Surely I deserve a prize."
It was with this that Aro turned his eyes to Jenna who'd been trying to casually slip her hand out of his embrace.
"Now, let me take a look at you."
Jenna stilled as the pressure on her hand increased. Suddenly, her eyes slammed shut and memories began pouring through previously locked areas of her mind. But she denied their apperance with a fierce rush of breath, and before they could reach Aro's curious mind, a steely wall of mental strength had formed.
"May I eat her, Aro?"
Felix's question was never answered.
"Extraordinary," Aro remarked, his eyes studying Jenna with great intensity as he attempted the probing again, but was met by the same natural set resistance.
Fighting off the cold that briefly penetrated her mind, Jenna tried to meet Aro's eyes without conflict.
"What?" she whispered out.
"Your essence," he muttered instead, his lips trailing silently over her vein, "is very familiar. Very ancient. This is what keeps me from accessing your secrets, my dear."
"Aro, I respectfully claim the human as a midnight snack."
Demetri's request was ignored.
"Yeah, well," Jenna admitted, slipping her hand forcefully out of his palm, "that's what all my ex-boyfriend's said."
"Can we just kill her? I do not make myself present around others just to watch our prey walk back out," Caius stated.
Aro tilted his head again. His forehead scrunched as if he were in deep thought.
"Perhaps you are right, Caius," Aro finally answered with a shake of the head.
Jenna figuratively patted herself on the back at not retreating after the words left Aro's lips. It wasn't that she wanted death placed upon her. There was still so much for her to do, so much to see.
But witnessing her voice and intelligence save others' from a most certain death caused Jenna to think less of herself and more of the situation. And although Aro still studied her with a face of intense scrutiny as if there was something he couldn't quite figure out, Jenna only hoped it'd be swift and painless.
"Any reason you feel like we should not slaughter you?" Aro calmly questioned, observing her from only a few feet away.
"Come now Aro, must you drag this out?" Caius complained.
Jenna's eyes flickered toward the blonde man before settling on Aro's.
"Well," Jenna pondered carefully, aware the next words would determine her fate. Although, it seemed like not the wittiest comeback in the world would save her now.
"Yes?"
Inching a few steps forward, Jenna leaned in to Aro until only three feet separated them.
Why am I telling him this?
"I'm a direct descendent of Vlad Tepec."
The room stilled at her words.
"Vlad Tepec?" Aro questioned, his voice nearly whispering the statement.
"Yes," Jenna slowly answered, "you guys know Vlad, right? Grrr...Vlad the Impaler. I will kill the Turks and stick their disembodied pieces outside my palace! Maybe I'll even bathe in their blood. Original Dracula, some say. Considering we're on topic of vampires and I'm going to be eaten by them, I might as well glorify the myth although it's very convincing with Vlad's mannerisms, why people thought he was a vampire."
No one said a single word. No one even breathed.
Finally, Aro broke the silence.
"Vlad was a friend of mine."
"Really? I don't think I've ever liked to have known the man, but I am related to history whether its glamorous or notorious. To be related to a supposed vampire is rather interesting."
"You do not understand," Caius dictated.
"This explains so much," Aro muttered to himself.
"What?" Jenna urged, not quite understanding the significance of-.
"Oh," she then let out, shaking her head.
Impossible. The historians said none of the rumors were true.
But Aro's next words brought an unforeseeable enlightenment.
"Vlad Tepec was thought to be a vampire," he answered, "because he was a vampire."
Jenna's eyes widened and for the first time that day, her feet retreated a few steps.
Aro's however, followed the movements with a prey like intensity.
"Damn," Alec whispered to Marcus, "it appears we must keep her alive."
Hearing the statement just barely, Jenna felt a slight surge of hope strum through her.
"You do not understand the significance of your heritage yet," Aro began.
He had stopped smiling or frowning and instead, wore a mask of what Jenna would only describe as the Ben Stein face. That guy with the monotonous voice who was incredibly intelligent and you never knew from his facial expressions whether he was thinking about sex or the atomic mass of the element, lithium.
"She could be lying," Caius offered, his eyes searching the woman intensely.
"As he claimed so many centuries before, she would be free of myself and all strengths associated," Aro thoughtfully answered.
"I don't understand," Jenna uncertainly let out.
From the look Aro shot her, Jenna found herself remembering the sudden frost in her mind.
"Were you trying to...get inside?"
"And failed," Aro answered with a strange sort of glee.
The other members in the room tried to hide their surprise at hearing this.
"And this is a good thing?"
"Oh it's fantastic," Aro suddenly laughed, approaching her. "It means I do not have to search for you or wonder if I had missed you in a previous century."
"I'm trying to understand this," Jenna expressed. "You knew my ancestor, Vlad. And because of my relations to him, you were unable to peek around inside my mind like Jane."
"It's more than that," Marcus announced suddenly with a deep, gentle voice.
"I'd love to know, I really would," Jenna acknowledged with a smile, "but I have to make a quick phone call. My cell's been vibrating in my back pocket for the past five minutes."
The looks she met weren't approving or disapproving.
"Right," she stated.
Turning around, Jenna found her cell, flipped it open and glanced at the persistent number.
There wasn't time for her to think how stupid it was to turn her back on a bunch of vampires. Or to feel how shaky her nerves truly were. Or the sweat pooling at the arch of her back. Her mind had been completely overloaded, starting with finding out vampires existed to still being alive after finding out her infamous ancestor was one himself.
"Davie, what's going on?"
The surprised voice greeted her with mock anger.
"Where've you been, Jenna? I thought you were staying at the Steffano de Nazza hotel."
"I am," she carefully uttered, "what's wrong? Did you almost burn the house down again trying to make turkey?"
An embarrassed laugh raced through the phone.
"No...I uh, I came to surprise you."
Jenna scrunched her eyebrows.
"You...came to surprise me...as in...you're here?"
"Yep. I felt guilty with how things ended between us. I had a terrible attitude when I was suppose to be an encouraging boyfriend. You didn't want to come to Italy so you could get a new boyfriend, you came for your studies. I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions like that.
Gripping the cell tighter, Jenna was just about to retort when she felt the object slip from her hand.
Aro held it instead, peering at the noise before holding his own head to it.
"NO!" Jenna mouthed, shaking her head.
Aro smiled and winked once before stating, "Really quite sorry, dear Davie, but your lovely Jenna is my future queen. Consider this my nice warning."
Before she could say something, Aro snapped the phone shut and whipped it at a nearby wall. On impact, the object crumbled into pieces.
"What the hell was that?" she screamed.
"The truth," Aro explained with a smile.
"I love that man."
"I love you."
"That doesn't even make any sense!" Jenna yelled, motioning her hands to the heavens. "You just met me."
"Well you see, Vlad was an intelligent vampire. Bloodthirsty, but intelligent. And long ago I was going to take his kingdom away. Imagine, a country for vampires. It was my first great goal. But," he admitted, matching each step Jenna backed from,"Vlad was aware of this. He went in search of a fortune teller and what he learned of his future, was bargained to prevent me from taking his kingdom. He could have fought, but alas there was another war raging and his focus was on decorating his lawn with the heads of victims, not with me."
"What did he bargain for his kingdom?" Jenna nervously asked.
"You."
Shaking her head Jenna stared at the vampire in confusion.
"Me?"
"Yes," Aro explained with the same dark glee in his voice. "What I only assume to be the prophecy he learned of was explained one night upon meeting in his palace. He promised a future descendant of his would enthrall me. She would have complete liberation of myself and my abilities, really quite ridiculous I believed at the time. But the more Vlad described you, the more intrigued I became. Just the thought of facing someone immune to myself was really quite an exciting thought. And as he bargained for his kingdom, Vlad informed me one day that his future descendant would make me happier than I'd ever be in my long, lasting life. So I accepted you."
Attempting not to gape, Jenna pondered over the words.
"And you think that's me?"
"It is you."
"Okay...then why are you taking an interest all of a sudden? Surely the thought of love is a deceptive misery for you and preying on humans is the only happiness you have."
"Because everything's become so boring!" Aro exclaimed.
His followers couldn't hold back the surprise this time.
"We feed from humans. What is more exciting?" Caius questioned.
Felix nodded his head vehemently.
"The ability to control them surely hasn't waned your interest," Jane added.
Alec shook his head in agreement.
"But it is the same. Century after century, year after year. Feasting on the humans, controlling the minds of vampires. I do not know your stances on this, but I have honestly become rather immune to the joy once experienced."
"You have a wife!" Caius reminded.
"Who hardly manages to fulfill my needs. But to have a woman who can," Aro acknowledged, his gaze searing through Jenna's form.
"Vlad may have been lying," Alec suggested.
"No. Or at least I hope not. If he was, I'm afraid dear Jenna would have been dead long ago and Romania would be mine."
"Firstly, I'd rather die than be your queen," Jenna related.
"Really?" Aro questioned, amusement set in his tone.
"Yes, really. And don't look so egotistical about it. Secondly, I have a boyfriend I love very much already. He may not always have treated me the best, but I love him regardless."
"Say another word about him and I will personally prepare his funeral."
Jenna stilled at the tone in his voice. The glee had been shortly replaced with malice.
"Alright, not keen on the bo-person who is more than a friend to me. How about one fact you've overlooked? I don't want to be married to a man who not only murders humans for fun, but has a wife already."
"Everybody has their flaws," Aro lightly stated.
"Flaws? FLAWS? I'll show you flaws-."
"Ah, so it is decided then!" Aro expressed with a large grin, "Jenna Polyanna will be my future wife."
Jenna's body stiffened and before she could argue or protest, a dizziness rocked her mind.
Aro caught the woman before she hit the floor in unconsciousness.
"Aro," Jane said after a moment.
"Hm?" he answered, trailing a finger over the woman's cheek.
"You cannot be...truthful in your intent."
Steeling his gaze, Aro stood with Jenna in his arms.
"I would never joke of boredom."
"She is human-."
"And I have had the same routine for so long. Whether you approve or not, I do not care. Surely I deserve some sort of reward for all my hard work."
"But-."
"No more. The decision is final. No one is to touch her but me."
"He's joking," Felix stated as Aro's form retreated from the room minutes later.
"Oh how I wish," Caius muttered under his breath.
Interesting? Boring? Hate it? Love it? Let me know what you're thinking in a review!